Why Is the American West So Empty?

Eight states in the American interior cover about a quarter of US land but hold only about 7.5% of its people (2020 Census). We follow John Wesley Powell's 1878 warning about the 100th meridian and the 20-inch rain line, the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades, the Great Basin, and why a 160-acre homestead made little sense on dry range. Then we look at who owns the land (Congressional Research Service data), how 'first in time, first in right' and the Colorado River shape where people live, and why Nevada is one of the emptiest states and also one of the most urban. Map outlines for the Great Basin, Powell's 1869 route, the Colorado River, canals and aqueducts are approximate. CHAPTERS 0:00 A quarter of the land, 1 in 13 people 0:34 Powell's line: the 100th meridian 1:15 The rain shadow 1:51 The Great Basin: no way out 2:23 160 acres on dry land 3:02 Who owns the West? 3:43 First in time, first in right 4:30 Life in the oases 5:23 The line is moving SOURCES (links in the pinned comment) • US Census Bureau – Historical Population Density Data (1910-2020) • US Census Bureau – State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates • US Census Bureau – Urban and Rural Populations press release (Dec. 29, 2022) • US Census Bureau – QuickFacts: Clark County, Nevada • US Census Bureau – QuickFacts: Maricopa County, Arizona • US Census Bureau – Center of Population press release (Nov. 16, 2021) • US Census Bureau – Centers of Population for the 2020 Census • Congressional Research Service – Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346, updated Sept. 14, 2026) • J. W. Powell (Government Printing Office) – Report on the Lands of the Arid Region of the United States (1878; 2nd ed. 1879), Project Gutenberg • National Park Service, Dinosaur NM – John Wesley Powell • National Park Service, Death Valley NP – Weather and Climate • National Park Service, Great Basin NP – The Great Basin • NOAA NCEI / NCICS – State Climate Summaries 2022: Nevada • National Park Service, Homestead NHP – About the Homestead Act • National Archives – Homestead Act (1862), Milestone Documents • US Government Publishing Office – Act of Feb. 19, 1909, ch. 160 (Enlarged Homestead Act), 35 Stat. 639 • Bureau of Land Management – BLM History Timeline • US Department of the Interior, Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs – Water Rights Act • US Bureau of Reclamation – The Law of the River • US Bureau of Reclamation – Interior Department Finalizes Plans for 2027-2028 Colorado River Operations (Aug. 21, 2026) • Southern Nevada Water Authority – Where your water comes from • Clark County, Nevada – Cities in Clark County • Maricopa County – Facts About Maricopa County • Central Arizona Project – About CAP • Denver Water – Where does your water come from? • Central Wasatch Commission (Utah) – Where Does Our Water Come From? • American Society of Civil Engineers – First Owens River-Los Angeles Aqueduct landmark • Columbia Climate School, State of the Planet (Apr. 11, 2018) – The 100th Meridian, Where the Great Plains Begin, May Be Shifting • McGill University Newsroom (Dec. 2016) – global lakes study Historical regions and physical zones drawn on the map are approximate. Imagery: NASA Earth Observatory Blue Marble; Sentinel-2 cloudless (s2maps.eu) by EOX IT Services GmbH, contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 (CC BY 4.0). Borders and lakes: Natural Earth. Music: original. New map questions every few days. Subscribe so you don't miss the next one. #Geography #Maps #AmericanWest #ColoradoRiver #History