Why 80% of Americans Live East of This Line

Watch more than 20 additional RealLifeLore videos in my Modern Conflicts series on Nebula: nebula.tv/mode...
Please Subscribe: / @reallifelore
Select videos courtesy of Getty Images
Select videos courtesy of the AP Archive
Special thanks to MapTiler / OpenStreetMap Contributors and GEOlayers 3
www.maptiler.c...
www.openstreet...
aescripts.com/...

[@LamarrWilson]

This is one of the more amazing videos I’ve watched on KZbin. It’s extremely educational and i never realized a line divided the US like this!

[@leevikaunismaa9652]

Not so accurate tho atleast when it comes to Finaland, like sure most live on the south but for me 90% of people I know are from white area :D

[@anab962]

@@leevikaunismaa9652 I have no idea what you're talking about lmao, but imagine that race, gender and wealth (?) was also factored in on this study and a clear inclination came out 😱 there might be... in each country... omg if only I were an anthropologist or smth 😩🤌✨

[@mikelabor7688]

Agreed!

[@uncensored5104]

You need to get out more!

[@leevikaunismaa9652]

@@uncensored5104 I mean I don't wanna drive 400km to the "zone" where people live😁

[@purplealice]

My son got accepted to a grad school in San Francisco, and we live in the New York metropolitan area. I helped him move all his stuff, and we were driving through Nevada when we saw a gas station with a sign that said, "Next Fuel 75 miles." My son was at the wheel, and he said, "I know my car - we can make it without stopping now." Well, eleven miles east of Reno we ran out of gas. We called the AAA but they couldn't get someone out to us for a few hours. Eventually someone brought us some gas, and we got to Reno and filled up the tank, then went into an Elvis-themed diner (which had nickel slot machines inside the ladies' rest room). But west of that line, there's nothing out there but mile after mile of mile after mile.

[@hoopty.]

When traveling out west, always take extra gas. I learned the hard way, in my old 94 suburban SMH

[@manunui871]

Those of us who have driven the Alaska Highway can sympathize. There are one or two areas where if you get to the gas station and it's closed for the night, everybody just sleeps in their car in the parking lot because going forward is not an option.

[@dustinkymalainen8756]

Sounds like your kid isn't a math major

[@Anthony-hu3rj]

@@dustinkymalainen8756 Dustin, you've got style.

[@qua7771]

Not getting gas was a gamble with no odds of winning. I guess hindsight is 20/20 though.

[@peteck007]

Americans are lucky to live in a vast country like that yet much populated but not to the extent of severe population density. Truly a lucky country, and terrain, Geography and sceneries make it one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.

[@gidd]

You said this like the lack of population density is a good thing

[@joesmith8701]

due to relations i do hold a united states passport and i would not want to live there because of the helth systim lack of safty net and work life balince but on a cold dark winter day i do fantsize about living in florda

[@tfyoutalmbout]

@@forestkane_ you've clearly never been to the United States.

[@tfyoutalmbout]

@@joesmith8701 you don't know what you're talking about. I'm an American. I've lived in Brazil, Mexico, Canada, India, and Australia. Despite the expensive healthcare the US is still by far better than those other countries. Free healthcare simply means you get what you pay for. . .which is nothing. I got food poisoning in Brazil once and waited in the most uncomfortable waiting room you can imagine for 10 hours before being treated. It was free but it was miserable. From that point forward I've always taken advantage of the private healthcare available in third world countries like Brazil because it's 100 times better despite the fact that it costs money.

[@julianshepherd2038]

nothing to do with luck. They committed near genocide to get it.

[@GB-ez6ge]

I'm from Boston and have ancestors in New England going back to the mid 1620s. One of them tried to make the trek to California but couldn't find a way past the big green line going from San Antonio to Winnipeg, so he came home to Narraganset Bay, broken and dismayed. That was before the airplane was invented, which allowed people to go over the green line.

[@focusfrost9856]

One of the awesome benefits of living in the West is being able to get to an area unpolluted by city lights, glowing satellites and twinkling airplanes to enjoy the star filled Night Sky. When you can drive 1 hour or less out of town and see the Milky Way it is indescribably beautiful and inspiring. Also every American should get to visit the Grand Canyon, if only on the South Rim for a few hours at least once in their life. Also the Petrified Forest and Meteor Crater are unique feats of Nature. Yet, even in the West there are people who live their entire lives in the cities and never have these uplifting experiences. Most of the land in the dry Western states is federally owned, next is state owned and a lot of sparcely populated tribal land. So very little can be privately developed, ranched or farmed. Its beauty is likely to be preserved for a long time. Also the mighty Colorado controls the future for many states. For example, since the 1930's Los Angeles takes 40% of the Colorado River water to make possible its metropolis in the Southern California semi-desert. The federal government has reduced the 60% remainder that is divided among NV, CO, AZ, and NM due to the drought for 2022 by 5% and expects to reduce it another 5% in 2023. Since 80% of that water is used for crop irrigation, lots of land that produces food is being taken out of production in those states. Under a Water Treaty of 1944, the US must deliver a given amount to Mexico, which cannot be reduced. The state of Sonora, Mexico has felt the effects of the reduction however for decades. So much water has been diverted to supply farms and cities that the Colorado River has seldom met the Gulf of California. Its once 9,650 square miles has shrunk to less than 1 percent of its original size, the river reduced to a dry riverbed, with only small remnants of its once-vast wetlands surviving. Fortunately this year water is released from an irrigation canal as part of an agreement between the Mexican and U.S. governments to restore the ecosystem, and not reduced for the drought like the deliveries to NV, AZ and NM.

[@christopher4535]

hi I want to correct you on a couple of things you may never have been made aware of because your operating on some assumptions that most people have for good reason but are just not true, There are not that many satellites not nearly as many as were told though the numbers they claim seem to change often.. more importantly if they are around 12,000 miles up as they claim our human eyes would not be able to see them, The ones we do see are the real ones but there not in Middle earth orbit there very close to us and being held up by hot air baloons (so technically advanced eh) we do see a lot of plains near cities. now you seem to indicate that the grand cannon is a natural wonder... it is not its an old abandoned quarry mine and its really really sad not wonderous.. a lot of people actually do get an ominous vibe when visiting and dont understand why its because its dead waste land. The petrified forrest was likely placed there like that for a reason though i dont quite understand it but it does serve as a clue as to what trees used to be (mesa) as for meteors there not real its more liekly that what we are told are meteor craters are actually openings to "the great deep" (the water below) you see were lied to and brainwashed about everything yet the truths and clues are right Infront of us but we have been programmed not to recognize them. These things I claim can and have been proven I have given you clues if you care to do the research. You are like the majority of the population living in a false reality. I mean no offence by saying these things I only hope that someone reading will look into these things and can learn where they are and what reality actually looks like.

[@billmclemore4276]

I've watched grown adults look up at night and see the Milky Way for the first time ever . Its cool introducing young folks to new sights , experiences .. then watching an "adult " discover what theyve only heard about, Read about, Is equally rewarding. Maybe more

[@FacterinoCommenterino]

Today's fact: Strawberries can also be white or yellow, and some can even taste like pineapples.

[@cosmic1464]

Neat

[@1t_1s_TH30]

@@cosmic1464 congratulations of being first

[@bababababababa6124]

Fun fact: we don’t care

[@YoureRatharStewpidMate]

Ok 👍

[@quentinreeves4291]

Give me the pineapple tasting ones plz

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

I could never permanently leave the West, I love it too much. I’m a geologist and love seeing exposed outcrops in the deserts of the west. The western regions have their own special, stark and clean, beauty.

[@smitch250]

Too much smog nowadays for me. LA just infects so much of the west with its smog and way too many people

[@jerradwilson]

I agree. I live in L.A., and I fly and drive to and from Maine a few times a year. Yes, everything is lush and green in the East, but it's boring. Farms, trees, and maybe a few rolling hills for hours and hours along with oppressive humidity. The West is so diverse and the scenery always changes. And the weather is dry too.

[@MrBobbyw121]

WOW. That's pretty neat.

[@adamfuller5640]

Haha I'm in the west right now but I really miss the South. I find the culture to be more friendly (though most people out west are very kind as well) and the biodiversity is much more vast and fascinating. There just aren't as many types of birds out here. I miss lots of rain too like this video talks about.

[@sonjalewis3047]

@@jerradwilson There's cool geology in Maine, New York and elsewhere, but you have to look harder. Or, maybe, take a step back and let the subtle differences start to sink in.

[@rajaramjyani5026]

I am living in West side of India (Rajasthan) . Hot desert ,wind storms ,no greenery without population. I can understand those 20% people of America. Love you all my American brothers.

[@tragicallyhoney]

There’s greenery in the west coast

[@saviklasen4225]

I used to live in Flagstaff, AZ and there was a road I always drove on called JW Powell, named after this guy. I find that super interesting because Flagstaff does not use the Colorado for water and I believe is actually known for having great water management, as there is a huge lake nearby that barely needs any treatment to be potable.

[@pjjaskowski999]

Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks give us two advantages. We have a slight rain shadow that creates a little more precipitation to the west. Also, the SFP are ‘circular’ creating a caldera that catches water in an aquifer for our use. In addition, the volcanic rock that surrounds this unique range (not caused by tectonic plate shifting, but extinct volcanoes) is a wonderful filter for this water.

[@IIAlphaQII]

@@pjjaskowski999 plus the hotel Monte Cristo bar is dope

[@g.fletcher6099]

@@IIAlphaQII Monte Cristo😂😂 It’s the Monte Vista, I moved out of Flagstaff a month ago and it was the last bar I went to. Miss it so much 🥲

[@richardjacques1731]

Flagstaff is about a mile above the Colorado, that would take a lot of pumping.

[@lauracarpenter5283]

One thing you neglected to mention, a huge portion of the land in the western part of the United States is owned by the US government! Huge, huge tracks of land that are not allowed to be lived in or on. Also there are many large Native American reservations, again not allowed for average people to live on. You need to be a member of a tribe to live there. Government doesn't own nearly as much land in the eastern part of the US. Plus we have a water situation here in the West that makes it difficult to establish communities

[@alexanderpark3569]

It's so gross to me when people complain about not being able to live on a native american reservation. They are terrible places to live, hot and harsh, and still white people want to complain they can't live there?

[@RizztrainingOrder]

There’s no Native rule or sovereign charter that I’m aware of that bars regular folks from living in reservations, i just don’t know why one would want to.

[@antcantcook960]

Absolutely not true that non natives can’t live on reservations, don’t spread misinformation. A simple google search easily refutes this, and reservations only make up a total of 2.3% of the Entire US, so no, they don’t take up large areas of the west.

[@daebak_hana]

Yes Good points.

[@Rose-qb7xv]

Also the east coast was the beginning of America. The rest was added in sections as time went on.

[@Shinn4703]

This is crazy to me. I have lived in metropolitan Denver my whole life and I have never thought it weird that it takes at least 45 minutes to get to another major town.

[@saltysweet309]

Dude Boulder is like 30 min depending on traffic what you mean lol

[@MasterOfTitties74]

Shit Brighton is 10 minutes from east Denver, Longmont 20 minutes from west Denver

[@Chitown18]

I live in St. Louis it’s 5 hours to chicago 3 hours to Kansas City , 3 hours to Indianapolis …leave st louis and it takes no more than 15 minutes to find another smaller city..Everything is close around here

[@andrewbarrett1537]

They may have meant to get from the Denver metropolitan area with smaller nearby cities, to the next metropolitan area. That would be like quibbling about whether Pasadena or Fairfax/La Brea are part of Los Angeles. All are part of the Los Angeles metropolitan statistical area, but Pasadena is its own city whereas Fairfax/La Brea is actually just a neighborhood or region of the city of Los Angeles. So no doubt the cities you mention like Longmont are independent from Denver proper in terms of separate city governments etc., but they are considered part of the same overall metropolitan statistical area (and maybe in the same county too, I’m not sure).

[@jeffballard7631]

I grew up in Denver 40+ years ago. The closest MLB team was 600 miles away in KC. Compare that to the east coast. Crazy!

[@m.k.6805]

I lived on the East Coast for a few years. I was surprised that 90% of people I met had nver traveled west of the Mississippi. Also, they had no idea of how vast the western states are. I remember meeting a German immigrant who lived in Houston. He told me that he drove north for 9 hours are was "still in Texas". He told me that in Europe you can pass through 4 countries in 9 hours! Eastern states are "nice" but the western vistas are spectacular and unique locations. The vast and rugged beauty of states like Utah, Arizona, etc.are beautiful beyond description. Locations like Bryce Canyon only exist in the American West. Nowhere else in the world.

[@Sterlingx11]

Utah is a state that I wish every state looked like

[@SangoProductions213]

The Colorado river is moreso an example of politically motivated water mismanagement than of climate change. To cut a long story short: The states along the river measured how much water was flowing through the river (during an unusually rainy year), and then apportioned that water to themselves based on that.

[@pfranks75]

There will come a time when water wars will happen due to people choosing sunshine over local water availability!

[@miinyoo]

Long term geological studies of the area confirm this. The 25 year "drought" of the Colorado is closer to normal than people want to believe.

[@erozionzeall6371]

@@miinyoo North America really Catfished Americans into believing their land was more valuable than it is.

[@CRneu]

even better, is that the rainy year + 20% is what they based the allocation at. So they very, very grossly overestimated the capacity. It's never been sustainable. This isn't a "drought" it's a return to normal.

[@jeffbybee5207]

@@CRneu where did you get that plus 20 percent? I also beleave they had several years measure that 15 million acre feet flowed past lees ferry. The fact that FDR gave Mexico 1.5 may in 43 to not join the axis powers was done with the states having a say. The average flow since 1922 has been about 13.2. Is that where you got 20 % being 13.2 + 2.64 comes close to the 15 maf figer

[@Bubbles_Bubbles_Bubbles]

I grew up in rural Michigan, and always thought that I lived in the middle of nowhere. After living in Alaska and New Mexico, I've realized that there are significantly more accurate definitions of the middle of nowhere.

[@Zerox_Prime]

When I spoke about a woman from Texas (TEX-sis) , my friend replied, "One day, they will divide Texas into two States. THEN, TEX-sis will have the honor of being the country's THIRD largest State. " Wow!

[@joecamel6835]

Michigan is socialist hell now , thanks die- versity .

[@softlysnowing3959]

@@Zerox_Prime r/ihadastroke

[@perdybirdie]

Growing up in suburban md, then living in Alamogordo, NW for a few months I agree 100%

[@michaels4255]

@@Zerox_Prime Under the terms of its admission into the United States, Texas may legally divide itself into as many as 5 states, which would give Texans 10 US Senators.

[@joshuasaffy678]

My Wife and I just made a road trip from Denver to Virginia, and that line is so stark. We hit it right in the middle of Kansas. West Kansas is just empty, just absolute emptiness. Even when we drove through the deserts of California and Nevada, there were mountains, valleys and you can even see the next town in the distance, even if it were miles away. But West Kansas is truly pure nothingness.

[@bob_frazier]

There were settlers who lost their minds when crossing the Prarie in the 1840's. The endless sea of grass literally drove them insane.

[@riverraisin1]

@PremoMeztiso HAHA! I drive thru that area twice a year. If the flat lands and dust don't get you the acrid smell of cow waste will. And there's really no decent places to spend the night in that region.

[@iceomistar4302]

Having grown up in New Zealand which is a small island nation, the size of a country like the USA is mind boggling for me.

[@boardcertifiable]

You get used to it. My family once took a summer to take a road trip through the Western States. It was quite fun but like described, sparse, but it was inspiring. The East Coast imo, especially New England and New York are more fast paced and crowded for my tastes. And in the South East, the people are polite and hospitable as long as you extend the same courtesy.

[@irenemcguire7937]

It is beautiful in the Midwest! My husband and I went across the country in the 70's What a wonderful time to travel!! The air quality was so good, and the sky was so blue 💙!! There was such a remarkable difference in people also! The people were friendly!!

[@fierymeteor1293]

@Opponent May CryBro respectfuly SHUT UP

[@cecille5833]

Let me guess you’re your family is white, the Midwest is perceived as super friendly because of the low record of non white immigration there, so in turn it’s “safe” “ and “friendly” but good luck driving in Wisconsin while being black

[@theinsaneone911]

Midwest nice is gone. Lived their most of my life and it’s no where near the same. The south is still the only true and real friendly society left in this country. Makes sense as most of those states are red. The democrats and liberals ruin everything with their hate for each other and this country.

[@emilfeddersen5677]

@Opponent May Cry cope

[@JRR812]

Being from the East but living out West you realize how vast the country is. The West feels oddly isolated even in the major areas, everything is just much further apart and the mountains and valleys make you feel very separated from one another.

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

As an easterner myself the sparseness of the west blew me away the first time I traveled out there.

[@cameronb3834]

I could never imagine living in the eastern part of the US I love the western side much more diverse in terrain.

[@cameronb3834]

As a westerner what amazes me is how old the East’s architecture is and less diverse in terrain and people.

[@betzy1355]

ive lived in Arizona my whole life and when i visited the east i LOVED it, it was so green and i was shocked how everything was close together, and the subway.

[@DavidSmith-eh7rs]

Love the Western United States. It has some of the most beautiful and diverse scenery in the world. Incredible how Powell so accurately predicted what the limiting factors of the area would be. Unfortunately, even today, leadership is mostly failing to take appropriate action to remedy the water related challenges that are now becoming so glaringly obvious.

[@bertanelson8062]

I love it, too. I'll take hearing coyotes in the evening over traffic noise,any day!

[@blackbway]

@@bertanelson8062 I did love the sounds of coyotes in the evenings, the short 4 months I spent out there this spring/summer. Sadly, I love water more and while like the feeling of being "water responsible" by using and reusing water all the time, I hate only taking a shower once a week and wiping down the other days. San Bernardino valley is a rough place, but beautiful never the less.

[@sonjalewis3047]

@@bertanelson8062 Coyotes are doing quite well, in spite of the traffic! What can we do about the traffic? People try to discover nature near their homes, and not just have a knee-jerk and go out for a drive?

[@sonjalewis3047]

@@blackbway Does your home have gutters that direct the occasional rain into gutters, to become waste water? Have you looked at water catchment? It doesn't have to be big.

[@blackbway]

@@sonjalewis3047 it wasn't necessary my home, I was just staying there. There was a well on the property that we got water from but it takes gas to pump it and gas prices in CALIFORNIA was the highest it has ever been. I am back in New York again.

[@2007tuber]

This video should be shown in all schools in US. Wow - so packed with information! Details and maps and more maps! Simply amazing piece of work you produced here! 5 stars ⭐Bravo!! (OH and the comments 9,824 add so much more to the main story - so many people lived this story!)

[@eccentriceli3541]

Just got done with my 2nd cross country trip back to the East & I honestly love the vast emptiness of the west, it feels so serene and spiritual to explore and I'm glad there are vast areas in this country that get u away from the dense hussle n bustle of the east

[@entropic-decay]

fun fact about the appalachian mountains: the reason they're short and smooth compared to the rockies and other mountains in the american west is because they are *super old* and worn down and by *super old* I mean that they were being thrust up back before animals developed *bones* - they were originally part of the central mountain range created by the formation of a supercontinent.

[@The_Dougie]

Oldest mountain range on earth

[@ylo176]

Can they make mountains shorter ? Like can humans change the size

[@robinsss]

he is saying the mountains out west are blocking thee clouds and creating the dry climate our governments should be discussing removing some of the rock from the tops of those ranges to allow the clouds to float by

[@The_Dougie]

@@robinsss 🤣🤣🤣

[@robinsss]

@@TheMullerator ''''''For you to say the drought being experienced in the west is the most severe in thousands of years is simply put, wrong. '''''' who said that?

[@presidenttogekiss635]

For the people curious, that one bright red spot in the middle of the Amazon emptiness is the city of Manaus, 2,5 million people, sorrounded by jungle and bordered by the Amazon River. It´s a really interesting city: a metropolis situated in the middle of nowhere. The only other city that I think is similar is Perth, Australia.

[@surfershorts2841]

There is also a similar city called Kisangani in the Jungle of the DRC.

[@powasjington4262]

I realized how close everything was on the East coast when I drove there. I live in the Seattle Metropolitan area and the closest major cities besides Portland and Vancouver Canada are Calgary (13hr drive) San Francisco (12 hrs drive) Denver (20 hr drive) Salt Lake City (14 hr drive) and Minneapolis (26 hrs drive) if I drive 13 hrs on the East Coast, I could go from Atlanta to New York City. Also, it’s actually a little bit rare to meet people in Washington State whose family have been here three or more generations.

[@YeshuaKingMessiah]

Where did all the old fams go?? Moved East I guess?

[@ron9939]

Having lived in Colorado for 50 years, even a short visit back East is a "chore," like the very air is alive with heavy moisture and wind movement and pulse. It's great to experience, but when returning, starting in western Kansas, it's ME who is alive, with vast space and wind and a quiet pulse. I'm not judging, but the West is individuals and the East is a collective. And then the far western horizon looks like tall white clouds, and you soon realize, damn, it's the Rockies and you are home.

[@coreenaburke8534]

I live in Missouri. I like my change of seasons. This year summer was hot from the beginning, until the bitter end. The first day of fall the high of 58,° and rain. The day before was 96°. I lived in Lewisville TX for a while I got so homesick. The people were great. I lived pretty well. I just couldn't take the no change of season. You get it here right on time.

[@FourSeasons04]

@@coreenaburke8534"...change of seasons." Same here as indicated by my name.😄 However, I may have to change to "Three Seasons" 'cause summers in Maryland are becoming less appealing...the heat and humidity are brutal.

[@AKHWJ3ST]

@@coreenaburke8534 Changes of season are highly overrated! One thing Texas doesn't need are people who don't like it here. If you only lived in north Texas, you don't really know what Texas is.

[@thraxbottom549]

@@AKHWJ3ST jesus stop being so defensive about your precious state

[@coreenaburke8534]

@@thraxbottom549 I really said nothing bad about Texas, and the people were great. If you were used to the climate it wouldn't be bad. My Dad said every man he ever knew that moved to Texas loved it, but he had never met a woman from Missouri that could adjust to it. Im sure there were plenty that have. It just wasn't for me. After we got back from California our first stop was in Dallas then to Lambert in St.Louis,then basically home. When we got to Dallas we were so relieved! It was like we are home now! California feels like another country, not a good one either. I truly hope to not have to go back there for any reason!

[@SoshJam]

It's crazy how ancient events can have impact on today's society. I recall seeing a post about a year or so ago where an ancient volcano erupted leading to slightly more fertile soil in a certain stretch of the state of Georgia. The fertile soil led to more farming in that area, which lead to more slave plantations, which led to a higher population of Black people, which leads to that same stretch in Georgia tending to vote vastly more Democrat than the rest of the state. It's crazy.

[@justaguyfromreddit]

That's so cool I mean knowing that

[@gabrielmoralesgonzalez6471]

The aftermath is kind of amazing when you think about it because everything has it own path. For example the atomic bombs that United States dropped in Japan. Hiroshima was the first city they wanted to nuke and the second was actually Kokura (I am almost sure that is the name of the city) they were going to eliminate. Since Kokura had a lot of smoke from Hiroshima they had to bomb Nagasaki instead. Like I said, everything has it own path...

[@lieutenantdan8541]

@@Lallunalapruna123 Little known fact, but Europeans did not, in fact, build America. It was there for at least a few years before they got here.

[@Lallunalapruna123]

@@lieutenantdan8541 Sorry, I wrote that while watching the video and because real life lore usually talks about social subjects, I thought this comment was about some historical thing that happened during the american colonizstion. I deleted the comment

[@rebirthphoenix5646]

Wouldn’t be surprised living in Georgia it’s weird knowing there are volcanoes here lol

[@DeClaw-]

Fun fact: the second largest reservoir in the American west, Lake Powell in southern Utah, was named after John Wesley Powell

[@NVSC10]

I was thinking that lake Powell was named after him. Pretty unique last name

[@jonathanbegay92]

Fun fact: Lake Powell is next to the Navajo Reservation, where 1 out of 3 homes don’t have running water. All that water goes to other states. HUNDREDS of miles away.

[@ooooneeee]

@@jonathanbegay92 and the oppression of indigenous Americans continues to this day 😤.

[@jegr3398]

@@jonathanbegay92 Fun fact: Indians didn't build the dam

[@jonathanbegay92]

@@jegr3398 fun fact: Indians are from India.

[@themrcrow2901]

I was vaguely aware of this divide, but didn't realize how drastic it was. Very educational, thank you!

[@TheINFJChannel]

This was super informative. I'm an extremely proud New Hampshirite. Teeny state of 1 million people, 5,000 black bears and 3,300 moose. Our highest peak is only 6,288' (Mt Washington). We have mainly 3,000-4,000 footers here. We're 80% covered by trees. Many of our towns are rural. It rains a lot, snows often enough, is beautiful 24/7/365 and we have *plenty* of fresh water. Fall foliage is OMFG! My only qualm is the disconnection of our southern population, the summer tourism and being the "weed island" (meaning, every bordering state is legal and we're only decriminalized under a Z). Only in north country do we wave at passersby; down south good luck getting someone to make eye contact with you. ^ nobody knows about us so I thought I'd drop some New Hampshire knowledge. Second bestest state in the country. Maine always takes the cake. It's a literal magical wonderland of 75,000 moose 😍😍😍😍

[@boltinabottle6307]

Although it's known for it's cold and moose, Maine also has some of the most beautiful beaches in the country.

[@battshytkrazy156]

MEEESz. ...plurality of. Moos !!☆

[@jhaz89]

New Hampshire is gay. Jk

[@user-dz6eg2hy2s]

I lived in Maine for years, I could see mountain and ocean, I could go the beach and to the wood on the same day. Then I moved to Bay Area my car window got broken, human feces on the streets, people just robbed your expensive stuffs in broad daylight... I always joke to my friends that ME gave me beautiful snow while CA gave me broken window...

[@fazr6103]

@Bolt in a bottle Unless you actually like to go in the water.

[@kylebrantleyy3096]

I grew up in Oklahoma City and I always find this crazy. About every 10 miles you would go west you’d lose an inch of rainfall a year, and you could tell. East Oklahoma City is actually super green and hilly, while the west side is what you’d expect Oklahoma to look like.

[@Toucanbird]

As someone that grew up in the Midwest and has lived all over the country (currently reside in Oklahoma City), I’ve always been fascinated at how vastly different the climates of where I have lived are. I lived in eastern New Mexico for a short time and I can 100% understand why it’s so barren from a population standpoint. It is incredibly dry, flat land that can get very hot during the summer and will once in a great while get hammered by a blizzard in the winter…but for the most part will at most get a few inches of snow. I can say that living in the south for the last eight years has made me appreciate the climate I grew up in in the Midwest.

[@jaimedawg8]

As someone from New Mexico, I can confirm the second paragraph. We have a running joke “don’t like the weather? Give it around 5 minutes.”

[@catenary_curve]

Hisinberg???

[@BJBlaskovichGaming]

I grew up in the Midwest as well, and I promise you I don’t miss the humidity.

[@PackinStackin]

Okc far from what I think of when I hear “south” sure it’s south but not “traditional/old southern” Okc is kind of southern western.

[@IaconDawnshire]

I know that feeling. I used to live in IL and I miss having actual seasons

[@isaachayman9231]

I had never even thought of this tbh. I live in the rural California desert and having Long stretches of nothing has always been the norm for me. Just recently I traveled from Cali up to rural Montana (around 2500 miles round trip) and seeing “100 miles to the next services” never even trips a bell in my head. I couldn’t imagine living somewhere people are packed in, it’s just super alien to me

[@Margaritamadman420]

Ye same here from a small town in California im about 20 min away from a decent sized town but after the last town there isn’t anything for quite a while

[@jakeMontejo3272]

I’m from the island of Manhattan. I’ve road-tripped across the country & it boggles my mind to live somewhere so sparse in all things. The silence in these rural areas were deafening to me. Ironically, I hate crowds. We are all a product of our environment, I suppose

[@douglasscovil3447]

there's another desert right next to the mojave desert, the sonoran desert covers the southern part of arizona. kind of strange that in the area where only 20% of the people live there are some very large cities...LA 2nd most populated in US, and Phoenix 5th most populated.

[@MrKongatthegates]

This was me trying to adjust to the city.

[@SilverStarFour]

Arizonan here... What I learned from this vid: If we want rain, we gotta blow up all the big mountains blocking the rain from coming to Phoenix. :)

[@rishimishras]

I came to US in 2015 and have driven 250k Miles in the western USA. Lived in Denver for over a year saw Yosemite, travelled Utah, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, nebraska. Then moved to oregon and travelled Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, California. Now I live in Arizona and have driven all over Arizona, Colorado agajn, Nevada, Utah again, New mexico from here as well. I totally love the west USA and after I spent a week driving in New England I love it more as I can put the car on cruise control for hours and just enjoy the scenery.

[@oldblood_eyes]

as a californian who loooovvvvess nature, i consider myself blessed to live in the west. the nature here is just magnificent. in just my state alone, the diversity is insane! beaches, mountains, desert, cities, we got it all. love it so much.

[@itsok2bwhiteendanti-whiteh548]

Your state has been utterly destroyed by Leftist radicals and their policies. If you vote Democrat, stay there.

[@oldblood_eyes]

@Timothy Pickard lol dude tries to hate and then brings up ohio 😂

[@oldblood_eyes]

@Timothy Pickard try beating a days drive to the beach, try beating a days drive to the desert like death valley, try beating a days drive to the cali coast to drive on highway 1, one of the most scenic drives ever; try beating a days drive to the mountains: sierra nevadas; home to the last remaining sequoia trees in the world and yosemite national park. dude listen to yourself. you're flexing gas prices as if that's the absolute best thing ever. sad.

[@V3ntilator]

@Timothy Pickard Try beating 17$ for a pack of cigarettes in Norway.

[@warreng1542]

@Timothy Pickard I've lived in SoCal my whole life. If you apply yourself and have the right qualifications, you can find really good paying jobs in just about any industry or run your own business to afford the cost of living here. We have the largest economy than any other state for a reason.

[@utahdan231]

I live in Midwest. I traveled 48 states. My favorite part is West. Love long , lonely drives, it’s safe if it comes to people. Only animals can be a problem. The time behind the wheel allows you to look into yourself. Same with Northern Canada. So gorgeous to hike ,drive.

[@belle_pomme]

48 states? I guess the 2 states you haven't visited are Alaska and Hawaii?

[@BaveMage]

Until the first time I'd driven to Washington from the east I'd always thought the whole state was a rainforest. East of the Cascade mountain range will probably surprise most, pretty much desert. Passing through the mountain range I understood why. Those greedy mountains are keeping the moisture all to themselves mostly on the west side.

[@DDBurnett1]

As much as I love being near the Cascades in Oregon, sometimes I wish they didn't begin until near the Idaho border. In that case, there would be a much larger land area with the climate of western OR/WA.

[@anthonyhenderson2641]

Big foot likes Washington

[@NatureShy]

@@DDBurnett1 I actually prefer it because it makes distances to drive to various hikes a lot shorter. Living in Portland for example, you're a fairly short 2-3 hour drive from the coast, desert, and mountains. If that area was wider, driving to the desert or mountains would take a lot longer.

[@stevenvillarreal8970]

NGL, I actually like how my Grandmas town is in the middle of nowhere. Brownfield Texas is literally a smack dab in the middle of the void region. I tell my friends who have never been out to the plains how one city can be the only city in like hundreds of miles. It's kind of scary to think about but people have been living out there for hundreds of years and have made it there homes.

[@Velociferon]

Living in austin, travelling west is such bliss. The hill country opening up to desert is so humbling

[@nieczerwony]

I am from Poland but have friends living in Philadelphia. I visited them few times and it was ok, but never liked NYC. Then we went to Montana for a trip. I never felt so free in my life, but so small at the same time.

[@goeuldi]

The fact that signs like "Last stop for the next 100 miles" exist is completely surreal to me (I'm German). Imagine driving past Cologne and not see a living soul until you reach Berlin. Wicked.

[@rachelraccoon5565]

You'd think we'd have more nudists (but there are too many poisonous snakes, scorpions and spiders, not to menetion the cacti) lol.

[@lamarjk08]

Living in El Paso, Tx, the closest large cities(over 500k people) are pretty far out: Albuquerque: 4 hours Tucson: 5 hours Phoenix: 7 hours San Antonio: 7.5 hours Austin: 8.5 hours Dallas: 9 hours Denver: 10 hours San Diego: 10 hours The West is extremely spread out

[@marilynnjefferson8525]

Fascinating analysis, thank you. May I mention that distances between locations should be spoken of as being farther, not further. You have given us a further understanding of this phenomenon.

[@johnchedsey1306]

Guess I'm a bit of a rarity, having grown up in rural mountain Colorado and this video goes a long way in explaining why I have always been drawn to more open landscapes than cities. To me the area between the coastal mountains and the Rocky Mountains is some of the most fascinating anywhere. I guess I'm totally used to the idea that you might drive 100 miles before seeing any significant town of any sort.

[@Doubleshake]

That’s crazy I’m the complete opposite🤣 I grew up in Brooklyn n I ain’t never really travelled alot so I been restricted to the concrete jungle that is New York City. Shit I’d say there’s more buildings then trees out here and everything is within walking distance even tho I have a car I never really need it I can just walk 🤣🤣🤣

[@jessedylan6162]

@@Doubleshake and Brooklyn has some kick ass pizza joints too...best of the east.

[@isaachayman9231]

Fr I’m the same. Western Mojave raised. I am way more comfortable and happy in the empty plains of Utah or the forests of Colorado and Montana than being super close to anyone

[@mallorygraf8574]

So true about the West. My husband and I drive San Francisco to San Diego and back several times a year and he's right! We take I-5 and it is a desolate and empty except for rest stops. It's very crowded in and near the coast but once you get on I-5 it's all farm land and just land basically.

[@thetruthabouticeland]

BLASPHEMY THE central valley is the modern day Eden

[@rks5457]

@@thetruthabouticeland meth galore

[@thetruthabouticeland]

@@rks5457 the central valley is really good at math

[@juankroosfrausto7411]

If you take the 99 it's filled with cities so what you said is partially true.

[@williamthornton5856]

I 5 is NOT that desolate ! Go up 395 to Bishop California and Tonopah, NV, I-5 is a congested lush green garden by comparison and more humid as well. Not that the I-5 region 150 miles South of San Fran is humid, its not, (its semi-arid) but compared to Bishop and Tonopah, it is humid.

[@arcie3716]

I live in the western part of America. I never realized how strange it was to not see any major cities the moment you leave coastal California. Now I want to go see the east

[@daddy1571]

The eastern seaboard is full of a-holes,high violent crime,inflated prices,litter everywhere,and a bad vibe overall. I lived in Buffalo NY,NYC and Atlanta Ga. They all suck and quality of life is lower than whale shit.

[@precious6727]

It’s nice but sometimes depressing like I’ve never seen a star filled sky in my entire life but it’s nice being able to experience something/somewhere new without having to drive too far. Also if you start from DC and go all the way to Boston you can experience about five large and different metro areas in just sixish hours.

[@Leg239]

The east is overrated. Especially Florida and the northeast

[@Nev1812]

Visit for vacation is fine but don't live. It's too much

[@stopmakingsense9915]

@@Leg239 according to who?

[@craigp7087]

The big island of Hawaii is quite unique weather wise as well. Land in Hilo on the east side, drive to the south and the around to the west side where Kona is located. I think Hilo gets over 100 inches of rain per year and area just north of Kona basically desert, or around 10 inches a year. All in less than 100 miles of driving.

[@turkeysammich1059]

Living in colorado its like being in 3 different state environments at once. You go west it's the mountains and what you'd expect of colorado. Going south is like new Mexico, once you get out of high elevated cities colorado is pretty dry. When you go east you're basically in rural Kansas

[@manuelacosta5604]

I visited Montana and loved how unpopulated it was.

[@SweetTeaConnoisseur]

Montana is the best state, few people, incredible nature, and has the best name.

[@slugoo6474]

I hope it stays that way.

[@tfyoutalmbout]

Montana is incredibly beautiful...and expensive.

[@Mrcuddlesworth_]

So do Californians

[@Racko.]

It’s nature is beautiful too

[@fatjeezyindahouse]

I’m so thankful for this perspective. I have lived exclusively in about 4 places: Las Vegas, Albuquerque, San Diego, and Fort Worth. I’ve driven between these major cities more times than I can remember, and have driven nearly no where else. This stretch of land created my world view, and I just imagined the world as a completely barren place and then a random big city here and there. But now I’m excited to know that there’s more to this world than just that!

[@Abhi-tx1io]

Meanwhile here in New Jersey it’s hard to drive 5 minutes without seeing 4 billboards, 3 strip malls, 5 gas stations and a McDonalds

[@Harry-zz2oh]

I've lived in a fair number of places and two overseas countries. Travel opens a persons eyes to different cultures and allows a person to see their own place through different perspectives.

[@D0GDAZE]

@@Abhi-tx1io I'm also from NJ and I actually find it rather strange the couple times I've driven in the West that there are stretches of land with just nothing but road, not even billboards or rest stops for miles, it was a very isolating feeling to me. Interesting how different people have different perspectives on the norm!

[@FlyingMonet]

That is so crazy to me. I can confirm that in the Southeast (I mainly drive thru the Carolinas, Virginia, up to DC) I never have a problem pulling into a small town or gas station along the interstate for water, food, gas station, etc. I thought the entire country was like this. Wow, didn’t realize how much I took that for granted

[@johnrotten4871]

This big empty dry area is an awesome place to go on a motorcycle tour. If you stay off the Interstates, the windy roads to nowhere are awesome. Scenery is beautiful - weather is beautiful - traffic is non-existent.

[@coderas4180]

Ive lived in LA my whole life, however i have driven around to nearby states and it is just so interesting. Like when I drive to Las Vegas, it just feels like one second its barren desert, then i turn the corner then I see this large swath of human civilization, with more barren desert behind it. Its how I imagine mars cities to look like

[@D71219ONE]

I grew up in a small city in Southern Indiana. We were less than 2 hours from Louisville, and around 2 1/2 hours from Indianapolis, Nashville, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Chicago was 5 hours, which felt like a long trip. So many good weekend trips growing up.

[@mares3841]

It's growing fast!

[@FacialVomitTurtleFights]

I'm nearly 2 hours from a walmart....

[@chaoswitch1974]

So you liked to live in the car? Was gas cheap? Do you still?

[@D71219ONE]

@@chaoswitch1974 We really didn’t spend that much time in the car. We’d go on a trip maybe four times a year. My city was small, but it had everything you’d want for a family. Gas was more affordable in Indiana than it was in many other states.

[@jerel42]

I'm from the SF Bay Area, and I went on a business trip to Boise. At one point, when there was a break and I went outside of the building we were in, I started to feel very, very uncomfortable, a little dizzy, and a little nauseous. It turned out that it was because it was all flat, there was no ocean, and no mountains ANYWHERE!!!! I had never in my life been anywhere without mountains or the ocean. That was enough to seriously mess me up. I mean, how can that even be? It was unbelievable, like I was on a another planet or something. Once I figured it out, I was OK and functioned fine. However, to this day, if I'm in a super flat state that has no visible mountains, it often makes me emotionally and physically uncomfortable, and I have to breathe through it.

[@V1p3r0ps]

That's amazing. I moved from So California after 27 years to Idaho. The biggest change for me was the fresh air and lack of population. I was in the sweet spot back in the day, 60miles north of SD and 88 miles southeast of LA. The altitude change was minimal as we went up 900ft to about 2100. I absolutely love it here.

[@Sticknub]

I'm looking at pictures of Boise, ID and it has mountains on the northeast side

[@jerel42]

@@Sticknub Really? What I described really happened, but maybe I have the wrong location. Now I'm wondering which city it actually was in....

[@jonathanfiel6215]

I was in the same boat. Also from the Bay Area born and raised. Back in 2013 I had a detail assignment in Des Moines Iowa. I've never seen land so flat and without hills or mountains until I first visited the mid west. I felt so uncomfortable and claustrophobic knowing I was away from the ocean and right smack middle of the country. When I got back to the bay area after my assignment was over, it felt like I could breath again lol.

[@jerel42]

@@jonathanfiel6215 Yeah, it's often how we navigate and tell directions. Around where I live, people don't say East or West, they say "up" or "down". Like, "Go five blocks up Solano," or "It's about a half mile down from Santa Fe." I live near the SF Bay, about 50 feet above see level, but if I drive 10 minutes east, I've climbed about 1800 feet. So, super flat areas where you can't see mountains anywhere and you know you are far from the sea is just very weird for lots of us. I wonder if the reverse is true for people who grew up in flat areas. My son had a friend visit from Denmark, and they called the hill we live on a "big mountain". ~grin~

[@UAEforlife]

Learning from school 0% Learning from internet 100%

[@notneb82]

12:43 Wet weather in the east does not come from the Atlantic, it primarily is brought up from the Gulf of Mexico via the jet stream. The prevailing winds across the content are from the west to the east. This precludes most Atlantic weather events from moving east to west unless it is very localized or a hurricane.

[@kevinnolan1339]

And that jet stream is what prevents Ireland and the UK from being more like Iceland. Arctic warming may produce a counter stream. But overall global warming might mitigate the effect? The uncertainties of climate change are immense.

[@katherineg9396]

I've noticed when it rains where I live in Dallas about 3 days later it will rain where my brother lives in NE New Jersey.

[@mrchefcheck]

I live in the Midwest. I made a road trip to California once, and at some point it was just vast amounts of empty land. Once in a while you'll see one home off in the distance. In contrast, when I made my road trips to Maine and North Carolina, there were homes and gas stations everywhere.

[@juankroosfrausto7411]

Because those tiny states aren't even close to the size and population of california. Just central california has more population than. Those two states together

[@Imperfect21stCenturyPioneer]

Two words sum much of this up: history, and water. Moved from NW Oregon (the one part of the West without a real water crisis) to the Great Lakes region last June. This video is spot on.

[@thndr_5468]

It's kinda nice to not have to worry about water eh?

[@Imperfect21stCenturyPioneer]

@@thndr_5468 That would be a yes. 💦 One of my old friends who currently lives in Tacoma, W A was just sharing a pic of his floor fan with a smoke filter to deal with the heat and smoke from California's current fires. 🥵🔥 Me on the other hand in Ohio: still green here with off and on rain and the occasional thunder and lightning, and mostly in the 80s with just slight humidity since I got here, though there was a heat wave less than 2 weeks before my arrival. Count myself blessed.

[@tdl487]

Being from rural TN where I have in laws that live on 50+ acres of untouched wilderness, doing a road trip to Lake Tahoe and back was probably my biggest eye opener of how freaking massive our country is! It was that terrible 5 hour(can't exactly remember) of desert from Reno to Las Vegas that didn't settle well with me. I remember absently texting my fiance(now husband) where my friends and I were whenever we got a decent signal. The constant thought of "If we get strained here we're f***ed!" kept going through my mind. I'm claustrophobic and that was the complete opposite of that and I DID NOT LIKE IT EITHER! Regardless, I loved my time at Lake Tahoe and Reno(Vegas not so much) but will be flying the whole way next time.

[@SuspensionTruth]

It's interesting you mention Lake Tahoe as that's a special place we visited often as a family in my youth especially. Always felt like a magical escape from the city life. To take the trip all the way from TN to Tahoe would be like a moving psychedelic experience! I'm actually ready to leave the west for various reasons with TN as a primary location in mind. I'll be going the opposite direction from coast to desert to mid-continent and east of the 98th parallel. God bless you and yours.

[@stevensiferd7104]

About 35 years ago I was, in a college meteorology class. The instructor had a map with two lines on it. One was a straight line that roughly followed the 104th meridian from the Canadian border along the western edges of North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, ending at the Rio Grande. The other line ran down the eastern edge of those three states from the Canadian border to the town of Paris, Texas, then turned southwest to the Rio Grande at the town of Roma, Texas. (He said he picked two towns named after European capitals to make it easier to remember.) He told us that these were the hydrology boundaries for the central US. To the east was the region that got regular precipitation during every month of the year. To the west were the areas that get little precipitation between May 15th and the autumnal equinox, with many areas remaining fairly dry all year long. The region in between is a wet-to-dry transitional region. He then said that the reason areas to the west have so many water and forest management problems is because a large group of easterners who get rained on every week set water usage policies for westerners who might not see a drop of rain for six months. This video seems to confirm his lecture.

[@rickhernandez7666]

That definitely explains some things...

[@zerimar26]

Great video. I knew the US had a lot of mountain ranges but this video did a great job of explaining the different locations and they affected the development of the West.

[@antoniomartinez6093]

Shout out Mattawa! Love my little home town. Out in FL now and spent better part of the last decade east of the line. Can't tell yall how often I've felt claustrophobic even in places like South Bend, IN. I hope people give going out west a chance. Real beautiful country we have.

[@cproteus]

Someone had posted this with ads on FB without attribution and I recognised your voice. So I posted your link in the comments. Keep doing the good work!

[@blakebaumgardner2426]

I grew up in the central valley of California and then moved up to Idaho 4 years ago and have traveled the mountain states for work since then. I love the mountain states and how much space there is, but desolation is an apt description. I am now working in Nebraska right near the line. I am blown away seeing all the greenery and the corn everywhere here with all the humidity. I very much enjoyed this video, thank you.

[@cotynietling2567]

I live in western kansas i love my rural area but the drought is no joke its getting worse weve had less than a inch of rain for this whole year!

[@kenhammond3810]

We live just west of Kansas City, and the difference just a few hours west is astounding.

[@benjamin6916]

I would argue that another factor is family. Since America began in the east coast, early Americans from Europe (Irish, German, Swedish, Polish, etc.) built their roots and foundation in the east and its major cities. There is so much more history east of the 98th and since families/relatives lived there (combined with the climate) it made no sense to move west unless for job opportunities.

[@dk9696]

-especially with the looming water scarcity issues outlined here.

[@georgewashington6847]

Early Americans from Europe?? You mean migrants 😂

[@annamc3947]

They gave away free land to get people to move West. It was a hard life though, and many failed to earn a living farming because of the unpredictable weather. In California where I live now the Spanish were the first European settlers and this cultural history defines most of the West.

[@Z3N1TY0]

I’m from German ancestry my family used to be eastward last century but my mom moved here (west) because she liked our state, it’s known for some badass landmarks, badass scenery, and H O T weather It’s also much more urbanized than the cold, rural midwest she’s known for far longer Dad grew up in a mountain town up north but I think his ancestors lived east as well Not saying your claim is wrong, I can understand, but also remember consider the landmarks and scenery west of the line

[@kaycoats8344]

This is so informative & interesting! Thank you for a well put together educational video! Even the speaker is clear & consice. 👍

[@carrisebear3499]

I have lived in this area my whole life. The Oregon trail is 100 feet from our property line. I like the sparse population. I appreciate when it rains; all the plants open up to let the rain in and they are fragrant. I see millions of stars in the sky.

[@Lorkdemper]

The way he says "duUMPS" at 13:05 is 🔥

[@premiersportingkc3443]

I recently drove a moving van from Kansas City to Seattle. Boy, was it a quiet drive. During a 3-hour stretch through Montana there was no cell phone coverage, no radio stations, and no other cars on the road. Finding a gas station there really was like an oasis in the desert, because we were worried that we would run out of gas in the middle of nowhere

[@thndr_5468]

Ikr, I have to drive form Portland to Rexburg ID and the drive is desolate

[@tristancoffin]

@@thndr_5468 get outa Portland and don't come back this place sucks

[@MadJustin7]

You learn very quickly to fill up at every station you see.

[@johnchedsey1306]

I take it for granted that living and exploring out west means you need to do a little research to know where your next tank of gas is coming from. My cars have about a 300 mile range so I'm always doing mental calculations in my head as to when to fill back up...sometimes even at just a half tank to play it safe.

[@johncolvin2561]

What I like about the Freightliner cab over I drove cross-country in the 1980s was it had a 2000 mile range between fill ups.

[@rr7firefly]

Then you have the West Coast, which is densely populated. Some of the greatest urban centers are in California and then you have Portland and Seattle further north. The great American West, east of those areas, contains some of the most beautiful natural scenery in the world. The Rockies, the Tetons, and of course the Sierra Nevada, the Olympic and Cascade ranges.

[@rr7firefly]

@@ZombieBacon13 When I see a comment such as yours I have to wonder: 1) What percentage would that be that is a cesspool? Do you have a number? 2) Where have you been in California that you could make such a sweeping statement like that? I was in several San Francisco neighborhoods and in Piedmont before Christmas and I saw neither human waste nor putrefying organic matter on the streets. Perhaps this was not the area that you know. BTW, Yosemite, Sequoia and Muir Woods were really beautiful.

[@mrmr3343]

@@rr7firefly you pay more for everything. That's the biggest problem I see with Cali. And water can be an issue. Housing is absurd. New York, and DC only come close for housing costs. The west overall is pricey unless you are in the middle of nowhere.

[@rr7firefly]

@@mrmr3343 I cannot argue with you for citing super high costs for many things. In the past I was very lucky to find affordable apartments. Some were ideally located and I loved the time I spent in them. But, that is mostly a thing of the past. It helps if you have a network of friends who can steer you to good things. That really was my good fortune -- having connections. Right now I do not live in the Bay Area, but I go there on business and get a chance to revisit old haunts. FYI: I am NOT in the tech industry.

[@faekz]

When in military I drove from Miami to LA to Seattle. It was an amazing drive. Everyone should drive across the country it is freaking huge

[@tr4321]

I agree, I did it with my Father for his 30 yr Marine reunion, he said he didn’t want to fly and miss everything so we drove it. Best vacation and memories of my life!!

[@jazzybonez7637]

I live in Las Vegas ! and yes our water is super low!!! and when i drive to hoover dam it just scares me how much water we lost over the years and its not getting any better from here. was wonder why there was so much people that live on the east side and nooooow i know why! i think its time to move to the east coast lol! thanks for the video keep it up!

[@amywalker7515]

But it gets cold? Sure you can take it?

[@raidzeromatt]

@for the love of God what they move is for people to stop moving there from CA lol That or the city should be redistricted into a different state from northern NV. Vegas is just desert LA, that garbage isn't NV. There should be So Cal (San Diego/orange county) Nor Cal (Vegas/LA/SF) and Nevada with all of the counties north/east of LA/SF in CA/NV

[@rks5457]

@@raidzeromatt wtf are u talking about?

[@Kevly_]

@@raidzeromattI would gladly trade Vegas for California north of Sacramento

[@mizrobin3188]

No you don't! It's cold and dreary. I would love to move out west but the water issue is scary. I guess living in the cold outweighs the drought conditions. However, the west is beautiful and spacious.

[@tlockerk]

"Somewhere between Topeka and Dodge City the Midwest becomes the West", a British travel writer once wrote. Too true.

[@carriecree1789]

Agreed.

[@Hillwatch]

As a person who has lived all over the place, it’s really hard to adjust from living in the middle of nowhere to metropolitan areas. I get anxiety because of the sheer bulk of things happening vs the stillness found in the middle of the Rockies

[@dani.munoz.a23]

As a quick side note, I learned about rain shadows from mountains when i was young, but this video explained it in just 10 seconds much more easily and efficiently than school did.

[@robertthurman9866]

America was originally settled on the east coast. And then expanded west. The Mississippi river was the big dividing line. The west coast was Spanish for a while.

[@Sancte_Benedicte]

I've driven back and forth to the west part of the US at least 10 times. Montana has over 133,000 square miles that are considered frontier land (3rd highest in the US). It's a beautiful state, but as @RealLifeLore said, you can go MILES AND MILES without seeing a town or a gas station. What is weird in Montana, is you'll see random houses MILES away from the nearest town (let alone a big city). If I was someone who was on the run from the law, I'd definitely go deep into Montana.

[@AndrewMOJObook]

They often do. Unibomber managed to hide out in Montana for years. I am American, but lived in Portugal 🇵🇹 until I was 11. Between 1974 and 2021 I went from Portugal to Florida to South Carolina to Pennsylvania To Kentucky To Georgia To Pennsylvania To Colorado To Nebraska To Pennsylvania To Nebraska To Colorado To Montana To Georgia To Colorado To Montana Finally Retired to Oklahoma City in 2021. 17 moves in 50 years. Never again. I am 60 now and don't plan on moving anywhere ever again. This was the first time I took my time deciding where to move. Only 4 hours, but longer than it took me to decide to move to any other US state. Many other moves were made by necessity or by my wives, and girlfriends. I alone chose Oklahoma City as my final refuge before my inevitable demise. Montana was too cold, and the east and left coasts were sewers. That left the south, and finally OKC. To be precise I wasn't hiding out in Montana, I just got stuck there twice. Nice people, but very much a frigid waste 9 months of the year. I'm not an outdoors cat.

[@JaRW7]

@@AndrewMOJObook sewers is a bit strong innit?

[@3shizuka]

Me as a Finnish person watching this and hearing that I live in a devoid empty area XD

[@ethanclark640]

id love to go to finland as someone from the us(michigan)

[@NumunuBeats]

I live in NC and I took offense at your depiction of the App Mtns as “Speedbumps.” For perspective, The Apps are around 500 million years old while the Rockies are around 75 million years old. The Apps are a grizzled old vet who’s seen it all. The Rockies are but a sniveling, crying baby. Great video btw.

[@controlsofquality8679]

Having lived on both sides of the US, this is super accurate. Western US is pretty empty of trees unless your near or along the pacific coast or in the mountains. I will say I do prefer the wilderness and not being stuffed like a can of sardines. Eastern US is too crowded.

[@halfvolley11]

The only dense places in Western USA are LA San Francisco and Seattle.

[@amywalker7515]

Everyone immediately thinks of NY City, which is only a tiny fragment of the area in the east. Most of us live suburban lives with big yards, trees, open spaces and so forth.

[@jame8618]

@@amywalker7515 I was gonna say this myself lmao used to live in atlanta but in the suburbs theres a TON of forests and space

[@RobertMJohnson]

that's funny b/c the west coast is most dense than almost 100% of east of Denver, barring downtown Chicago, New York and maybe parts of Boston, DC

[@halfvolley11]

@@amywalker7515 Yep, my first impression of USA was New York City and LA - but when I first went I realized most of America ain't that glamorous as they show in the movies. I wouldn't say suburban America is open with trees, its mostly roads, freeways, strip malls, walmarts, costcos, cars, generic homes that all alike. Sorry no disrespect. I saw more green parks, botanical gardens, etc. in the bigger cities.

[@Dackota]

Born and raised in the west. I don't think I would have it any other way. I could tell what the two lit up cities were on each side of me. We actually had a group of college students come down with their instructor and they were stargazing, we have great views because there's not a lot of light pollution. Sometimes it sucks having to travel far due to limited resources, but rural Northern Nevada is what I know.

[@J-Hue]

The night sky in parts of the West is amazing. I was in North Dakota for a while and looked at the sky more than I had since I was 8 or 9 years old. It's amazing what all you see in the night sky that you never get to see even living in more rural areas in the Midwest. And forget the bigger cities where you only get to see about 5-20% of the stars in the sky on any given night.

[@oldarthurmorgan6319]

The west is so much better it seems like a city in a ton of beautiful scenery and actual wildlife while east seems like a ton of cities and a ton of shit going on with a bit of green and lush trees

[@amywalker7515]

You can stargaze just fine in upstate NY. Sometimes I get up in the wee hours of the morning and all the stars seem huge and very bright indeed. I wish I had a camera with a shutter speed slow enough to take a picture sometime.

[@RobertMJohnson]

@@oldarthurmorgan6319 there's a reason Jim Morrison said, "the west is...the beeeeeest."

[@red4666]

This should be a 5 minute video. It’s like in high school when you’re asked to write a 2 page essay but you only have 1 paragraph worth of content.

[@jodie9442]

True. It's vast. Lol.

[@andreprivott7022]

I wanted to watch this so bad but the way he was speaking/reading made me decide to try to gather the information from the comments instead. Unbearable

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

That's the story of his channel though. He does this in every single video

[@p1aid]

bro took the first 7 minutes to just tell us that there's a line between the west and east usa

[@billwilson3609]

That dry line is that far west thanks to modern reservoirs and wells tapping the deep aquifers. The Great Plains were once called The Great American Desert due to sparse rainfall so was ignored by settlers heading to the Oregon Territory and California. That changed in 1870 when rain began to fall thru out the year. The Homesteaders flooded in and did well until 1877 when it stopped raining again.

[@Mekel01]

As an Oregonian, I have to say it's rough out here on this frontier. Lost half of my family to dysentary. Yiip.

[@johnweb7055]

Did you ancestors float down the Colombia or take the toll road?

[@allinaday9882]

@Mekel: ❤Mine, came around the “horn”. (East coast south around the tip of South America, north to the Oregon Territory before the Civil War.

[@whyme7996]

It would be funny except for the diseases that run rampant in Oregon especially in Portland.

[@AmazingAmigo]

0:01 *sad New Zealand noises*

[@stephenchurch1784]

I am moving back to Colorado in 18 days and I'm so excited to be able to see the stars again

[@wastelandwanderer2693]

As a native Californian, Sacramento to be exact, one thing I hate about where I'm from is the weather. Sac doesn't get that cool breeze like the Bay Area. In Sac it feels like summer most of the year until late October where it finally starts getting colder. As I get older I'm starting to become a fall and winter person more, I absolutely cannot stand hot weather anymore. Whenever I hear about how the east coast has better seasons like it gets colder there and actually snows in the winter, the more I want to move out there. I want to live somewhere where it's colder and has more green areas.

[@jarodp1027]

Midwest is best!

[@krisangel7080]

Northern Wisconsin. Trust me. My 3 bedroom house costs 56,000$. Bought this year

[@purpleguy5226]

@@krisangel7080 SHHHHHHHH dont tell them,

[@mco_jont]

@@purpleguy5226No one is trying to move out there 😂

[@TOBYH]

THE OLDER I GET THE LESS I LIKE THE SUMMER! JUST WAY TO HOT FOR ME. THE OTHER 3 SEASONS ARE FANTASTIC HERE IN ORANGE COUNTY.

[@ManiaMac1613]

In 2021 I drove across the U.S. from Maryland to California. I don’t think many people understand how jaw-droppingly enormous the U.S. truly is. Across the relatively narrow sliver of the continental United States I drove, 90% of it was almost completely empty. I saw everything from forests to warm deserts to frozen wastelands all in the course of just a week. It's a beautiful, diverse, but often harsh and inhospitable place to live.

[@chuck_in_socal]

It’s cool to fly over unpopulated areas in the west at low altitude. Lot’s of open spaces.

[@shaystern2453]

I cannot fly yet

[@jimsutton1179]

Good research! We make the trip from Texas to Colorado to visit family several times a year, and see this line pretty dramatically after Wichita Falls, TX. Going from there through NM and into CO seems forever due to the topography that changes very little till you are close to Capulin Mountain, which is an extinct volcano. After that things change more dramatically as you go through Ratan Pass and into southern CO and view the Rocky Mtns. to the west. It is beautiful in its own way, however. We always love meeting and talking with the people at the gas stops that live in those rural areas along the way, they are truly salt of the earth people!

[@lorraineakers8147]

Tell me more ! I'm in New England and in search of a new home for retirement. I want that small town feel where people have respect and stick together !

[@kjhuang]

I drove across the interior West region twice. The first time was on Interstate 40 east from California to Oklahoma, and the second time was on Interstate 10 west from Texas to California. I remember the loneliest and most isolated stretches of the trips being Flagstaff to Albuquerque on the first trip and El Paso to Tucson on the second trip, which roughly line up with each other in longitude.

[@wealthiness]

It's nothing but desert and mountain ranges, felt like we would run out of gas a couple times because of how far some towns were from each other. Mostly on the 40, the 10 is more popular so it has more rest stops.

[@skywalker6648]

Because west of the line feels like it's still being discovered. Pros-Everything like expressways and buildings look new. Cons-Everything feels like it's still in development. Also, if you take a drive in some of those territories, it's easy to feel like you're at the end of the road.

[@fariqazaha6321]

I love the fact that I‘m reading all through the comments and see people sharing all kinds of experience ❤️ never been to the US but always dreamt of living there

[@scottie_dowling]

As a upper middle class American, it’s very hard to live well here. We can’t get a grip on our corporations that have blocked any changes to our wages, education, and healthcare. Not to mention no one likes each other and the social unrest is ridiculous. Idk where you’re from, but I’ve now spent the majority of my adulthood oh Europe and currently getting my citizenship in Hungary. It’s so much easier to survive imo, and I’ve met a ton of Americans who have abandoned America. Just one guys opinion though.

[@sararamos3903]

Well, come right on in! Right now the doors to America are wide open. Free food free clothes free housing what more can you ask for!! I’ll just pay for all your bills!. Whether I like it or not! (sarcasm sarcasm sarcasm)

[@mml1426]

@@scottie_dowling Bullshit. I’m a Colombian immigrant, came here to 15 years ago, lived in South Carolina, California and Texas and I’m nowhere near “upper middle class” but I live well. I own a house, a car, and have a good job. In 15 years, and I didn’t speak any English when I arrived. Americans are just extremely ungrateful man

[@Jamezy316]

Yea dont listen to Scottie Dowling, he has no idea wtf hes talking about hahaha.

[@johnhall2952]

@@scottie_dowling 😊

[@helloits_morgan]

I live in Oklahoma, east of this line. But if I drive just a couple of hours to my hometown, I’m west of the line. I always did think it was kind of crazy how different the weather and climate could be between the two cities, even though they’re only a couple hours drive apart. It could be 80-something degrees where I live, then 100 degrees in my hometown, same day. Plus even though Oklahoma is known for tornadoes, we never got tornadoes in my hometown. There was some geographical explanation for it, but I can’t remember what it was. But just this year, a tornado hit the city where I currently live.

[@BONNYRIGG]

my town is on the 98th parallel I know what you mean

[@grace7701]

We are incredibly blessed to live in a country with such diverse terrains and climates that there is truly something for everyone. I live in South Carolina but have lived my entire life in a number of states up and down the east coast from New England to South Florida and in-between. The furthest west I have been is Houston, TX. I met a girl who moved here from Narco,California and we went on a trail ride in spring (we are horse people) shortly after she had moved here and she could not get over how green everything was or the size of the trees or forests for that matter because where she is from is nothing but rock, brown dirt and little scrub trees. I thought how strange to never see green and also thought no way would I want to live in a place like that. Only plus was that where she was from you could get on your horse and just ride anywhere you wanted.

[@genox3636]

Looking to move to SC.. how's your experience been there?

[@grace7701]

@@genox3636 Where in SC are you looking to move to?

[@genox3636]

@@grace7701 so far Travelers Rest, near my dad, and I hear good things.

[@grace7701]

@@genox3636 ok yeah thats right next to Greenville. It's a really nice area. I live 40 min outside Charleston. Everyone and their grandmother is moving to SC from all over the country most either head to Greenville area or down my way, especially down my way it's changed so much. I've lived here for 26 years and in the past 5 years it's been crazy how many have moved here, miss the way it used to be before everyone started moving here bit it is what it is.

[@genox3636]

@@grace7701 I wouldn't be moving there if it weren't for my dad. He's getting up there in age, need to look after him if he needs it.

[@blaisebizimana2062]

In the summer 2022; I drove from New Hampshire to Utah. After crossing the Mississippi river; i just noticed a big change. It was an amazing journey that enriched my soul.

[@bigblueshoe777]

Lived in Utah all my life. Attended a presentation by our state climatologist the other day that covered some topics regarding rainfall in the west and the shrinking Great Salt Lake. Outlook isn't great, there needs to be some radical changes in what we allow to be built in the west, and a dramatic overhaul of water usage rights and our relationship with the Colorado river, and I don't really see the political will for any of that.

[@based_yeoman9138]

We have a similar issue with the Salton Sea in my neck of the woods. Alas.

[@bluesbest1]

Because that would require actual work and would result in lasting, positive change, which are two things politicians are allergic to.

[@merseltzer]

We need to consider desalinization of ocean water in California as well as better water management.

[@ishmael4489]

Mount Mitchell might be small by US standards, but it's still much larger than the biggest mountain in the UK (Ben Nevis) which makes having climbed it feel like much less of an achievement😅 I must say this video is very interesting as an outsider looking in. I had no idea until now that there was such a massive population difference East to West! I feel I've learned a lot from this video. Thanks👍

[@myrabeth77]

The two are from the same ancient mountain range. The Highlands and the Appalachians were part of the same chain once upon a time, back when they were all bigger than they are now. Check out some maps of past continental formations. Fascinating stuff!

[@Streetzsanchez]

Drove from Indiana to Nevada a couple months back and I was amazed by how the further West I got the less cities and towns I came across. This was especially true in eastern Utah.