The Rocky Mountains on a Map: Western North America's Spine

The **Rocky Mountains** form a vast cordillera along western North America. On a map:

Extent

• North: Liard River, BC (59°N)
• South: Santa Fe, NM (35°N)
• Width: 120–650 km (75–400 mi)
• Area: ~2.5M km² (including foothills/basins)

Major Subranges (N→S)

• Canadian Rockies (Front Ranges, Park Ranges)
• Northern Rockies (Cabinet, Bitterroot, Glacier NP)
• Middle Rockies (Tetons, Wind Rivers, Yellowstone)
• Southern Rockies (Front Range, Sawatch, San Juans, Sangre de Cristo)

Key Map Features

• Continental Divide: Runs along crest—Pacific vs. Atlantic/Arctic drainage.
• National Parks: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Rocky Mountain, Banff, Jasper, Yoho, Kootenay.
• Major Peaks: Elbert (CO, 4,401 m), Rainier (WA, 4,392 m—but Cascades), Whitney (CA, 4,421 m—Sierra).
• Rivers Born Here: Colorado, Rio Grande, Arkansas, Platte, Missouri, Columbia, Fraser, Peace.

Visualising

On a physical map: a **broad, rugged belt** of high elevation (brown/tan) separating the Great Plains (east) from the Intermountain West / Coast Ranges (west). On political maps: the "Mountain Time Zone" roughly follows it.

The Rockies are not a single line—they're a **mountain world** 3,000 miles long.