In geomorphology, a fall line marks the area where an upland region (continental bedrock) and a coastal plain (coastal alluvia) meet. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls. Because of these features river boats typically cannot travel any farther inland without portaging unless locks are built. Because of the need for a port and a ready supply of water power, settlements often develop where rivers cross fall line. Surface of the Earth Geomorphology is the study of landforms, including their origin and evolution, and the processes that shape them. ... Bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the Earths surface. ... In geography, a coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. ... Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, to wash against) is soil or sediments deposited by a river or other running water. ...

The fall line in the United States

Along the eastern coast of the United States, the east-facing escarpment where the Piedmont of the Appalachians descends steeply to the coastal plain forms a fall line over 1500 kilometers long. This long fall line played a major role in settlement patterns along rivers, back into prehistoric times. It is often referred to simply as "the fall line". In some places the fall line may be abrupt, while in others it is a zone that may be many miles wide. Geologically the fall line marks the boundary of hard metamorphosed terrain—the product of the Taconic orogeny—and the sandy, relatively flat outwash plain of the upper continental shelf, formed of unconsolidated Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments. In geology, an escarpment is a transition zone between different physiogeographic provinces that involves an elevation differential, often involving high cliffs. ... The James River winds its way among piedmont hills in central Virginia. ... A rainy day in the Great Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina Appalachia, the central and southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States, also including the Allegheny and Cumberland Plateaus The Appalachian Mountains (French: les Appalaches) are a vast system of North American mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly in the... A kilometre (American spelling: kilometer) (symbol: km) is a unit of length equal to 1000 metres (from the Greek words khilia = thousand and metro = count/measure). ... Illustration of the Taconic orogeny The Taconic orogeny was a great mountain building period that perhaps had the greatest overall effect on the geologic structure of basement rocks within the New York Bight region. ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... For other uses, see Tertiary (disambiguation). ... Sediment is any particulate matter that can be transported by fluid flow and which eventually is deposited as a layer of solid particles on the bed or bottom of a body of water or other liquid. ...

In the 19th Century, the fall line often represented the head of navigation on rivers at points like Little Falls, on the Potomac River. However, since the advent of flumes for water supply and canals for shipping in the early 20th Century, the most prominent feature of fall line settlement was the establishment of the cities along it. As the cities were linked by the early highways, U.S. Route 1 and Interstate 95 came to pass through many of these cities, roughly tracing the fall line. U.S. Route 1 (also called U.S. Highway 1, and abbreviated US 1) is a United States highway which parallels the east coast of the United States. ... Interstate 95 (abbreviated I-95) is an Interstate highway that runs 1,927 miles (3,101 kilometers) north-south along the east coast of the United States. ...

Cities along the fall line include, from north to south:

• Lowell, Massachusetts on the Merrimack River
• Hartford, Connecticut on the Connecticut River
• Albany, New York on the Hudson River
• Paterson, New Jersey on the Passaic River (Great Falls of the Passaic River)
• New Brunswick, New Jersey on the Raritan River
• Trenton, New Jersey on the Delaware River
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the Schuylkill River
• Wilmington, Delaware on the Brandywine River
• Baltimore, Maryland on the Patapsco River
• Laurel, Maryland on the Patuxent River
• Washington, D.C./Georgetown/Alexandria on the Potomac River
• Occoquan, Virginia on the Occoquan River
• Fredericksburg, Virginia on the Rappahannock River
• Richmond, Virginia on the James River
• Petersburg, Virginia on the Appomattox River
• Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina on the Roanoke River
• Raleigh, North Carolina on the Neuse River
• Cheraw, South Carolina on the Pee Dee River
• Camden, South Carolina on the Wateree River
• Columbia, South Carolina on the Congaree River
• Augusta, Georgia on the Savannah River
• Milledgeville, Georgia on the Oconee River
• Macon, Georgia on the Ocmulgee River
• Columbus, Georgia on the Chattahoochee River
• Auburn, Alabama
• Tuscaloosa, Alabama on the Black Warrior River

  Settled: 1653 â€“ Incorporated: 1826 Zip Code(s): 01852 â€“ Area Code(s): 351 / 978 Official website: http://www. ... The Merrimack River, formed by the confluence of the Pemigewasset River (left) and Winnipesaukee River (right) is shown on a map of the northeastern United States The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an earlier spelling that is sometimes still used) is a 110-mile-long (177-kilometer-long) river in... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Connecticut River as seen from the French King Bridge in western Massachusetts. ... Location in Albany County and the State of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York County Albany Founded 1614 Incorporated 1686 Mayor Gerald D. Jennings Area    - City 56. ... The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk in Mahican, is a river running mainly through New York State but partly forming the boundary between the states of New York and New Jersey. ... The skyline of Paterson, New Jersey, showing the canyon of the Passaic River in the foreground. ... The Great Falls of the Passaic River in Paterson, New Jersey The Passaic River is a tributary of Newark Bay, approximately 80 mi (129 km long), in northern New Jersey in the United States. ... The Great Falls of the Passaic River The Great Falls of the Passaic River is a prominent waterfall, 77 ft (23 m) high, on the Passaic River in the city of Paterson in northern New Jersey in the United States. ... Nickname: Hub CityThe Healthcare City Coordinates: Country United States of America State New Jersey County Middlesex Established 1714 Incorporated {{{established_date2}}} Government type Faulkner Act Mayor James Cahill Area    - City 14. ... The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. ... Nickname: Trent, T-Town Location of Trenton inside of Mercer County Coordinates: Country United States State New Jersey County Mercer County Founded circa 1719 Mayor Douglas H. Palmer Area    - City 21. ... The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... The Schuylkill River, pronounced SKOO-kull (IPA: ), is a river in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... Nickname: Chemical Capital of the World Motto: A Place To Be Somebody Coordinates: County New Castle County incorporated 1739 Mayor James M. Baker (D) Area    - City 44. ... Brandywine River may refer to: The Brandywine River in Pennsylvania and Delaware in the United States, the site of the 1777 Battle of Brandywine. ... Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more, Balmerr,Bodymore, Murderland Motto: The Greatest City in America (formerly The City That Reads; Get In On It is not the citys motto, but rather the advertising slogan of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association; BELIEVE is not the... The Patapsco is a river in central and coastal Maryland. ... Motto: Progressio Per Populum (Progress Through People) Location of Laurel in Maryland Coordinates: Country United States State Maryland County Prince Georges County Incorporated 1870 Mayor Craig A. Moe City Council Ward 1: Janis L. Robison Ward1: Gayle Snyder Ward2: Frederick Smalls (Pr. ... The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Federal District District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack Evans... The familiar golden dome of Washingtons once venerable Riggs Bank, now amalgamated into PNC Bank, at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street Georgetown is a neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River waterfront. ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia Founded 1718 Mayor William D. Euille Area    - City 39. ... The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Occoquan is a town located in Prince William County in the State of Virginia. ... The Occoquan River flows into the Potomac River at Belmont Bay, and is located in Northern Virginia, along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Location in Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Spotsylvania County* Founded 1728 Incorporated 1781 Mayor Thomas Tomzak Area    - City 27. ... The Rappahannock at sunset The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia in the United States, approximately 184 mi (294 km). ... Nickname: The River City Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) Area    - City 62. ... The James River at Cartersville The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is 547. ... Location Location in the State of Virginia Coordinates , Government Country State County United States Virginia Independent city Founded December 17, 1748 Mayor Annie M. Mickens Geographical characteristics Area     City 60. ... The Appomattox River at Matoaca, Virginia The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately 137 mi (220 km), in central and eastern Virginia in the United States. ... Roanoke Rapids is a city located in Halifax County, North Carolina. ... The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi (660 km) long. ... Nickname: City of Oaks Motto: You Can See the Whole State from Here Map of Wake County, North Carolina Coordinates: Country United States State North Carolina County Wake County Founded 1792 Mayor Charles Meeker (D) Area    - City 299. ... A bridge over the Neuse River at New Bern, where it empties into the Pamlico Sound. ... Cheraw is a town located in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. ... Shad Fishing in February Pee Dee River, Yauhanna, South Carolina The Pee Dee River, also known as the Great Pee Dee River, is a river in South Carolina. ... Camden is a city located in Kershaw County, South Carolina. ... The Wateree River is a river, about 75 mi (120 km) long, in central South Carolina in the United States. ... Nickname: The Capital of Southern Hospitality, The Metro Location in Richland County, South Carolina Country United States State South Carolina Counties Richland and Lexington Mayor Bob Coble (D) Area    - City 346. ... Congaree River at the fall line, Columbia, South Carolina The Congaree River is a short but wide river in South Carolina in the United States. ... Nickname: The Garden City (of the South), Masters City, The AUG Motto: We feel Good Location of the consolidated areas of Augusta and Richmond County in the state of Georgia. ... For the Department of Energy facility, see Savannah River Site The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. ... Milledgeville is a city in Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. ... The Oconee River is a river which has its origin in Hall County, Georgia and terminates 170 miles later where it joins the Ocmulgee River to form the Altamaha River near Lumber City at the borders of Montgomery County, Wheeler County, and Jeff Davis County. ... Macon is a city located in central Georgia. ... The Ocmulgee River near Macon The Ocmulgee River (ok-MUHL-gee) is a tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia. ... Columbus is a city in Muscogee County, Georgia, United States. ... Map showing the Chattahoochee River Basin in Georgia and other Georgia river basins The upper Chattahoochee River at the Upper Chattahoochee River Campground north of Helen, White County, Georgia Chattahoochee River at River Park on Willeo Road, Fulton County, Georgia The Chattahoochee River runs from the Chattahoochee Spring in the... Nickname: The Loveliest Village on the Plains Location in Lee County, Alabama Coordinates: Country United States State Alabama County Lee County, Alabama Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. ... Tuscaloosa is a city in west central Alabama in the southern United States. ... The Black Warrior River at Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2004 The Black Warrior River is a tributary of the Tombigbee River, approximately 178 mi (286 km) long, in west central Alabama in the United States. ...

See also

• Fall Line Freeway

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References

• USGS: The Fall Line: A Tapestry of Time and Terrain
• Virginia Places website: The Fall Line
• Virginia Places website: Rivers and Fall Line Cities provides a more detailed explanation of why some towns and cities along a Fall line grew and others did not.
• The Geology of Georgia