The 10 States of the Great Plains

The Great Plains — North America's vast grassland steppe — spans 10 US states (and 3 Canadian provinces).

The 10 States (North to South)

1. Montana (eastern ⅔)
2. North Dakota
3. South Dakota
4. Nebraska
5. Kansas
6. Oklahoma (western ½)
7. Texas (Panhandle, Llano Estacado, Trans-Pecos)
8. New Mexico (eastern plains)
9. Colorado (eastern plains — High Plains)
10. Wyoming (eastern basins)

Defining Features

• Longitude: ~97°W (east) to Rockies (west)
• Precipitation gradient: 20" (east) → 10" (west) — "Rain follows the plow" myth
• Ecology: Tallgrass → mixed → shortgrass prairie → steppe
• Geology: Horizontal sedimentary strata (Ogallala Aquifer beneath)
• Land use: Wheat (north), corn/soy (east), cattle (west), energy (oil/gas/wind)

Canadian Extension

• Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba — "Prairie Provinces"

Not in the Great Plains

Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana — these are Midwest/Delta (glaciated, humid, forested). The Plains begin where the corn belt ends.