Research Triangle topographic map

Asheville, located in Buncombe County, North Carolina, is characterized by a diverse and picturesque topography primarily shaped by its position within the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city itself sits at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet, surrounded by peaks that rise significantly higher, such as Mount…

Average elevation: 727 m

Avery County showcases a strikingly rugged topography characterized by its placement within the Appalachian Mountains. This mountainous terrain features elevations averaging about 3,500 feet, making it one of the highest counties east of the Mississippi River. The highest peak in the county is Grassy Ridge…

Average elevation: 1,006 m

Raleigh features a topography primarily defined by its position along the fall line, which is the geological boundary between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions. This area experiences a gradual elevation drop of approximately 150 to 350 feet over a distance of 1 to 3 miles as one moves eastward. The city's…

Average elevation: 103 m

Average elevation: 191 m

New Bern exhibits a predominantly flat terrain characterized by low-lying areas near its coastal rivers. The city is strategically positioned at the confluence of the Neuse and Trent rivers, where the elevation averages around 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 meters) above sea level​. This coastal setting contributes…

Average elevation: 5 m

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 308.6 square miles (799 km2), of which 306.6 square miles (794 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) is water. Charlotte is the twenty-sixth-most expansive city in the United States and lies at an elevation of 751 feet (229 m).…

Average elevation: 207 m

Charlotte, located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, features a gently rolling terrain characterized by elevations ranging from approximately 650 to 700 feet (198 to 213 meters). The city is bordered to the west by the Catawba River, which contributes to the area's mild climate and lush vegetation.…

Average elevation: 207 m

Average elevation: 115 m

Carolina Beach is characterized by its relatively flat topography, with elevations averaging around 13 feet above sea level. This coastal town is part of Pleasure Island and features a blend of sandy beaches and salt marshes. The surrounding area includes Carolina Beach State Park, which hosts diverse…

Average elevation: 2 m

Blowing Rock is characterized by its rugged and varied topography, nestled within the southern reaches of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town itself is situated on a prominent ridge, with elevations ranging from approximately 3,300 to 3,600 feet, creating dramatic landscapes that feature steep slopes, rocky…

Average elevation: 1,032 m

Average elevation: 456 m

Average elevation: 669 m

Boone, located in Watauga County, North Carolina, is set within the rugged Appalachian Mountains, specifically the Blue Ridge range. With an elevation of approximately 3,300 feet (1,016 meters), it stands as one of the highest towns of its size in the eastern United States. The terrain is dominated by steep…

Average elevation: 1,069 m

Average elevation: 1 m

Average elevation: 126 m

Average elevation: 263 m

Average elevation: 1,085 m

Watauga County is extremely mountainous, and all of the county's terrain is located within the Appalachian Mountains range. The highest point in the county is Calloway Peak, the highest peak of Grandfather Mountain (shared with the adjacent counties of Avery and Caldwell), which rises to 5,964 feet (1,818…

Average elevation: 984 m

Durham is located in the east-central part of the Piedmont region at 35°59′19″N 78°54′26″W / 35.98861°N 78.90722°W / 35.98861; -78.90722 (35.988644, −78.907167). Like much of the region, its topography is generally flat with some rolling hills.

Average elevation: 117 m

Franklin is characterized by its mountainous terrain, lying within the picturesque Appalachian Mountains. The area features rugged landscapes with elevations typically ranging from around 2,000 to 4,000 feet, creating dramatic vistas and deep valleys. The Little Tennessee River winds through the region, adding…

Average elevation: 675 m

Watauga County is extremely mountainous, and all of the county's terrain is located within the Appalachian Mountains range. The highest point in the county is Calloway Peak, the highest peak of Grandfather Mountain (shared with the adjacent counties of Avery and Caldwell), which rises to 5,964 feet (1,818…

Average elevation: 984 m

Average elevation: 128 m

Franklin County exhibits a diverse topography characterized primarily by gently rolling hills and low-lying areas interspersed with valleys and water bodies. The county's elevation varies, with the highest points reaching approximately 600 feet above sea level, while much of the landscape sits around 300 to…

Average elevation: 92 m

Average elevation: 194 m

Average elevation: 239 m

Average elevation: 127 m

Statesville has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) like most of the state of North Carolina, although its higher elevation leads to cooler temperatures than much of the Piedmont. Summers are generally hot and humid, with mild nights, while winters are usually cool with chilly nights and sporadic snowfall.…

Average elevation: 269 m

Average elevation: 64 m

Average elevation: 121 m

Average elevation: 16 m

Average elevation: 261 m

Wilmington sits near the southeastern coast and has a low-lying, relatively flat topography with an average elevation around 36 feet above sea level. The terrain is characterized by coastal plains with minimal elevation changes, making the landscape generally flat as it gently slopes toward the Atlantic Ocean.…

Average elevation: 7 m

Average elevation: 1 m

Average elevation: 78 m

Average elevation: 12 m

Average elevation: 1 m

Average elevation: 25 m

Greensboro is characterized by a gently rolling topography, typical of the Piedmont region. The city sits at an elevation of approximately 790 feet (241 meters) above sea level, with its terrain featuring a mix of low hills and valleys that create a varied landscape. The area is bisected by several waterways,…

Average elevation: 242 m

Average elevation: 1 m

Average elevation: 893 m

Most of the town of Waynesville lies between 2,600 and 3,000 feet (790 and 910 m) above sea level, in a valley among 5,000-to-6,410-foot (1,520 to 1,950 m) mountain peaks. With the high Great Balsam Mountains to the west-southwest, and the Plott Balsams to the west-northwest, a handful of peaks over 6000' in…

Average elevation: 921 m

Average elevation: 171 m

With an elevation of 1,400 feet, Marion's climate is fairly warm during summer (which are typically longer than lower elevation areas in the United States that get the same average high and low temperatures in the summer), when temperatures tend to be in the 80s and 90s, and moderately cold during the winter,…

Average elevation: 435 m

Average elevation: 784 m

The elevation of the town is 1,067 feet (325 m) above sea level. The town's original boundary was established as a circle with a radius of three quarters of a mile. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all land.

Average elevation: 333 m

Average elevation: 282 m

Average elevation: 355 m

Average elevation: 6 m

Beech Mountain is a town in both Avery and Watauga counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 320. The town is located atop Beech Mountain and is the highest town east of the Rocky Mountains at 5,506 ft (1,678 m) in elevation. The nearest municipality at a…

Average elevation: 1,267 m

Average elevation: 44 m

Average elevation: 145 m

Located at the tip of Cape Fear and residing at the convergence of the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Gulf Stream, the land mass of Bald Head Island ends, trailing off into 30 miles (48 km) of treacherous sand bars known as Frying Pan Shoals. In this area, large sand bars seasonally emerge from and subsequently…

Average elevation: 0 m

Average elevation: 5 m

Average elevation: 235 m

The northeast section of Forsyth County, including Belews Creek and parts of Rural Hall, Walkertown, and Kernersville, is drained by tributaries of the Dan River. A small portion of Kernersville is in the Cape Fear River basin. Most of the county is drained by tributaries of the Yadkin River, which forms the…

Average elevation: 258 m

Average elevation: 210 m

Average elevation: 442 m

Average elevation: 1,247 m

Umstead is part of the Southeastern mixed forests ecoregion. The topography is hilly, and it has several artificial lakes (which are very common in Wake County, partially due to a flood control plan implemented over the last half-century).

Average elevation: 116 m

Average elevation: 208 m

Average elevation: 345 m

The county lies totally within the Piedmont physiographic region. The topography of the county is generally gently rolling with several higher hills rising above the general terrain. One of these hills, Terrells Mountain, on the Orange County line is the transmitter site for several radio and TV stations for…

Average elevation: 132 m

Camp Butner, opened in 1942 as a training camp for World War II soldiers, once encompassed more than 40,000 acres in Granville, Person, and Durham counties. During the war, more than 30,000 soldiers were trained at Camp Butner, including the 35th and 89th divisions. The hilly topography at Camp Butner proved…

Average elevation: 133 m

Transylvania County is known as the "Land of Waterfalls", due to it having over 250 waterfalls. This is due to a combination of its high precipitation and location on the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Notable waterfalls in the county include Looking Glass Falls, Moore Cove Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Whitewater Falls,…

Average elevation: 898 m

Average elevation: 4 m

The county lies totally within the Piedmont physiographic region. The topography of the county is generally gently rolling with several higher hills rising above the general terrain. One of these hills, Terrells Mountain, on the Orange County line is the transmitter site for several radio and TV stations for…

Average elevation: 132 m

Average elevation: 167 m

Average elevation: 569 m

Average elevation: 345 m

Average elevation: 490 m

Average elevation: 224 m

Raleigh is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain regions meet. This area is known as the "fall line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Raleigh features gently…

Average elevation: 103 m

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), all land. The town has an elevation of 2,330 feet (710 m), so the climate of the area is considerably cooler than might be expected of a town in a southern state.

Average elevation: 708 m

Highlands was founded in 1875 after its two founders, Samuel Truman Kelsey and Clinton Carter Hutchinson, drew lines from Chicago to Savannah and from New Orleans to New York City. They felt that the place where these lines met would eventually become a great trading center and commercial crossroads. Highlands…

Average elevation: 1,116 m

Average elevation: 8 m

Average elevation: 175 m

Average elevation: 2 m

Average elevation: 952 m

Average elevation: 39 m

Average elevation: 3 m

Average elevation: 301 m

Average elevation: 5 m

The elevation in the county ranges from just under 800 feet (240 m) near the confluence of the Green River and Broad River to over 3,200 feet (980 m) on Tryon Peak and Wildcat Spur, the highest peak in the county. Polk County is divided into two physiographic regions; the Blue Ridge Mountains in the western…

Average elevation: 414 m

Wilkes County is located on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a part of the Appalachian Mountains chain. The county's elevation ranges from 900 feet (375 meters) in the east to over 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) in the west. The Blue Ridge Mountains run from the southwest to the northeast, and…

Average elevation: 513 m

Due to its elevation, Alleghany County enjoys slightly cooler summers than the lowland areas to the east and south, with temperatures seldom rising over 90 °F (32 °C). In the winter, however, temperatures can frequently be colder than would be expected in a southern state. Daytime highs can fall into the…

Average elevation: 754 m

Average elevation: 9 m

Murphy has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and cool to mild winters, with low temperatures significantly cooler than other parts of the Southeast, due in part to the elevation. Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Murphy receives abundant…

Average elevation: 514 m

Average elevation: 153 m

Average elevation: 99 m

Average elevation: 172 m

Average elevation: 187 m

Average elevation: 362 m

Average elevation: 979 m

Average elevation: 235 m

Average elevation: 248 m

Average elevation: 1,160 m

Average elevation: 128 m

Average elevation: 294 m

Average elevation: 5 m

Ocean Isle Beach is a picturesque barrier island characterized by its low-lying terrain and sandy shorelines. The topography features an average elevation of about 3 feet (1 meter) above sea level, with the landscape gently sloping towards the Atlantic Ocean. The island spans approximately 7 miles in length…

Average elevation: 4 m