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Mountain states

The Mountain states (also known as the Mountain West or the Interior West) form one of the nine geographic divisions of the United States that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau. It is a subregion of the Western United States.

Regional definitions vary from source to source. The states shown in dark red are always included, while the striped states are usually considered part of the same region called the Mountain States.
The Teton Mountain Range in Wyoming, a subset of the Rocky Mountains
Map of the Rocky Mountains of western North America.

The Mountain states are considered to include: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The words "Mountain states" generally refer to the U.S. States which encompass the U.S. Rocky Mountains. These are oriented north-south through portions of the states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Arizona and Nevada, as well as other parts of Utah and New Mexico, have other smaller mountain ranges and scattered mountains located in them as well. Sometimes, the Trans-Pecos area of West Texas is considered part of the region. The land area of the eight states together is some 855,767 square miles (2,216,426 km2).

It is the fastest-growing region in the United States, with Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona ranking among the fastest-growing states in the country.[1]

A few subregions exist within this region:

Regional geography edit

The Mountain West is one of the largest and most diverse regions in the United States. Most regional boundaries of the Mountain West are often looked at the area from the High Plains to the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range. The southern and northern portions of the Mountain West are often split into two separate regions. The southern portion (Arizona and New Mexico) is often called the Southwest region, while the northern portion (Idaho and Montana) is often included in either the Northwest states or called the "Northern Rockies".[5]

Terrain edit

 
The bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona
 
Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado

Together with the Pacific States of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, the Mountain states constitute the broader region of the West, one of the four regions the United States Census Bureau formally recognizes (the Northeast, South, and Midwest being the other three). The terrain of the Mountain West is more diverse than any other region in the United States. Its physical geography ranges from some of the highest mountain peaks in the continental United States to large desert lands and rolling plains in the eastern portion of the region. The Great Basin Desert is located in almost all of Nevada, western Utah, and southern Idaho. Portions of the Mojave Desert are located in California, but over half of the desert is located in southern Nevada, in the Mountain West. Meanwhile, the Sonoran Desert is located in much of Arizona, and the Chihuahuan Desert is located in most of southwestern and southern New Mexico, including White Sands and Jornada del Muerto. Colorado also has scattered desert lands in the southern and northwestern portions of the state, including the expansive San Luis Valley.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona have other smaller desert lands, part of the Colorado Plateau. The Painted Desert is located in northern and northeastern Arizona, and the San Rafael Desert is located in eastern Utah. New Mexico has other desert lands located in the northern and northwest. Colorado has large desert lands on the colorado plateau in the northwestern, western, and southern parts of the state. These desert lands in Colorado are located in and around areas such as Royal Gorge, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Pueblo, the San Luis Valley, Cortez, Dove Creek, Delta, Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, the Roan Plateau, Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado National Monument, and the Grand Mesa.[6] The San Luis Valley is the largest high valley desert in the world.[citation needed]

In the far-eastern portions of the Mountain West are the High Plains, a portion of the Great Plains. These plains mainly consist of flat rolling land, with scattered buttes, canyons, and forests located in these areas. The High Plains receive very little rainfall, and sit at high elevations, usually about 3,000 to 6,000 feet (910 to 1,830 m). Many people view the High Plains as the point where one begins to enter the greater Mountain West region.[7]

The Mountain West has some of the highest mountain peaks in America. Some of the more famous mountains in the Mountain West are Mount Elbert, Pikes Peak, Blanca Peak, Longs Peak, Kings Peak, Wind River Peak, Cloud Peak, Wheeler Peak, Truchas Peak, Granite Peak, Borah Peak, and Humphreys Peak.[8]

Climate edit

 
Snow on the Great Basin Desert of Nevada
 
The Painted Desert in northeastern Arizona

The climate of the Mountain West is one of the more diverse climates in the United States. The entire region generally features a semi-arid or arid climate, with somе alpine climates in the mountains of each state. Some parts of the tall mountains can receive very large amounts of snow and rain, while other parts of the region received very little rain, and virtually no snow at all. The High Plains in the eastern portion of the region receive moderate snowfalls, but very little rain.

The states of Nevada and Arizona are generally filled with desert lands and scattered mountain ranges. Much of Nevada receives little to no snow in the southern portion of the state, while northern Nevada can receive large amounts of snow in and around the mountains, and even in the desert lands in Nevada. Arizona generally receives little rain or snow, but high elevations in and near mountains receive extremely large amounts of rain and snow. Northern and northeastern Arizona display characteristics of a "High Desert", where the summers are very hot and dry, while the winters can become very cold, and it can snow as well.

Utah is also generally large desert lands, with mountains as well. However, the desert lands in Utah receive significant snowfall, and there are large amounts of snowfall on and around the mountains. Colorado and New Mexico have very similar climates. Both states can receive significant snowfalls off the mountains, while the mountains in both states receive extremely large amounts of snow. However, southern and southwestern New Mexico generally does not receive much snow at all, similar to southern Nevada and southern Arizona. The desert lands found in northeastern Arizona, eastern Utah, northern New Mexico, and western and southern Colorado are generally referred to as the "High Desert" lands.

The northern portion of the Mountain West tends to be a bit cooler than the southwestern areas. Idaho and Montana both receive significant snowfalls off the mountains and very large snowfalls in the mountains. The High Desert also exists in the northern Mountain West. Southeastern Oregon and southern Idaho have the Great Basin Desert lands located in them, which is part of the high desert.[9]

The eight Mountain states have the highest mean elevations of all 50 U.S. states.

States edit

 
Mount Elbert in the Sawatch Range of Colorado is the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains and the Mountain states.
The Mountain states by mean elevation[10]

Rank State Highest point Highest elevation Lowest point Lowest elevation Mean elevation Elevation span
1 Colorado Mount Elbert[11] 14,440 ft
4401 m
Arikaree River at Kansas border 3,317 ft
1011 m
6,800 ft
2073 m
11,123 ft
3390 m
2 Wyoming Gannett Peak[12] 13,809 ft
4209 m
Belle Fourche River at South Dakota border 3,100 ft
945 m
6,693 ft
2040 m
10,709 ft
3264 m
3 Utah Kings Peak[13] 13,518 ft
4120 m
Beaver Dam Wash at Arizona border 2,180 ft
664 m
6,100 ft
1859 m
11,338 ft
3456 m.
4 New Mexico Wheeler Peak[14] 13,167 ft
4013 m
Red Bluff on Texas border 2,842 ft
866 m
5,700 ft
1737 m
10,325 ft
3147 m
5 Nevada Boundary Peak[15] 13,147 ft
4007 m
Colorado River at California border 479 ft
146 m
5,500 ft
1676 m
12,668 ft
3861 m
6 Idaho Borah Peak[16] 12,668 ft
3861 m
Snake River at Washington border 710 ft
216 m
5,000 ft
1524 m
11,958 ft
3645 m
7 Arizona Humphreys Peak[17] 12,637 ft
3852 m
Colorado River at Sonora border 70 ft
21 m
4,100 ft
1250 m
12,567 ft
3830 m
8 Montana Granite Peak[18] 12,807 ft
3904 m
Kootenai River at Idaho border. 1,800 ft
549 m
3,400 ft
1036 m
11,007 ft
3355 m
Mountain states Mount Elbert[11] 14,440 ft
4401 m
Colorado River at Sonora border. 70 ft
21 m
5,400 ft
1646 m.
14,370 ft
4380 m.

Demographics edit

The Phoenix metropolitan area is the most populous metropolitan area of the Mountain states, followed by Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. Phoenix is also the most populous city.

 
Downtown Phoenix
 
Downtown Denver
 
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
 
Ethnic origins in Mountain West

The following table is a ranking of cities within the Mountain states region, by city population.

The 30 most populous cities of the Mountain states[19]

Rank City State 2020 pop 2010 pop Change
1 Phoenix Arizona 1,608,139 1,445,632 +11.24%
2 Denver Colorado 715,522 600,158 +19.22%
3 Las Vegas Nevada 641,903 583,756 +9.96%
4 Albuquerque New Mexico 564,559 545,852 +3.43%
5 Tucson Arizona 542,629 520,116 +4.33%
6 Mesa Arizona 504,258 439,041 +14.85%
7 Colorado Springs Colorado 478,961 416,427 +15.02%
8 Aurora Colorado 386,261 325,078 +18.82%
9 Henderson Nevada 317,610 257,729 +23.23%
10 Chandler Arizona 275,987 236,123 +16.88%
11 Gilbert Arizona 267,918 208,453 +28.53%
12 Reno Nevada 264,165 225,221 +17.29%
13 North Las Vegas Nevada 262,527 216,961 +21.00%
14 Glendale Arizona 248,325 226,721 +9.53%
15 Scottsdale Arizona 241,361 217,385 +11.03%
16 Boise Idaho 235,684 205,671 +14.59%
17 Salt Lake City Utah 199,723 186,440 +7.12%
18 Peoria Arizona 190,985 154,065 +23.96%
19 Tempe Arizona 180,587 161,719 +11.67%
20 Fort Collins Colorado 169,810 143,986 +17.94%
21 Lakewood Colorado 155,984 142,980 +9.09%
22 Surprise Arizona 143,148 117,517 +21.81%
23 Thornton Colorado 141,867 118,772 +19.44%
24 West Valley City Utah 140,230 129,480 +8.30%
25 Arvada Colorado 124,402 106,433 +16.88%
26 Meridian Idaho 117,635 75,092 +56.65%
27 Billings Montana 117,116 104,170 +12.43%
28 West Jordan Utah 116,961 103,712 +12.77%
29 Westminster Colorado 116,317 106,114 +9.62%
30 Provo Utah 115,162 112,488 +2.38%

Census statistical areas edit

 
The skyline of Salt Lake City
 
Evening comes to Tucson
 
Albuquerque skyline with the Sandia Mountains in the distance
 
The skyline of Colorado Springs with the Front Range in the background
 
The Idaho State Capitol in Boise
The 30 most populous Core Based Statistical Areas of the Mountain states[19]

Rank CBSA 2020 pop 2010 pop Change
1 Phoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZ MSA 4,845,832 4,192,887 +15.57%
2 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA 2,963,821 2,543,482 +16.53%
3 Las Vegas–Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA 2,265,461 1,951,269 +16.10%
4 Salt Lake City, UT MSA 1,257,936 1,124,197 +11.90%
5 Tucson, AZ MSA 1,043,433 980,263 +6.44%
6 Albuquerque, NM MSA 916,528 887,077 +3.32%
7 Boise City, ID MSA 764,718 616,561 +24.03%
8 Colorado Springs, CO MSA 755,105 645,613 +16.96%
9 Ogden-Clearfield, UT MSA 694,863 597,159 +16.36%
10 Provo-Orem, UT MSA 671,185 526,810 +27.41%
11 Reno, NV MSA 490,596 425,417 +15.32%
12 Fort Collins, CO MSA 359,066 299,630 +19.84%
13 Boulder, CO MSA 330,758 294,567 +12.29%
14 Greeley, CO MSA 328,981 252,825 +30.12%
15 Prescott, AZ MSA 236,209 211,033 +11.93%
16 Las Cruces, NM MSA 219,561 209,233 +4.94%
17 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ MSA 213,267 200,186 +6.53%
18 Yuma, AZ MSA 203,881 195,751 +4.15%
19 Billings, MT MSA 184,167 158,050 +16.52%
20 Saint George, UT MSA 180,279 138,115 +30.53%
21 Coeur d'Alene, ID MSA 171,362 138,494 +23.73%
22 Pueblo, CO MSA 168,162 159,063 +5.72%
23 Idaho Falls, ID MSA 157,429 130,374 +20.75%
24 Grand Junction, CO MSA 155,703 146,723 +6.12%
25 Santa Fe, NM MSA 154,823 144,170 +7.39%
26 Logan, UT-ID MSA 147,348 125,442 +17.46%
27 Flagstaff, AZ MSA 145,101 134,421 +7.95%
28 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ MSA 125,447 131,346 −4.49%
29 Farmington, NM MSA 121,661 130,044 −6.45%
30 Missoula, MT MSA 117,922 109,299 +7.89%
The twelve combined statistical areas of the Mountain states[20][21]

Rank CSA 2014 pop 2010 pop Change Component CBSAs
1 Denver-Aurora, CO CSA 3,345,261 3,090,874 +8.23% Boulder, CO MSA
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO MSA
Greeley, CO MSA
2 Salt Lake City-Provo-Orem, UT CSA 2,423,912 2,271,696 +6.70% Heber, UT µSA
Ogden-Clearfield, UT MSA
Provo-Orem, UT MSA
Salt Lake City, UT MSA
3 Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ CSA 2,315,324 2,195,401 +5.46% Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ MSA
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV MSA
Pahrump, NV µSA
4 Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM Combined Statistical Area 1,165,798 1,146,049 +1.72% Albuquerque MSA
Espanola, NM µSA
Grants, NM µSA
Las Vegas, NM µSA
Los Alamos, NM µSA
Santa Fe, NM MSA
5 Tucson-Nogales, AZ CSA 1,051,211 1,027,683 +2.29% Nogales, AZ µSA
Tucson, AZ MSA
6 Boise City-Mountain Home-Ontario, ID-OR CSA 743,711 697,535 +6.62% Boise City, ID MSA
Mountain Home, ID µSA
Ontario, OR-ID µSA
7 Reno-Carson City-Fernley, NV CSA 597,837 579,668 +3.13% Carson City, NV MSA
Fernley, NV µSA
Gardnerville Ranchos, NV µSA
Reno-Sparks, NV MSA
8 Idaho Falls-Rexburg-Blackfoot, ID CSA 234,440 229,650 +2.09% Idaho Falls, ID MSA
Blackfoot, ID µSA
Rexburg, ID µSA
9 Pueblo-Cañon City, CO CSA 208,377 205,887 +1.21% Cañon City, CO µSA
Pueblo, CO MSA
10 Edwards-Glenwood Springs, CO CSA 128,008 125,734 +1.81% Edwards, CO µSA
Glenwood Springs, CO µSA
11 Clovis-Portales, NM CSA 70,505 68,222 +3.35% Clovis, NM µSA
Portales, NM µSA
12 Steamboat Springs-Craig, CO Combined Statistical Area 36,793 37,304 −1.37% Craig, CO µSA
Steamboat Springs, CO µSA

Gallery edit

Politics edit

  • Bold denotes election winner.
Presidential electoral votes in the Mountain states since 1864
Year Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming
1864 No election No election No election No election Lincoln No election No election No election
1868 No election No election No election No election Grant No election No election No election
1872 No election No election No election No election Grant No election No election No election
1876 No election Hayes No election No election Hayes No election No election No election
1880 No election Garfield No election No election Hancock No election No election No election
1884 No election Blaine No election No election Blaine No election No election No election
1888 No election Harrison No election No election Harrison No election No election No election
1892 No election Weaver Weaver Harrison Weaver No election No election Harrison
1896 No election Bryan Bryan Bryan Bryan No election Bryan Bryan
1900 No election Bryan Bryan Bryan Bryan No election McKinley McKinley
1904 No election Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt No election Roosevelt Roosevelt
1908 No election Bryan Taft Taft Bryan No election Taft Taft
1912 Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Taft Wilson
1916 Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson
1920 Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding
1924 Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge
1928 Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover
1932 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt
1936 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt
1940 Roosevelt Willkie Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt
1944 Roosevelt Dewey Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Dewey
1948 Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman
1952 Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower
1956 Εisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower
1960 Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Kennedy Kennedy Nixon Nixon
1964 Goldwater Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson
1968 Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon
1972 Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon
1976 Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford
1980 Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan
1984 Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan
1988 Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush
1992 Bush Clinton Bush Clinton Clinton Clinton Bush Bush
1996 Clinton Dole Dole Dole Clinton Clinton Dole Dole
2000 Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Gore Bush Bush
2004 Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush
2008 McCain Obama McCain McCain Obama Obama McCain McCain
2012 Romney Obama Romney Romney Obama Obama Romney Romney
2016 Trump Clinton Trump Trump Clinton Clinton Trump Trump
2020 Biden Biden Trump Trump Biden Biden Trump Trump
Year Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming

Time zones edit

Mountain Time is observed in nearly the entire division, except Nevada (all but the stateline city of West Wendover) and the Idaho Panhandle. With the exception of West Wendover and Jackpot, Nevada, the entire state of Nevada, along with the Idaho Panhandle, observes Pacific Time. Daylight saving time is not observed in Arizona, except for lands within the Navajo Nation (northeast corner of the state) which observe daylight saving time due to the Nation traversing state lines. For this reason, most of Arizona is one hour behind the rest of the Mountain Time Zone from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November.[22]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Change in Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: 1910 to 2020" (PDF).
  2. ^ "The Southwest Defined". jsw.library.arizona.edu. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  3. ^ Blake, Reed H. (2002). The Intermountain West: a story of a place and people. Boston, MA: Pearson Custon Pub. ISBN 0-536-66915-5. OCLC 51680869.
  4. ^ "Front Range - America 2050". www.america2050.org. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  5. ^ . Geography: USA. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  6. ^ The Shifting Terrain of the Mountain West July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Research.allacademic.com (May 7, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
  7. ^ Welcome - High Plains Regional Climate Center. Hprcc.unl.edu (June 13, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-17.
  8. ^ Private Tutor. Infoplease.com. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.
  9. ^ North American Deserts. DesertUSA. Retrieved on July 17, 2013.
  10. ^ See the List of U.S. states by elevation.
  11. ^ a b "Mount Elbert". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  12. ^ "Gannett Peak Cairn". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  13. ^ "Kings Peak Target". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  14. ^ "Wheeler". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  15. ^ "Boundary". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  16. ^ "Beauty Reset". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  17. ^ "Frisco". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  18. ^ "Granite Peak". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  19. ^ a b "2020 Census QuickFacts". Census QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  20. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2014 - United States -- Combined Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico". The American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  21. ^ "OMB Bulletin No. 13-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. February 28, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2015 – via National Archives.
  22. ^ Gettings, John; Brunner, Borgna (April 21, 2018). "Daylight Saving Time". InfoPlease.

External links edit

  • Western Governors Association

44°24′00″N 110°36′00″W / 44.4000°N 110.6000°W / 44.4000; -110.6000

mountain, states, also, intermountain, west, also, known, mountain, west, interior, west, form, nine, geographic, divisions, united, states, that, officially, recognized, united, states, census, bureau, subregion, western, united, states, regional, definitions. See also Intermountain West The Mountain states also known as the Mountain West or the Interior West form one of the nine geographic divisions of the United States that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau It is a subregion of the Western United States Regional definitions vary from source to source The states shown in dark red are always included while the striped states are usually considered part of the same region called the Mountain States The Teton Mountain Range in Wyoming a subset of the Rocky MountainsMap of the Rocky Mountains of western North America The Mountain states are considered to include Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah and Wyoming The words Mountain states generally refer to the U S States which encompass the U S Rocky Mountains These are oriented north south through portions of the states of Montana Idaho Wyoming Colorado Utah and New Mexico Arizona and Nevada as well as other parts of Utah and New Mexico have other smaller mountain ranges and scattered mountains located in them as well Sometimes the Trans Pecos area of West Texas is considered part of the region The land area of the eight states together is some 855 767 square miles 2 216 426 km2 It is the fastest growing region in the United States with Utah Idaho Nevada Colorado and Arizona ranking among the fastest growing states in the country 1 A few subregions exist within this region The Southwest region consisting of Arizona New Mexico Southern Nevada and Far West Texas 2 The Intermountain region consisting of Utah Nevada and Idaho along with portions of other states 3 The Front Range region consisting of Northern New Mexico Colorado and Southeast Wyoming 4 Contents 1 Regional geography 2 Terrain 3 Climate 4 States 5 Demographics 6 Census statistical areas 7 Gallery 8 Politics 9 Time zones 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksRegional geography editThe Mountain West is one of the largest and most diverse regions in the United States Most regional boundaries of the Mountain West are often looked at the area from the High Plains to the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Range The southern and northern portions of the Mountain West are often split into two separate regions The southern portion Arizona and New Mexico is often called the Southwest region while the northern portion Idaho and Montana is often included in either the Northwest states or called the Northern Rockies 5 Terrain edit nbsp The bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona nbsp Great Sand Dunes National Park in ColoradoTogether with the Pacific States of Alaska California Hawaii Oregon and Washington the Mountain states constitute the broader region of the West one of the four regions the United States Census Bureau formally recognizes the Northeast South and Midwest being the other three The terrain of the Mountain West is more diverse than any other region in the United States Its physical geography ranges from some of the highest mountain peaks in the continental United States to large desert lands and rolling plains in the eastern portion of the region The Great Basin Desert is located in almost all of Nevada western Utah and southern Idaho Portions of the Mojave Desert are located in California but over half of the desert is located in southern Nevada in the Mountain West Meanwhile the Sonoran Desert is located in much of Arizona and the Chihuahuan Desert is located in most of southwestern and southern New Mexico including White Sands and Jornada del Muerto Colorado also has scattered desert lands in the southern and northwestern portions of the state including the expansive San Luis Valley Colorado New Mexico Utah and Arizona have other smaller desert lands part of the Colorado Plateau The Painted Desert is located in northern and northeastern Arizona and the San Rafael Desert is located in eastern Utah New Mexico has other desert lands located in the northern and northwest Colorado has large desert lands on the colorado plateau in the northwestern western and southern parts of the state These desert lands in Colorado are located in and around areas such as Royal Gorge Great Sand Dunes National Park Pueblo the San Luis Valley Cortez Dove Creek Delta Canyons of the Ancients National Monument the Roan Plateau Dinosaur National Monument Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa 6 The San Luis Valley is the largest high valley desert in the world citation needed In the far eastern portions of the Mountain West are the High Plains a portion of the Great Plains These plains mainly consist of flat rolling land with scattered buttes canyons and forests located in these areas The High Plains receive very little rainfall and sit at high elevations usually about 3 000 to 6 000 feet 910 to 1 830 m Many people view the High Plains as the point where one begins to enter the greater Mountain West region 7 The Mountain West has some of the highest mountain peaks in America Some of the more famous mountains in the Mountain West are Mount Elbert Pikes Peak Blanca Peak Longs Peak Kings Peak Wind River Peak Cloud Peak Wheeler Peak Truchas Peak Granite Peak Borah Peak and Humphreys Peak 8 Climate edit nbsp Snow on the Great Basin Desert of Nevada nbsp The Painted Desert in northeastern ArizonaThe climate of the Mountain West is one of the more diverse climates in the United States The entire region generally features a semi arid or arid climate with some alpine climates in the mountains of each state Some parts of the tall mountains can receive very large amounts of snow and rain while other parts of the region received very little rain and virtually no snow at all The High Plains in the eastern portion of the region receive moderate snowfalls but very little rain The states of Nevada and Arizona are generally filled with desert lands and scattered mountain ranges Much of Nevada receives little to no snow in the southern portion of the state while northern Nevada can receive large amounts of snow in and around the mountains and even in the desert lands in Nevada Arizona generally receives little rain or snow but high elevations in and near mountains receive extremely large amounts of rain and snow Northern and northeastern Arizona display characteristics of a High Desert where the summers are very hot and dry while the winters can become very cold and it can snow as well Utah is also generally large desert lands with mountains as well However the desert lands in Utah receive significant snowfall and there are large amounts of snowfall on and around the mountains Colorado and New Mexico have very similar climates Both states can receive significant snowfalls off the mountains while the mountains in both states receive extremely large amounts of snow However southern and southwestern New Mexico generally does not receive much snow at all similar to southern Nevada and southern Arizona The desert lands found in northeastern Arizona eastern Utah northern New Mexico and western and southern Colorado are generally referred to as the High Desert lands The northern portion of the Mountain West tends to be a bit cooler than the southwestern areas Idaho and Montana both receive significant snowfalls off the mountains and very large snowfalls in the mountains The High Desert also exists in the northern Mountain West Southeastern Oregon and southern Idaho have the Great Basin Desert lands located in them which is part of the high desert 9 The eight Mountain states have the highest mean elevations of all 50 U S states States edit nbsp Mount Elbert in the Sawatch Range of Colorado is the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains and the Mountain states The Mountain states by mean elevation 10 Rank State Highest point Highest elevation Lowest point Lowest elevation Mean elevation Elevation span1 Colorado Mount Elbert 11 14 440 ft4401 m Arikaree River at Kansas border 3 317 ft1011 m 6 800 ft2073 m 11 123 ft3390 m2 Wyoming Gannett Peak 12 13 809 ft4209 m Belle Fourche River at South Dakota border 3 100 ft945 m 6 693 ft2040 m 10 709 ft3264 m3 Utah Kings Peak 13 13 518 ft4120 m Beaver Dam Wash at Arizona border 2 180 ft664 m 6 100 ft1859 m 11 338 ft3456 m 4 New Mexico Wheeler Peak 14 13 167 ft4013 m Red Bluff on Texas border 2 842 ft866 m 5 700 ft1737 m 10 325 ft3147 m5 Nevada Boundary Peak 15 13 147 ft4007 m Colorado River at California border 479 ft146 m 5 500 ft1676 m 12 668 ft3861 m6 Idaho Borah Peak 16 12 668 ft3861 m Snake River at Washington border 710 ft216 m 5 000 ft1524 m 11 958 ft3645 m7 Arizona Humphreys Peak 17 12 637 ft3852 m Colorado River at Sonora border 70 ft21 m 4 100 ft1250 m 12 567 ft3830 m8 Montana Granite Peak 18 12 807 ft3904 m Kootenai River at Idaho border 1 800 ft549 m 3 400 ft1036 m 11 007 ft3355 mMountain states Mount Elbert 11 14 440 ft4401 m Colorado River at Sonora border 70 ft21 m 5 400 ft1646 m 14 370 ft4380 m Demographics editThe Phoenix metropolitan area is the most populous metropolitan area of the Mountain states followed by Denver Las Vegas and Salt Lake City Phoenix is also the most populous city nbsp Downtown Phoenix nbsp Downtown Denver nbsp The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta nbsp Ethnic origins in Mountain WestThe following table is a ranking of cities within the Mountain states region by city population The 30 most populous cities of the Mountain states 19 Rank City State 2020 pop 2010 pop Change1 Phoenix Arizona 1 608 139 1 445 632 11 24 2 Denver Colorado 715 522 600 158 19 22 3 Las Vegas Nevada 641 903 583 756 9 96 4 Albuquerque New Mexico 564 559 545 852 3 43 5 Tucson Arizona 542 629 520 116 4 33 6 Mesa Arizona 504 258 439 041 14 85 7 Colorado Springs Colorado 478 961 416 427 15 02 8 Aurora Colorado 386 261 325 078 18 82 9 Henderson Nevada 317 610 257 729 23 23 10 Chandler Arizona 275 987 236 123 16 88 11 Gilbert Arizona 267 918 208 453 28 53 12 Reno Nevada 264 165 225 221 17 29 13 North Las Vegas Nevada 262 527 216 961 21 00 14 Glendale Arizona 248 325 226 721 9 53 15 Scottsdale Arizona 241 361 217 385 11 03 16 Boise Idaho 235 684 205 671 14 59 17 Salt Lake City Utah 199 723 186 440 7 12 18 Peoria Arizona 190 985 154 065 23 96 19 Tempe Arizona 180 587 161 719 11 67 20 Fort Collins Colorado 169 810 143 986 17 94 21 Lakewood Colorado 155 984 142 980 9 09 22 Surprise Arizona 143 148 117 517 21 81 23 Thornton Colorado 141 867 118 772 19 44 24 West Valley City Utah 140 230 129 480 8 30 25 Arvada Colorado 124 402 106 433 16 88 26 Meridian Idaho 117 635 75 092 56 65 27 Billings Montana 117 116 104 170 12 43 28 West Jordan Utah 116 961 103 712 12 77 29 Westminster Colorado 116 317 106 114 9 62 30 Provo Utah 115 162 112 488 2 38 Census statistical areas edit nbsp The Las Vegas Strip nbsp The skyline of Salt Lake City nbsp Evening comes to Tucson nbsp Albuquerque skyline with the Sandia Mountains in the distance nbsp The skyline of Colorado Springs with the Front Range in the background nbsp The Idaho State Capitol in BoiseThe 30 most populous Core Based Statistical Areas of the Mountain states 19 Rank CBSA 2020 pop 2010 pop Change1 Phoenix Mesa Scottsdale AZ MSA 4 845 832 4 192 887 15 57 2 Denver Aurora Lakewood CO MSA 2 963 821 2 543 482 16 53 3 Las Vegas Henderson Paradise NV MSA 2 265 461 1 951 269 16 10 4 Salt Lake City UT MSA 1 257 936 1 124 197 11 90 5 Tucson AZ MSA 1 043 433 980 263 6 44 6 Albuquerque NM MSA 916 528 887 077 3 32 7 Boise City ID MSA 764 718 616 561 24 03 8 Colorado Springs CO MSA 755 105 645 613 16 96 9 Ogden Clearfield UT MSA 694 863 597 159 16 36 10 Provo Orem UT MSA 671 185 526 810 27 41 11 Reno NV MSA 490 596 425 417 15 32 12 Fort Collins CO MSA 359 066 299 630 19 84 13 Boulder CO MSA 330 758 294 567 12 29 14 Greeley CO MSA 328 981 252 825 30 12 15 Prescott AZ MSA 236 209 211 033 11 93 16 Las Cruces NM MSA 219 561 209 233 4 94 17 Lake Havasu City Kingman AZ MSA 213 267 200 186 6 53 18 Yuma AZ MSA 203 881 195 751 4 15 19 Billings MT MSA 184 167 158 050 16 52 20 Saint George UT MSA 180 279 138 115 30 53 21 Coeur d Alene ID MSA 171 362 138 494 23 73 22 Pueblo CO MSA 168 162 159 063 5 72 23 Idaho Falls ID MSA 157 429 130 374 20 75 24 Grand Junction CO MSA 155 703 146 723 6 12 25 Santa Fe NM MSA 154 823 144 170 7 39 26 Logan UT ID MSA 147 348 125 442 17 46 27 Flagstaff AZ MSA 145 101 134 421 7 95 28 Sierra Vista Douglas AZ MSA 125 447 131 346 4 49 29 Farmington NM MSA 121 661 130 044 6 45 30 Missoula MT MSA 117 922 109 299 7 89 The twelve combined statistical areas of the Mountain states 20 21 Rank CSA 2014 pop 2010 pop Change Component CBSAs1 Denver Aurora CO CSA 3 345 261 3 090 874 8 23 Boulder CO MSADenver Aurora Lakewood CO MSAGreeley CO MSA2 Salt Lake City Provo Orem UT CSA 2 423 912 2 271 696 6 70 Heber UT µSAOgden Clearfield UT MSAProvo Orem UT MSASalt Lake City UT MSA3 Las Vegas Henderson NV AZ CSA 2 315 324 2 195 401 5 46 Lake Havasu City Kingman AZ MSALas Vegas Henderson Paradise NV MSAPahrump NV µSA4 Albuquerque Santa Fe Las Vegas NM Combined Statistical Area 1 165 798 1 146 049 1 72 Albuquerque MSAEspanola NM µSAGrants NM µSALas Vegas NM µSALos Alamos NM µSASanta Fe NM MSA5 Tucson Nogales AZ CSA 1 051 211 1 027 683 2 29 Nogales AZ µSATucson AZ MSA6 Boise City Mountain Home Ontario ID OR CSA 743 711 697 535 6 62 Boise City ID MSAMountain Home ID µSAOntario OR ID µSA7 Reno Carson City Fernley NV CSA 597 837 579 668 3 13 Carson City NV MSAFernley NV µSAGardnerville Ranchos NV µSAReno Sparks NV MSA8 Idaho Falls Rexburg Blackfoot ID CSA 234 440 229 650 2 09 Idaho Falls ID MSABlackfoot ID µSARexburg ID µSA9 Pueblo Canon City CO CSA 208 377 205 887 1 21 Canon City CO µSAPueblo CO MSA10 Edwards Glenwood Springs CO CSA 128 008 125 734 1 81 Edwards CO µSAGlenwood Springs CO µSA11 Clovis Portales NM CSA 70 505 68 222 3 35 Clovis NM µSAPortales NM µSA12 Steamboat Springs Craig CO Combined Statistical Area 36 793 37 304 1 37 Craig CO µSASteamboat Springs CO µSAGallery edit nbsp Bell Rock near Sedona Arizona nbsp Tombstone Arizona nbsp Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado nbsp The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado nbsp Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs Colorado nbsp The rugged San Juan Mountains in Colorado nbsp Borah Peak is the highest point in the state of Idaho nbsp Redfish Lake in Idaho nbsp Shoshone Falls on the Snake River in Idaho 1898 nbsp The Absaroka Range of Montana nbsp Autumn comes to Chief Mountain in Glacier National Park in Montana nbsp Feral horses in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in Montana nbsp Saint Mary Lake in Glacier National Park in Montana nbsp Stella Lake in Great Basin National Park in Nevada nbsp The Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe nbsp Downtown Reno Nevada nbsp Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe New Mexico nbsp The Taos Pueblo of New Mexico nbsp The Very Large Array near Socorro New Mexico nbsp Moonrise at White Sands National Park in New Mexico nbsp Sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Utah nbsp The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah nbsp Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park in UtahPolitics editPartiesDemocratic Republican PopulistBold denotes election winner Presidential electoral votes in the Mountain states since 1864Year Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming1864 No election No election No election No election Lincoln No election No election No election1868 No election No election No election No election Grant No election No election No election1872 No election No election No election No election Grant No election No election No election1876 No election Hayes No election No election Hayes No election No election No election1880 No election Garfield No election No election Hancock No election No election No election1884 No election Blaine No election No election Blaine No election No election No election1888 No election Harrison No election No election Harrison No election No election No election1892 No election Weaver Weaver Harrison Weaver No election No election Harrison1896 No election Bryan Bryan Bryan Bryan No election Bryan Bryan1900 No election Bryan Bryan Bryan Bryan No election McKinley McKinley1904 No election Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt No election Roosevelt Roosevelt1908 No election Bryan Taft Taft Bryan No election Taft Taft1912 Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Taft Wilson1916 Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson Wilson1920 Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding Harding1924 Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge Coolidge1928 Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover Hoover1932 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt1936 Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt1940 Roosevelt Willkie Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt1944 Roosevelt Dewey Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Dewey1948 Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman Truman1952 Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower1956 Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower Eisenhower1960 Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Kennedy Kennedy Nixon Nixon1964 Goldwater Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson Johnson1968 Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon1972 Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon Nixon1976 Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford Ford1980 Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan1984 Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan Reagan1988 Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush1992 Bush Clinton Bush Clinton Clinton Clinton Bush Bush1996 Clinton Dole Dole Dole Clinton Clinton Dole Dole2000 Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Gore Bush Bush2004 Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush Bush2008 McCain Obama McCain McCain Obama Obama McCain McCain2012 Romney Obama Romney Romney Obama Obama Romney Romney2016 Trump Clinton Trump Trump Clinton Clinton Trump Trump2020 Biden Biden Trump Trump Biden Biden Trump TrumpYear Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah WyomingTime zones editMountain Time is observed in nearly the entire division except Nevada all but the stateline city of West Wendover and the Idaho Panhandle With the exception of West Wendover and Jackpot Nevada the entire state of Nevada along with the Idaho Panhandle observes Pacific Time Daylight saving time is not observed in Arizona except for lands within the Navajo Nation northeast corner of the state which observe daylight saving time due to the Nation traversing state lines For this reason most of Arizona is one hour behind the rest of the Mountain Time Zone from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November 22 See also edit nbsp United States portal nbsp Arizona portal nbsp Colorado portal nbsp Utah portalMountain Time Zone Rocky Mountains Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains United States List of Combined Statistical Areas List of core based statistical areas List of metropolitan statistical areas List of micropolitan statistical areas U S state Western United States Front Range Urban Corridor Intermountain West Northwestern United States Pacific Northwest Southwestern United States Pacific Southwest Wasatch FrontReferences edit Change in Resident Population of the 50 States the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico 1910 to 2020 PDF The Southwest Defined jsw library arizona edu Retrieved March 21 2020 Blake Reed H 2002 The Intermountain West a story of a place and people Boston MA Pearson Custon Pub ISBN 0 536 66915 5 OCLC 51680869 Front Range America 2050 www america2050 org Retrieved March 21 2020 Chapter 9 THE MOUNTAIN WEST AND SOUTHWEST Geography USA Archived from the original on June 14 2010 Retrieved February 25 2011 The Shifting Terrain of the Mountain West Archived July 7 2011 at the Wayback Machine Research allacademic com May 7 2013 Retrieved on 2013 07 17 Welcome High Plains Regional Climate Center Hprcc unl edu June 13 2013 Retrieved on 2013 07 17 Private Tutor Infoplease com Retrieved on July 17 2013 North American Deserts DesertUSA Retrieved on July 17 2013 See the List of U S states by elevation a b Mount Elbert NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 Gannett Peak Cairn NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 Kings Peak Target NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 Wheeler NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 Boundary NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 Beauty Reset NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 Frisco NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 Granite Peak NGS Data Sheet National Geodetic Survey National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration United States Department of Commerce Retrieved October 20 2011 a b 2020 Census QuickFacts Census QuickFacts United States Census Bureau Population Division Retrieved April 12 2022 Annual Estimates of the Resident Population April 1 2010 to July 1 2014 United States Combined Statistical Area and for Puerto Rico The American FactFinder United States Census Bureau Population Division Archived from the original on February 12 2020 Retrieved August 14 2015 OMB Bulletin No 13 01 Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Combined Statistical Areas and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas PDF Office of Management and Budget February 28 2013 Retrieved August 15 2015 via National Archives Gettings John Brunner Borgna April 21 2018 Daylight Saving Time InfoPlease External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mountain states nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Rocky Mountains United States of America Western Governors Association 44 24 00 N 110 36 00 W 44 4000 N 110 6000 W 44 4000 110 6000 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mountain states amp oldid 1177356877, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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