Alabama's Elevation Range: From Sea Level to Mount Cheaha

Yes, all of Alabama lies above sea level—but barely at its southern edge. The state's elevation spans a modest range by Appalachian standards:

Extremes

Physiographic Regions (South to North)

• Coastal Plain (60% of state): 0–500 ft. Flat to gently rolling. Sediments: sand, clay, limestone. Pine plantations, agriculture, wetlands.
• Piedmont Plateau (central): 500–1,500 ft. Rolling hills, harder rocks (schist, gneiss, granite). Birmingham's "Iron Valley" mineral district.
• Ridge & Valley (northeast): 700–1,800 ft. Parallel sandstone ridges (Red Mountain, Shades Mountain) and limestone valleys. Appalachian foothills.
• Cumberland Plateau (far northeast): 1,500–2,413 ft. Dissected plateau, sandstone caprock, deep gorges. Mount Cheaha sits here.

Notable High Points

• Mount Cheaha – 2,413 ft (state high point, CCC tower, Bunker Tower)
• Cheaha Mountain (adjacent) – 2,409 ft
• Oak Mountain – 2,040 ft (Oak Mountain State Park, near Birmingham)
• Kearsarge Mountain – 1,837 ft
• Sand Mountain – 1,500+ ft (northeast plateau)

Practical Implications

• Climate: 5–10°F cooler at Cheaha vs. coast; longer growing season south
• Drainage: All rivers flow south/southwest to Gulf (Tennessee River exception—north to Ohio/Mississippi)
• Recreation: Cheaha State Park (camping, hiking, vistas); no alpine terrain
• Flood risk: Coastal counties vulnerable to storm surge (sea level = 0 ft baseline)

Alabama's topography tells a story: ancient mountains worn down, sediments fanning to the Gulf, with Cheaha as the final hard-rock remnant of the Appalachian orogeny.