Mountain states facts for kids

The Teton Mountain Range in Wyoming, part of the Rocky Mountains.

This map shows the Mountain States. The dark red states are always included, and the striped states are often part of the region too.

A map showing the Rocky Mountains in western North America.

The Mountain States are a special part of the Western United States. They are also called the Mountain West or the Interior West. This area is one of nine big geographic sections of the United States. The United States Census Bureau officially recognizes these sections.

This region usually includes eight states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The name "Mountain States" comes from the fact that these states contain parts of the famous Rocky Mountains. These mountains stretch from north to south through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. Arizona and Nevada also have many smaller mountain ranges. Sometimes, a small part of West Texas called Trans-Pecos is also included. All eight states together cover a huge area of about 855,767 square miles (2,216,426 square kilometers).

There are a few smaller areas within the Mountain States:

• The Southwest includes Arizona, New Mexico, southern Nevada, and deep west Texas.
• The Intermountain region covers Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and parts of other states.
• The Front Range region includes northern New Mexico, Colorado, and southeast Wyoming.

Exploring the Mountain West: A Diverse Region

The Mountain West is one of the biggest and most varied regions in the United States. Its borders often stretch from the High Plains in the east to the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range mountains in the west.

Sometimes, the Mountain West is split into two parts. The southern part, which includes Arizona and New Mexico, is often called the Southwest. The northern part, with Idaho and Montana, is sometimes grouped with the Northwest states or called the "Northern Rockies."

Landscapes of the Mountain States: From Peaks to Deserts

The bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in Arizona.

The amazing Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

The Mountain States are part of the larger "West" region of the U.S. This region also includes the Pacific States like Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. The Mountain West has more different types of land than any other U.S. region. You can find some of the highest mountain peaks in the country here. You'll also see huge deserts and flat, rolling plains in the eastern parts.

All the major deserts in North America are found in the Mountain West states.

• The Great Basin Desert covers most of Nevada, western Utah, and southern Idaho.
• The Mojave Desert is mostly in southern Nevada, even though parts are in California.
• The Sonoran Desert covers much of Arizona.
• The Chihuahuan Desert is in most of southwestern and southern New Mexico. This includes famous spots like White Sands.

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona also have other smaller desert areas. These are part of the Colorado Plateau. For example, the Painted Desert is in northern Arizona. The San Rafael Desert is in eastern Utah. Colorado has large desert lands in its northwestern, western, and southern parts. These areas include places like Royal Gorge and Colorado National Monument. The San Luis Valley in Colorado is the world's largest high valley desert.

In the far eastern parts of the Mountain West, you'll find the High Plains. These are part of the larger Great Plains. The High Plains are mostly flat, rolling lands. They have some scattered buttes (flat-topped hills), canyons, and forests. This area gets very little rain and is at a high elevation, usually between 3,000 to 6,000 feet (914 to 1,829 meters). Many people think of the High Plains as the gateway to the Mountain West.

The Mountain West is home to some of America's tallest mountains. Some well-known peaks include Mount Elbert, Pikes Peak, Longs Peak, Kings Peak, Cloud Peak, Wheeler Peak, Granite Peak, Borah Peak, and Humphreys Peak.

Weather in the Mountain States: A Mix of Extremes

Snow on the Great Basin Desert in Nevada.

The colorful Painted Desert in northeastern Arizona.

The climate in the Mountain West is very diverse. Most of the region has a dry or semi-dry climate. However, the mountains have an alpine climate, meaning they are cold and snowy. Some tall mountains get a lot of snow and rain. Other parts of the region get very little rain and almost no snow. The High Plains in the east get moderate snow but little rain.

Nevada and Arizona are mostly covered by deserts and scattered mountains. Southern Nevada gets little to no snow. But northern Nevada can get a lot of snow, even in its desert areas. Arizona generally gets little rain or snow. However, high places near mountains get huge amounts of rain and snow. Northern Arizona has a "High Desert" climate. This means summers are very hot and dry, but winters can be very cold with snow.

Utah also has large desert areas with mountains. The deserts in Utah get a good amount of snowfall. The mountains get very heavy snow. Colorado and New Mexico have similar climates. Both states get significant snow outside the mountains, and their mountains get extremely large amounts of snow. However, southern New Mexico gets very little snow, much like southern Nevada and Arizona. The desert lands in northeastern Arizona, eastern Utah, northern New Mexico, and western Colorado are often called "High Desert" lands.

The northern Mountain West is usually cooler than the southwestern areas. Idaho and Montana both get a lot of snow outside the mountains and huge amounts of snow in the mountains. The High Desert also exists in the northern Mountain West. Parts of southeastern Oregon and southern Idaho have the Great Basin Desert, which is a high desert.

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

Time Zones: What Time Is It?

Mount Elbert in Colorado is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains and the Mountain States.

Most of the Mountain States use Mountain Time. However, Nevada (except for West Wendover) and the Idaho Panhandle use Pacific Time.

Daylight saving time is not used in most of Arizona. This means that from March to November, most of Arizona is one hour behind the rest of the Mountain Time Zone. The only exception is the Navajo Nation in the northeast corner of Arizona, which does observe daylight saving time because it crosses state lines.

States of the Mountain West

Major Cities: Bustling Hubs of the Mountain West

Downtown Phoenix, a major city in the Mountain States.

The skyline of Denver, Colorado.

The famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.

The Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona is the largest city area in the Mountain States. After Phoenix, the biggest cities are Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City. Phoenix is also the single most populated city.

Here are the 30 most populated cities in the Mountain States:

The famous Las Vegas Strip at night.

Images for kids

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  Bell Rock near Sedona, Arizona.

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  A historic street in Tombstone, Arizona.

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  Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.

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  The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

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  Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

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  The rugged San Juan Mountains in Colorado.

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  Borah Peak is the highest point in Idaho.

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  Redfish Lake in Idaho.

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  Shoshone Falls on the Snake River in Idaho, photographed in 1898.

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  The Absaroka Range of Montana.

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  Autumn colors around Chief Mountain in Glacier National Park in Montana.

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  Wild horses in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in Montana.

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  Saint Mary Lake in Glacier National Park in Montana.

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  Stella Lake in Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

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  The Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

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  Downtown Reno, Nevada.

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  Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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  The historic Taos Pueblo of New Mexico.

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  The Very Large Array near Socorro, New Mexico.

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  Moonrise at White Sands National Park in New Mexico.

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  Sunset at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Utah.

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  The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

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  Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park in Utah.

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  The skyline of Salt Lake City.

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  Evening in Tucson.

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  The Albuquerque skyline with the Sandia Mountains in the distance.

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  The skyline of Colorado Springs with the Front Range in the background.

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  The Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

See also

In Spanish: Estados montañosos para niños