Mountain states
Mountain States
Mountain West or Interior West | |
|---|---|
Left-right from top: Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, Downtown Phoenix skyline, Grand Teton National Park, Las Vegas Strip at night, Mount Elbert, Tombstone, Arizona | |
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 | |
| Country | United States |
| Census Region | Western United States |
| Subregions | Southwest, Intermountain, Front Range |
| States | Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming |
| Largest City | Phoenix |
| Area | |
• Total | 855,767 sq mi (2,216,426 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 14,439 ft (4,401 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 24,919,150 |
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.
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. Phoenix is its largest city.
A few subregions exist within this region:
- The Southwest region, consisting of Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Nevada, and Far West Texas
- The Intermountain region, consisting of Utah, Nevada, and Idaho, along with portions of other states
- The Front Range region, consisting of Northern New Mexico, Colorado, and Southeast Wyoming