Rocky Mts, Cascade Mts and isolated ranges of western North America from south-western Canada (eastern slopes of interior British Columbia, southern and east through mountains of south-western Alberta), southern in USA to central and eastern Washington and Olympic Peninsula, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, western and north-eastern Oregon (likely across the state), northern and east-central California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado to southern California, Arizona and New Mexico; also, in northern Mexico, irregularly occurring population in Sierra San Pedro Martír (northern Baja California) and isolated population at Cerro Potosí (Nuevo León).
 
Population
Estimated population is 1,000,000 (2010).
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga) [XC376497]
by Sue Riffe from Sinlaheken Wildlife area, Okanogan County, Washington, United States (begging call, call)
Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) [XC611069]
by Andrew Spencer from Big Pine Canyon, Inyo County, California, United States (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Probably derived from a Siberian form of Northern Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) which crossed the Bering land-bridge, perhaps as relatively recently as 1.5-2 million years ago.