The Geography of Tennessee
Click here for a few definitions.
| Longitude / Latitude | Longitude: 81° 37'W to 90° 28'W Latitude: 35°N to 36° 41'N |
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| Length x Width | Tennessee is about 440 miles long and 120 miles wide. | |||
| Geographic Center Explanation | Thegeographic centerof Tennessee is located in Rutherford County, 5 miles NE of Murfreesboro. Longitude: 86° 37.3'W Latitude: 35° 47.7'N | |||
| Borders | Tennessee is bordered by Kentuckyand Virginia on the north and by North Carolina,Georgia, Alabama, andMississippi, on the south. On the east, Tennessee is bordered byNorth Carolina. On the west, Tennessee is bordered by Missouri and Arkansas. | |||
| Total Area | Tennessee covers 42,146 square miles, making it the 36th largest of the50 states. | |||
| Land Area | 41,220 square miles of Tennessee are land areas. | |||
| Water Area | 926 square miles of Tennessee are covered by water. | |||
| Highest Point | The highest point in Tennessee is Clingman's Dome at 6,643 feet above sea level. | |||
| Lowest Point | The lowest point in Tennessee is 178 feet at the Mississippi River. | |||
| Mean Elevation | The Mean Elevation of the state of Tennessee is 900 feet above sea level. | |||
| Major Rivers | Tennessee River, Mississippi River, Cumberland River, Clinch River, Duck River | |||
| Major Lakes | Kentucky Lake, Norris Lake, Chickamauga Lake, Cherokee Lake, Tims Ford Reservoir | |||
The Land |
| Stretching 440 miles from east to west, Tennessee characterized by 6 main land regions; The Blue Ridge, theAppalachian Ridge and Valley Region, the Appalachian Plateau, the Highland Rim, the Nashville Basin, and theGulf Coastal Plain. Blue Ridge: The Blue Ridge area lies on the eastern edge of Tennessee, on the border of NorthCarolina. This region of Tennesseeis characterized by high mountains, including the Great Smoky Mountains,the Chilhowee Mountains, and the Snowbird Mountains. The average elevation of the Blue Ridge area is 5,000feet above sea level. Tennessee's highest point, Clingman's Dome, at 6,643 feet above see level, is foundin the Great Smoky Mountains. Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region: Stretching west from the Blue Ridge for approximately 55 milesis the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region. This area of Tennessee is covered by fertile valleys separatedby wooded ridges. The western section of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, where the valleys becomebroader and the ridges become lower, is called The Great Valley. Appalachian Plateau: To the west of the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region lies the AppalachianPlatieau. Also called the Cumberland Plateau, this area is covered with flat-topped mountains separatedby sharp valleys. The elevation of the Appalachian Plateau rises to 1,500 to 1,800 feet above sea level.Lookout Mountain, southwest of Chattanooga and in the southern section or the Appalachian Plateau, providesviews of seven states. Highland Rim: To the west of the Appalachian Plateau lies the Highland Rim, an elevated plain thatsurrounds the Nashville Basin. The northern section of the Highland Rim is sometimes called the PennyroyalRegion. Nashville Basin: Surrounded by the steep slopes of the Highland Rim is the Nashville Basin. The Nashville Basin is characterized by rich, fertile farm country. Gulf Coastal Plain: West of the Highland Rim and Nashville Basin lies the Gulf Coastal Plain. TheGulf Coastal Plain is, in terms of area, the predominant land region in Tennessee. It is part of the largegeographic land area that begins at the Gulf of Mexico and extends north into southern Illinois. In Tennessee, the Gulf Coastal Plain is divided into three sections that extend from the Tennessee River, inthe east, to the Mississippi River in the west. The easternmost section consists of hilly land that runs along the western bank of the Tennessee River. This sectionof the Gulf Coastal Plain is about 10 miles wide. To the west of this narrow strip of land is a wide area ofrolling hills and streams that stretches all the way to Memphis in western Tennessee. This area is calledthe Tennessee bottoms or bottom land. In Memphis, the Tennessee Bottoms end in steep bluffs overlooking theMississippi River. To the west of the Tennessee Bottoms, is the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, less than 300 feetabove sea level. This area of lowlands, flood plains, and swamp land is sometimes referred to as The Delta region. ( Tennessee Close-up ) |
| Climate (All temperatures Fahrenheit) | |
| Highest Temperature | The highest temperature recorded in Tennessee is 113°, Fahrenheit. This record highwas recorded on July 29 and August 9, 1930 at Perryville. |
| Lowest Temperature | The lowest temperature in Tennessee, -32°, was recorded on December 30, 1917 at Mountain City. |
| Average Temperature | Monthly average temperatures range from a high of 91.5 degrees to a low of 27.8 degrees. |
| Climate | Average yearly precipitation for Tennessee, from 1971 to 2000, is shown onthis chart from Oregon State University. |
