The West Coast or Pacific Coast is the term for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon and Washington. More specifically, the term refers to an area defined on the east by the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada and Mojave Desert, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Census groups the five states of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii together as the Pacific States division.