In the 1800's railroads were built in the eastern states. This made travel in the east easy. Traveling to the west was hard because of the Rocky Mountains.  After gold was discovered in the west, people wanted go west. They insisted railroads be built. Then in 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was built. It made traveling from the east to the west easier and faster. More people moved west after the railroads were built.

In 1954, a law was passed that said that all major cities needed highways connecting them. The highways were called interstate highways. They connected states, cities and industrail areas. The interstate highways allowed goods from the Mountain West region to easily reach other parts of the United States.

The Mountain West region is a large region with a small population. Denver, Colorado is the largest city in the region. It is a business and industrial center for the western states. Salt Lake City is also a large city in this region.
 

Activity 4: Cities in the Mountain West Region