- US map
- Geography
Physical map · rivers, mountains, lakes, deserts
Physical map of the United States
One labeled map of the country's main landforms and waters: the Rocky and Appalachian Mountains, the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Colorado and Rio Grande, the Great Lakes, the western deserts, and the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Click any label for that feature's own map.
What the physical map shows
| Feature | Main examples on the map | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain ranges | Rocky Mountains, Appalachians, Sierra Nevada, Cascades, Alaska Range | Rockies from New Mexico to Montana; Appalachians from Alabama to Maine; Sierra and Cascades near the Pacific |
| Rivers | Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Colorado, Rio Grande, Columbia | Mississippi down the middle of the country to the Gulf; Rio Grande along the Texas–Mexico border |
| Lakes | Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario), Great Salt Lake, Lake Okeechobee | Great Lakes on the Canadian border from Minnesota to New York |
| Deserts and basins | Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Great Basin | Nevada, Utah, southern California, Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas |
| Plains and plateaus | Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, Ozarks, Columbia Plateau | Great Plains east of the Rockies from Montana to Texas |
| Oceans and gulfs | Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea | See US coastlines |
| Landmarks | Washington, DC, Grand Canyon, Continental Divide, Denali, Mount Whitney | DC on the Potomac between Maryland and Virginia |
For a simple school map, turn off Deserts and Mountains & plains. You are left with the Great Lakes, the Mississippi, the Rio Grande and the other big rivers. Switch the mountains back on to add the Rockies and Appalachians. For a sheet to label by hand, use the printable rivers map.
Rivers
- All major US rivers map
- Mississippi River
- Missouri River
- Ohio River
- Colorado River
- Rio Grande
- Columbia River
- Hudson River
- Snake River
- Arkansas River
Mountains and plateaus
- US mountain ranges map
- Rocky Mountains
- Appalachian Mountains
- Sierra Nevada
- Cascade Range
- Great Plains
- Colorado Plateau
- Ozark Mountains
Lakes, deserts and coasts
- Great Lakes
- Largest US lakes
- US deserts map
- Mojave Desert
- Sonoran Desert
- US coastlines & oceans
- Gulf of Mexico
- Continental Divide
Parks and landmarks
- National parks map (63)
- Grand Canyon
- Yellowstone
- Four Corners
- Highest point in each state
- Mason–Dixon Line
How geography drew the map
Look at the eastern states and you see rivers: the Ohio separates Kentucky from three states to its north; the Mississippi forms all or part of ten state borders; the Delaware, Potomac, Savannah and Sabine each divide two states. Look west of the 100th meridian and you see surveyors: Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and the Dakotas are drawn on lines of latitude and longitude across land that had no obvious natural edges. The Continental Divide, running through the Rockies, is the reason rivers on the map flow either to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic or to the Pacific.