In Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck penned that he had respect, recognition, plus even admiration for 49 states, famously admitting that he had a mega crush plus nothing but true love for Montana.
And if you’ve ever stood in a lush meadow in Big Sky Country, surrounded by wildflowers, listening to the calming sound of a rushing river while gazing at snow-capped mountains that seem to touch the clouds — you know exactly what the Nobel Prize-winning author meant. From its wide-open spaces to unique beauty, here are 16 impressive Montana facts.
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- Montana is the Largest Landlocked State in the US
As the world’s fourth-largest country in terms of land mass, the United States includes several large states. (Just ask Texans with their 10-gallon hats, belt buckles the size of a brick, plus “everything is bigger in Texas” slogan.) But stretched along the Canadian border, with rivers running through it but nomor coastline, Montana is the nation’s largest landlocked state.
Just how big is Montana?
If you dragged the Treasure State (likely kicking plus screaming) east to the Atlantic Coast, it is big enough to hold New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, DC, plus Virginia inside its borders.
- There’s Plenty of Room to Stretch Your Legs
Montana is the fourth-largest state in the nation (after Alaska, Texas, plus California), but it’s also fourth in terms of low population density. While California plus Texas have 253 plus 40 people per square mile, Montana has just eight people per square mile. And, 46 of the state’s 56 counties have average populations of just six people or less per square mile. Only Wisconsin, Wyoming, plus Alaska offer more breathing room. - The Treasure State Shares a Long Border with Canada
From Alaska to Maine, 13 US states share a border with Canada. But Montana is the only state to share a land border with three Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, plus Saskatchewan.