Where is North Carolina located?

North Carolina is part of the southeastern United States. Known as the Old North State, North Carolina is located along the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Bordered by four other states, North Carolina shares a border with the East Coast as well. With Virginia to the north and South Carolina to the east, Tennessee is west of NC. While the borders are less obvious, North Carolina also shares state lines with Georgia. The coastline of the Atlantic Ocean is to the east of North Carolina.

Total Area of North Carolina

North Carolina is approximately 53,821 square miles in total. The total area of North Carolina ranks the southern Tar Heel State as the twenty-eighth largest state in the U.S. By breaking down that number, it has been discovered that North Carolina has a length of 560 miles and a width of 186 miles. Of the 53,821 square miles that North Carolina entails, about 48,620 square miles are land areas while the remaining 5,201 square miles are made up of water areas. The whole of North Carolina is 90.3% land and 9.7% water.

Population According to the 2018 Census

The Census Bureau released a census summarizing the year 2018. According to their calculations, North Carolina is home to 10,390,000 people. The population of North Carolina has increased by 854,517 people in the last eight years. From this information, it is possible to calculate the population density. With a population of 10,390,00 and a total area that amounts to 53,821 square miles, dividing the total population by the size of the state will provide the population density. By performing this calculation, we find that North Carolina has a density of approximately 208.7, meaning that an average of 209 people occupies every square mile of North Carolina. While it is not required that only 209 people live in a particular area, it is a rough estimate of the ratio between population and area.

Elevation Levels

Located at the top of Mount Mitchell, the highest point of North Carolina reaches an altitude of 6,684 feet above sea level. In the opposite direction, North Carolina is lowest at the point where the Old North State reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Since oceans rest at sea level, the lowest point of elevation in North Carolina is 0 feet above sea level. On average, North Carolina has an elevation of only 700 feet above sea level.

State Name
North Carolina
Area
139,391 km2
Area Ranking
28
Capital
Raleigh
Statehood Year
1789
Timezones
America/New_York
Postal Abbreviation
NC
FIPS #
37

Where is North Carolina located?

North Carolina Belongs to the South U.S. Census Region