The West has two Census divisions. The Mountain states are Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The Pacific states are Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska and Hawaii.
Wyoming and Colorado are both nearly perfect rectangles, so position is the only clue: Wyoming is the northern one, above Colorado.
The Pacific states are simpler: Washington, Oregon and California run down the coast from north to south, with Alaska and Hawaii shown as insets. Nevada sits inland from California, and Idaho lies east of Oregon and Washington, reaching all the way north to Canada. Arizona and New Mexico share the southern border with Mexico.
Spotting the Mountain states
- Idaho has a narrow panhandle reaching up to the Canadian border between Washington and Montana.
- Nevada's southern tip points down toward the spot where California, Arizona and Nevada meet near the Colorado River.
- Utah has a notch cut from its northeast corner, where Wyoming fits in.
The 13 states in this quiz
| State | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Juneau | West |
| Arizona | Phoenix | West |
| California | Sacramento | West |
| Colorado | Denver | West |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | West |
| Idaho | Boise | West |
| Montana | Helena | West |
| Nevada | Carson City | West |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | West |
| Oregon | Salem | West |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | West |
| Washington | Olympia | West |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | West |
Questions people ask
Which is the largest Western state?
Alaska, the largest state in the country by area. Among the lower 48, Texas is largest, but it's in the South region; in the West, California is next, then Montana.
Where are Alaska and Hawaii on the map?
They appear as insets in the lower left, which is the usual way to fit them on a US map. They are not shown at their true position or scale.