​North Carolina Landforms

Many different landforms can be found in North Carolina. Landforms are features such as plains, mountains, hills, and valleys.​

​The Coastal Plain

​Stretching inland from the Atlantic Ocean across eastern North Carolina is the Coastal Plain. It is the lowest and flattest landform in

North Carolina. The Coastal Plain has two parts. The eastern part is called the Outer Coastal Plain, or Tidewater. The western part is called the Inner Coastal Plain.

​Outer Banks

​The Outer Banks lie along the eastern edge of the Outer Coastal Plain. The Outer Banks are barrier islands. These islands stretch between the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. The Tidewater also has some wetlands. Wetlands are low-lying

Inner Coastal Plain

​The land in the Inner Coastal Plain is drier and higher than the Tidewater. In the southwest corner of the Inner Coastal Plain are the Sandhills. This area has rolling hills of rough, sandy soil.

​The Piedmont

​To the west of the Coastal Plain is a wide plateau called the Piedmont. A plateau is flat land that rises above the land around it.

The Piedmont has a variety of landforms. It is an area of rolling hills and low mountains. The land drops sharply where the Piedmont meets the Coastal Plain. This area of steep land is called the Fall Line.

​The Mountains

​Mountains lie to the west of the Piedmont and cover most of western North Carolina. These

mountains include the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. Clouds often cover the peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, giving them a smoky appearance.

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​All of the mountains in North Carolina are part of the larger Appalachian Range. The Appalachian Range stretches from Canada to Alabama. More than 40 peaks in the Appalachian Range are higher than 6,000 feet. Mount Mitchell is the highest peak in the eastern United States, at 6,684 feet.

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