Because the divide represents the highest terrain, air is forced upwards regardless of wind direction. This process of orographic enhancement leads to higher precipitation than surrounding areas. In winter, the divide is often much snowier than surrounding areas due to orographic enhancement and cooler temperatures with elevation. Some locations in North Carolina average up to 100 inches of snow a year and up to 175" a year falls in optimal parts of West Virginia.
ECD points
Area |
Point |
Summit or other feature |
Pennsylvania: Eastern Triple Divide |
2,523 feet (769 m)
41°50′48″N 77°50′14″W / 41.84667°N 77.83722°W / 41.84667; -77.83722 |
triple watershed point: watersheds of the Atlantic Seaboard, Gulf of Mexico, & Gulf of Saint Lawrence at the respective headwaters of Pine Creek (West Branch Susquehanna River), the Allegheny River, and the Genesee River. |
Pennsylvania: Babcock Ridge |
|
|
Pennsylvania: List of tunnels in Pennsylvania |
2,167 feet (661 m)
40°28′53″N 78°33′01″W / 40.48139°N 78.55028°W / 40.48139; -78.55028 |
summit near Allegheny/Gallitzin Tunnels |
Pennsylvania: Allegheny Mountain |
2,690 feet (820 m)
39°57′41″N 78°51′24″W / 39.96139°N 78.85667°W / 39.96139; -78.85667 |
summit above Allegheny Mountain Tunnel (Pennsylvania Turnpike) |
Pennsylvania: Allegheny Mountain |
2,460 feet (750 m)
39°48′37″N 78°57′38″W / 39.81028°N 78.96056°W / 39.81028; -78.96056 |
summit above Sand Patch Tunnel |
Pennsylvania: Savage Mountain |
2,392 feet (729 m)[1]39°45′12″N 78°54′58″W / 39.75333°N 78.91611°W / 39.75333; -78.91611 |
railroad cut on Great Allegheny Passage |
Pennsylvania/Maryland: Savage Mountain |
2,840 feet (870 m)
39°43′21″N 78°54′51″W / 39.72250°N 78.91417°W / 39.72250; -78.91417 |
highest summit of the Mason–Dixon Line |
Maryland: Interstate 68 |
2,620 feet (800 m)
39°40′58″N 79°02′16″W / 39.6828°N 79.037704°W / 39.6828; -79.037704 |
crossing near Green Lantern Road |
Maryland: Savage Mountain |
2,600 feet (790 m)
39°30′27″N 79°13′9″W / 39.50750°N 79.21917°W / 39.50750; -79.21917 |
saddle point at planned route of 1828 C&O Canal |
Maryland: Backbone Mountain |
3,380 feet (1,030 m)
39°14′15″N 79°29′8″W / 39.23750°N 79.48556°W / 39.23750; -79.48556 |
highest Backbone summit on ECD (near MD/WV border) |
West Virginia: Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia |
[specify] |
Midland Trail: planned crossing for the 19th century James River and Kanawha Turnpike |
West Virginia: US Route 33 North / State Route 55W |
3,295 feet (1,004 m)
38°53′31″N 79°28′04″W / 38.892050°N 79.467781°W / 38.892050; -79.467781 |
Saddle Point at Pendleton County and Randolph County. |
West Virginia/Virginia: Interstate 64 |
2,460 feet (750 m)
37°47′15″N 80°13′28″W / 37.787539°N 80.224528°W / 37.787539; -80.224528 |
crossing |
Virginia: Jefferson National Forest |
3,620 feet (1,100 m)
37°20′27″N 80°32′4″W / 37.34083°N 80.53444°W / 37.34083; -80.53444 |
saddle point at Johns Creek headwaters (James River tributary), and near triple point of Mississippi River (W) & Chesapeake Bay (NE)/Albemarle Sound (Roanoke River) (SE) |
Virginia: Appalachian Trail |
3,397 feet (1,035 m)
37°22′50″N 80°18′23″W / 37.380422°N 80.306368°W / 37.380422; -80.306368 |
Parallel Route Begin |
Virginia: Appalachian Trail |
3,224 feet (983 m)
37°20′37″N 80°21′53″W / 37.343516°N 80.364647°W / 37.343516; -80.364647 |
Parallel Route Begin |
Virginia: Interstate 81 |
2,180 feet (660 m)
37°07′43″N 80°22′17″W / 37.128708°N 80.371299°W / 37.128708; -80.371299 |
crossing |
Virginia: Christiansburg, VA |
2,180 feet (660 m)
37°05′41″N 80°26′44″W / 37.094853°N 80.445558°W / 37.094853; -80.445558 |
2940 Riner Rd, Christiansburg, VA 24073 |
Virginia: Interstate 77 |
2,860 feet (870 m)
36°39′03″N 80°42′20″W / 36.650896°N 80.705609°W / 36.650896; -80.705609 |
crossing |
North Carolina: Thurmond Chatham Wildlife Management Area |
36°22′38″N 81°13′15″W / 36.377344°N 81.220722°W / 36.377344; -81.220722 |
triple point of New River and Yadkin/West Prong Roaring rivers |
North Carolina: Interstate 40 |
2,880 feet (880 m)
35°37′06″N 82°15′47″W / 35.618233°N 82.263007°W / 35.618233; -82.263007 |
crossing |
North Carolina: Interstate 26 |
2,130 feet (650 m)
35°17′24″N 82°24′07″W / 35.290048°N 82.40193°W / 35.290048; -82.40193 |
crossing |
North Carolina: U.S. Route 276 |
2,910 feet (890 m)
35°07′47″N 82°38′21″W / 35.129807°N 82.63921°W / 35.129807; -82.63921 |
crossing |
North Carolina: U.S. Route 178 |
2,694 feet (821 m)
35°05′46″N 82°48′34″W / 35.096133°N 82.80940°W / 35.096133; -82.80940 |
crossing, approx. 1 mile north of NC/SC border |
North Carolina: NC 226 and Blue Ridge Parkway |
2,820 feet (860 m)
35°51′10″N 82°03′03″W / 35.85266°N 82.0507166°W / 35.85266; -82.0507166 |
|
North Carolina/South Carolina: French Broad watershed |
[specify] |
tributary of the Tennessee River along NC/SC border dividing mountain ridges running southeast meets Santee watershed flowing into Atlantic |
North Carolina/South Carolina: Sassafras Mountain |
3,564 feet (1,086 m)
35°03′53″N 82°46′38″W / 35.06472°N 82.77722°W / 35.06472; -82.77722 |
located along the South Carolina-North Carolina border in northern Pickens County, South Carolina and southern Transylvania County, North Carolina nearest to the town of Rosman, North Carolina |
North Carolina/South Carolina: Savannah watershed |
[specify] |
across the border of Pickens County, South Carolina & Greenville County, South Carolina up into Transylvania County, North Carolina, Jackson County, North Carolina, and Macon County, North Carolina to dividing mountain ridges to Tennessee River tributaries |
North Carolina: Highlands, North Carolina |
4,100 feet (1,200 m)
35°3′15″N 83°12′8″W / 35.05417°N 83.20222°W / 35.05417; -83.20222 |
North Carolina: Cowee Gap |
4,199 feet (1,280 m)
35°05′27″N 83°08′52″W / 35.09083°N 83.14778°W / 35.09083; -83.14778 |
divides Tennessee (Cullasaja) and Savannah (Chatooga) rivers |
Georgia: Black Rock Mountain State Park |
3,640 feet (1,110 m)
34°54′53″N 83°20′38″W / 34.91472°N 83.34389°W / 34.91472; -83.34389[1] |
a Blue Ridge summit |
Georgia: ACF River Basin at Young Lick |
3,809 feet (1,161 m)
34°49′22″N 83°39′09″W / 34.82278°N 83.65250°W / 34.82278; -83.65250 |
triple point at intersection of 3 GA counties: Hiwassee (Towns Co)/Chattahoochee River (Habersham Co) on the west & on the east: Savannah River (Rabun Co) |
Georgia: Altamaha watershed |
[specify] |
triple point along border of Hall & Banks (GA) counties: Chattahoochee River-Banks (west) & Altamaha River-Hall/Savannah River-Banks (east) |
Georgia: Suwanee watershed |
[specify] |
triple point: Chattahoochee River/Suwanee (west) & Altamaha River (east) |
Georgia: Interstate 85 |
1,280 feet (390 m)
34°04′31″N 83°55′04″W / 34.075235°N 83.917737°W / 34.075235; -83.917737 |
crossing (1 of 5) |
Georgia: Interstate 85 |
1,120 feet (340 m)
33°59′53″N 84°04′36″W / 33.998098°N 84.07661°W / 33.998098; -84.07661 |
crossing (2 of 5) |
Georgia: Norcross, Georgia |
|
through Norcross historic district |
Georgia: Interstate 85 |
1,050 feet (320 m)
33°54′44″N 84°12′29″W / 33.912202°N 84.207973°W / 33.912202; -84.207973 |
crossing (3 of 5) |
Georgia: Interstate 285 |
1,020 feet (310 m)
33°48′11″N 84°15′00″W / 33.803115°N 84.250031°W / 33.803115; -84.250031 |
crossing (1 of 2) |
Georgia: Atlanta |
|
near Dekalb Av |
Georgia: Interstate 75/85 |
1,020 feet (310 m)
33°45′08″N 84°22′46″W / 33.752354°N 84.37942°W / 33.752354; -84.37942 |
crossing (1 of 4 crossings of I-75/4 of 5 crossings of I-85) |
Georgia: Interstate 20 |
1,050 feet (320 m)
33°44′28″N 84°24′38″W / 33.741221°N 84.410663°W / 33.741221; -84.410663 |
crossing |
Georgia: Interstate 85 |
1,000 feet (300 m)
33°39′42″N 84°25′39″W / 33.661782°N 84.4274°W / 33.661782; -84.4274 |
crossing (5 of 5) |
Georgia: Interstate 75 |
976 feet (297 m)
33°39′19.60″N 84°23′42.52″W / 33.6554444°N 84.3951444°W / 33.6554444; -84.3951444 |
crossing (2 of 4) |
Georgia: Interstate 285 |
960 feet (290 m)
33°37′51.56″N 84°23′34.40″W / 33.6309889°N 84.3928889°W / 33.6309889; -84.3928889 |
crossing (2 of 2) |
Georgia: Interstate 75 |
927 feet (283 m)
33°34′29.77″N 84°20′7.67″W / 33.5749361°N 84.3354639°W / 33.5749361; -84.3354639 |
crossing (3 of 4) |
Georgia: Fall line of the United States |
[specify] |
near Macon, Georgia, this intersection is a triple physiographic point of the Piedmont (to the north) and the Gulf & Atlantic coastal plains (southwest & southeast). |
Georgia: Interstate 75 |
410 feet (120 m)
32°10′16.10″N 83°45′9.25″W / 32.1711389°N 83.7525694°W / 32.1711389; -83.7525694 |
crossing (4 of 4) |
Georgia: Satilla watershed |
[specify] |
triple point: Suwanee (west) & Altamaha River/Satilla River (east) |
Georgia: St. Marys watershed |
[specify] |
triple point: Suwanee (west) & Satilla River/St. Marys River (east) |
Florida: St. Johns watershed |
[specify] |
triple point: Suwanee (west) & St. Marys River/St. Johns River (east) |
Florida: Interstate 10 |
159 feet (48 m)
30°15′14.64″N 82°23′57.84″W / 30.2540667°N 82.3994000°W / 30.2540667; -82.3994000 |
crossing |
Florida: Florida Trail |
[specify] |
Central Florida crossing over the Florida crustal arch |
Florida: Withlacoochee watershed |
[specify] |
triple point: Suwanee/Withlacoochee River (Florida) (west) & St. Johns River (east) |
Florida: Miami watershed |
[specify] |
triple point: Withlacoochee (west) & St. Johns River/Miami River (east) |
Florida: Kissimmee/Okeechobee watershed |
[specify] |
south point of ECD @ Withlacoochee & Miami/Kissimmee triple point (Kissimmee drains to both Gulf & Atlantic via Lake Okeechobee & Okeechobee Waterway) |