Piedmont (United States)

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The James River winds its way among piedmont hills in central Virginia. Most of the hills in the piedmont region are smaller than these.

Piedmont is the plateau region of the eastern United States which lies between the Atlantic Coastal Plain, from which it is divided by the fall line, and the eastern mountain ranges, the Appalachian Mountains. The width of the Piedmont varies, being quite narrow above the Delaware River (and non-existent above the Hudson River), but nearly 300 miles (475 km) wide in the state of North Carolina. The Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina refers to the area in and around three close cities in the Piedmont.

The surface relief of the Piedmont is characterized by relatively low, rolling hills with heights above sea level between 200 feet (50 m) and 800 feet to 1000 feet (250 m to 300 m). Its geology is complex, with numerous rock formations of different materials and ages intermingled with one another. Essentially, the Piedmont is the roots of an ancient coastal mountain chain that is now worn down to low relief.

The name "Piedmont" derives from the Italian region of Piedmont (in Italian: Piemonte), whose meaning is to the feet of the mountains because of its characteristic geographical position, a plain surrounded by the Alps.

Further reading

• Michael A. Godfrey (1997). Field Guide to the Piedmont. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. 524 pages. ISBN 0807846716.

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