District of Columbia

Topography

The District of Columbia, an enclave of western Maryland, lies wholly within the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The major topographical features are the Potomac River and its adjacent marshlands; the Anacostia River, edged by reclaimed flatlands to the south and east; Rock Creek, wending its way from the northwestern plateau to the Potomac; and the gentle hills of the north. The District's average elevation is about 150 ft (46 m). The highest point—410 ft (125 m)—is in the northwest, at Tenleytown; the low point is the Potomac, only 1 ft (30 cm) above sea level.