Richmond is situated in the eastern-central part of Virginia, strategically located at the fall line of the James River. This geographic fall line marks the transition between the flat, sandy soils of the Atlantic coastal plain (the Tidewater region) and the rolling hills of the Piedmont plateau.
The defining geographical feature of the city is the James River, which bisects Richmond into northern and southern halves. The river drops about 100 feet in elevation as it passes through the city, creating miles of dramatic, rocky rapids that are surrounded by dense urban forests and islands. The city's geography provides a lush, verdant environment with a mix of deciduous forests, wetlands along the riverbanks, and a gently rolling landscape that historically shaped its neighborhood boundaries.