Did you know that the shape of a stick of butter is dependent on which side of the Rocky Mountains you live on?

The dominant shape east of the Rocky Mountains is the Elgin, or Eastern-pack shape. The sticks are 4¾ inches long and 1¼ inches wide, and are usually sold in somewhat cubical boxes stacked two by two.

West of the Rocky Mountains, butter printers standardized on a different shape that is now referred to as the Western-pack shape. These butter sticks are 3¼ inches long and 1½ inches wide and are typically sold packed side-by-side in a rectangular container.