The Basin and Range Province is noted for numerous north-south oriented, fault-tilted mountain ranges separated by intervening, broad, sediment filled basins.

The mountain ranges are typically 20 to 50 km (12 to 31 mi) apart, 45 to 80 km (28 to 50 mi) long and are bounded on one, or sometimes two sides by high-angle, commonly listric, normal faults.

Typical mountain ranges are asymmetric in cross section, having a steep slope on one side and a gentle slope on the other. The steep slope reflects an erosion-modified fault scarp and the range is a tilted fault block.

Rocks within the Basin and Range vary widely in age and composition. Older rocks consist mostly of a variety of Mesozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary units and their metamorphic equivalents.

Proterozoic-age rocks have limited exposures in the region. Cenozoic volcanic rocks and valley-fill units generally overlie the sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Valley-fill deposits consist mostly of late Cenozoic lakebeds and alluvium as much as 3,000 m (10,000 ft) thick.