The Piedmont
The Piedmont region begins just west of
Philadelphia. This region is an area of low, rolling hills
reaching elevations of 600 feet above sea level. It
coversmost of the southeastern part of our state. The
region ends in Harrisburg. Major cities in this region
include Reading, Lancaster, York, and Allentown, our
3rd largest city. The Piedmont includes some of the
most fertile soil in the United States.
Because of its great growing conditions, this
region is home tomany farms, fields, and forests.
You can also findmany other industries, such as
food processing plants, scattered throughout the
region. As we travel northwest through the Piedmont,
we next encounter the Ridge and Valley region.
Ridge and Valley
As we travel northwest on our diagonal line, the landforms
in this next region look quite different. This region is covered by many
mountain
ridges
and valleys. Major cities in this region include
Altoona, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and State College.
Onemain feature of this region is the
AppalachianMountain
chain. This landformslowly curves through our state in
northeastern and southwestern directions. Thismountain
chain actually extends fromMaine to Georgia. Within
Pennsylvania, there are several specific ridges
and valleys, each with its own name.
Another main feature of this region is a
series of long, parallel mountains and valleys.
The Blue RidgeMountains extend from
Chambersburg to the New Jersey border just
south of Stroudsburg. The Tuscarora Ridge
parallels the Blue RidgeMountains to the west.
Both landforms reach 2,200 feet in elevation.
To the west of the Tuscarora Ridge, near State
College, lies Jack’sMountain. It reaches an
elevation of 2,300 feet. The
Juniata River
cuts
through thismountain.
Each valley also has its own name. Some
of the better known valleys in this region are
the Cumberland Valley, Lebanon Valley, and
Lehigh Valley. Together, they are called the
Great Valley
. Parts of the
Schuylkill
and
Susquehanna Rivers
cross this region.
Another main land feature forming the
western border of the Ridge and Valley Region
is the
AlleghenyMountains
. The spine of
thesemountains arcs through the center of
our state and splinters off into plateaus in
both east and west directions. It is in this
mountain chain that you will find
Mt. Davis
,
our state’s highest point. Reaching 3,213
feet in elevation, Mt. Davis is located in
southern Somerset County.
To the west of the Allegheny Mountains
lies our state’s largest region—the Allegheny
Plateau.
The Piedmont is ourmost fertile region, and
contains many farms, fields, and forests.
Scranton is the largest city in northeastern Pennsylvania. Scranton is
part of the Ridge andValley Region and is located about a two-hour
drive frombothNewYorkCity and Philadelphia.
Landforms and Regions of Pennsylvania
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