Southeastern United States | |
|---|---|
Region | |
| American Southeast, the Southeast | |
.jpg)       Images from top to bottom:Jacksonville,Charlotte,Nashville,Virginia Beach,Atlanta,Miami, andNew Orleans | |
 A map of the United States with the Southeastern United States (in dark red) and states less frequently but sometimes considered part of the region (in light red) | |
| Largest cities | |
| States | |
| Largest metropolitan areas | |
| Area | |
• Total | 580,835 sq mi (1,504,360 km2) |
| • Land | 540,511 sq mi (1,399,920 km2) |
| • Water | 40,324 sq mi (104,440 km2) 6.9% |
| Population (2018) | |
• Total | 97,438,243[note 1] |
| • Density | 150.5/sq mi (58.1/km2) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5)/CST (UTC-6); AST (UTC-4) inPR andVI |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4)/CDT (UTC-5); No DST inPR andVI |
TheSoutheastern United States, also known as theAmerican Southeast or simplythe Southeast, is a geographicalregion of theUnited States located in the eastern portion of theSouthern United States and the southern portion of theEastern United States. The region includes a core of states that reaches north toMaryland andWest Virginia, bordering theOhio River andMason–Dixon line, and stretches west toArkansas andLouisiana.[note 2]
There is no officialU.S. government definition for the region, and it is defined variably among agencies and organizations.
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The history of the present-day Southeastern United States dates to the dawn of civilization in approximately 11,000 BC or 13,000 BC. The earliest artifacts from the region were from theClovis culture. Prior to the arrival ofEuropean colonialists,Native Americans occupied the region for several hundred years during theWoodland period.
The first Europeans to arrive in the region wereconquistadors associated with theSpanish Empire. In 1541,Hernando de Soto journeyed through the southeast and crossed theMississippi River. The region hosted the first permanent European settlement inNorth America, with theKingdom of England establishingJamestown, Virginia in 1607. Four southeast states,Georgia,North Carolina,South Carolina, andVirginia, were among theThirteen Colonies who sent delegates to theSecond Continental Congress inPhiladelphia, which declaredindependence from theBritish Crown, which was established with the colonies' victory over theBritish in theAmerican Revolutionary War.
During theAmerican Civil War, theConfederate States of America consisted of the southeastern states ofFlorida,Alabama, Georgia,Mississippi,Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, and Arkansas.Texas was a Confederate State that isn't defined as part of the southeast region.Missouri andKentucky had dual competing Unionist and Confederate state governments in theConfederate government of Missouri andConfederate government of Kentucky, while Maryland andDelaware were neutral southernborder states that remained with theUnion.West Virginia split from Virginia during 1863, and also served as a border state that remained with the Union while being contested by the Confederacy andConfederate government of West Virginia. Following theReconstruction era in the 1870s, many Southeast state legislatures passedJim Crow laws. TheAmerican segregation era spanned from the late 19th century to the mid-1960s.
In the mid-to-late 20th century, the Southeast saw many shifting changes take place population wise and economically. The Southeast started to see a spur of new economic growth in the 1930s, which stemmed fromNew Deal policies such as theTennessee Valley Authority and the Fair Labor Standards Act instituting a minimum wage for the entire nation.World War II further helped growth within the Southeast, asmilitary bases and military production drew workers from farming or low-wage industries into a new economy. With farmingmechanization picking up to speed in the 1940s, promotion of different industries, and federal spending ondefense andspace programs, the Southeast saw further economic transformation in the ensuing years and decades of the 20th century.[1]
The Southeast benefitted from its business and warm climate in its population growth during the late 20th century, as it helped in attracting job seekers and retirees from other U.S. regions. Florida in particular went from being the 27th most populated U.S. state in1940 with 1.9 million residents, to being the 4th most populated U.S. state and having nearly 13 million residents in2000. Southeast states such as North Carolina and Georgia saw large population growth increases as well during the late 20th century.[2]
TheUnited States Geological Survey defines Southeastern United States as including the states ofAlabama,Arkansas,Florida,Georgia,Kentucky,Louisiana,Mississippi,North Carolina,South Carolina,Tennessee,Puerto Rico, theUnited States Virgin Islands, andVirginia.
There is no officialUnited States Census Bureau definition of the Southeastern United States. They instead divide a larger region which includesTexas,Oklahoma,Maryland,Delaware, Washington, D.C., andWest Virginia, designated as "the South," into three separate subregions, none of which are conventionally considered to define the Southeast.
The nonprofitAmerican Association of Geographers defines the Southeastern United States as including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.[3] The OSBO (Organization Supporting Business Owners) uses the same states, but includes Arkansas and Louisiana. The states of Delaware andMissouri, along with the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C., are also sometimes added in definitions of the term.[citation needed]
The most populous states in the region as of the2020 United States census are: Florida (21,538,187), followed byGeorgia (10,711,908), andNorth Carolina (10,439,388).[4]
| State | 2020 census | 2010 census | Change | Land area | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5,024,279 | 4,779,736 | +5.12% | 50,645 sq mi (131,171 km2) | 99.2/sq mi (38.3/km2) |
| Arkansas[a] | 3,011,524 | 2,915,918 | +3.28% | 52,035 sq mi (134,771 km2) | 57.9/sq mi (22.3/km2) |
| Florida | 21,538,187 | 18,801,310 | +14.56% | 53,625 sq mi (138,887 km2) | 401.6/sq mi (155.1/km2) |
| Georgia | 10,711,908 | 9,687,653 | +10.57% | 57,513 sq mi (148,959 km2) | 186.3/sq mi (71.9/km2) |
| Kentucky[a] | 4,505,836 | 4,339,367 | +3.84% | 39,486 sq mi (102,269 km2) | 114.1/sq mi (44.1/km2) |
| Louisiana[a] | 4,657,757 | 4,533,372 | +2.74% | 43,204 sq mi (111,898 km2) | 107.8/sq mi (41.6/km2) |
| Maryland[a] | 6,177,224 | 5,773,552 | +6.99% | 12,407 sq mi (32,134 km2) | 497.9/sq mi (192.2/km2) |
| Mississippi | 2,961,279 | 2,967,297 | −0.20% | 46,923 sq mi (121,531 km2) | 63.1/sq mi (24.4/km2) |
| North Carolina | 10,439,388 | 9,535,483 | +9.48% | 48,618 sq mi (125,920 km2) | 214.7/sq mi (82.9/km2) |
| South Carolina | 5,118,425 | 4,625,364 | +10.66% | 30,061 sq mi (77,857 km2) | 170.3/sq mi (65.7/km2) |
| Tennessee | 6,910,840 | 6,346,105 | +8.90% | 41,235 sq mi (106,798 km2) | 167.6/sq mi (64.7/km2) |
| Virginia[a] | 8,631,393 | 8,001,024 | +7.88% | 39,490 sq mi (102,279 km2) | 218.6/sq mi (84.4/km2) |
| West Virginia[a] | 1,793,716 | 1,852,994 | −3.20% | 24,038 sq mi (62,259 km2) | 74.6/sq mi (28.8/km2) |
| Total | 85,304,532 | 78,385,623 | +8.83% | 526,874 sq mi (1,364,597 km2) | 161.9/sq mi (62.5/km2) |
Puerto Rico and theU.S. Virgin Islands are located southeast of Florida, and are considered to be in the South / Southeastern U.S. by theFAA,Agricultural Research Service, and theU.S. National Park Service.[5][6][7]
| Territory | 2020 census[8][9] | 2010 census | Change | Land area[10][9] | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | 3,285,874 | 3,725,789 | −11.81% | 3,459 sq mi (8,959 km2) | 923.3/sq mi (356.5/km2) |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 87,146 | 106,405 | −18.10% | 134 sq mi (346 km2) | 795.2/sq mi (307.0/km2) |
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These are the largest cities in the Southeastern region of the United States by population, according to theUnited States Census Bureau in 2015:[11]
| Rank | City | State or territory | Population (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacksonville[a] | Florida | 949,611 |
| 2 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 874,579 |
| 3 | Washington | District of Columbia | 689,545 |
| 4 | Nashville[a] | Tennessee | 689,447 |
| 5 | Memphis | Tennessee | 633,104 |
| 6 | Louisville[a] | Kentucky | 633,045 |
| 7 | Baltimore | Maryland | 585,708 |
| 8 | Atlanta | Georgia | 463,878 |
| 9 | Virginia Beach | Virginia | 452,745 |
| 10 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 451,066 |
| 11 | Miami | Florida | 441,003 |
| 12 | New Orleans[a] | Louisiana | 389,617 |
| 13 | Tampa | Florida | 384,959 |
| 14 | Lexington | Kentucky | 322,570 |
| 15 | San Juan | Puerto Rico | 318,441 |
| 16 | Orlando | Florida | 307,573 |
| 17 | Greensboro | North Carolina | 285,342 |
| 18 | Durham | North Carolina | 257,636 |
| 19 | St. Petersburg | Florida | 257,083 |
| 20 | Norfolk | Virginia | 246,393 |
| 21 | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | 241,218 |
| 22 | Hialeah | Florida | 237,069 |
| 23 | Chesapeake | Virginia | 235,429 |
| 24 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 228,590 |
| 25 | Richmond | Virginia | 220,289 |
| 26 | Huntsville | Alabama | 215,006 |
| 27 | Fayetteville | North Carolina | 208,501 |
| 28 | Augusta[a] | Georgia | 206,922 |
| 29 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 202,591 |
These are the metropolitan areas of the Southeastern region which exceed one million in population according to theUnited States Census Bureau's 2023 estimates:as estimated by theUnited States Census Bureau[12]
| Rank | Metropolitan area | Anchor city | Population (2023 estimate) | State(s) or territory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta–Sandy Springs-Roswell | Atlanta | 6,307,261 | Georgia |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | Washington | 6,304,975 | District of Columbia /Virginia / Maryland /West Virginia |
| 3 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | Miami | 6,183,199 | Florida |
| 4 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | Tampa | 3,342,963 | Florida |
| 5 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | Baltimore | 2,834,316 | Maryland |
| 6 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | Orlando | 2,817,933 | Florida |
| 7 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | Charlotte | 2,805,115 | North Carolina /South Carolina |
| 8 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin | Nashville | 2,102,573 | Tennessee |
| 9 | Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk | Virginia Beach | 1,787,169 | Virginia /North Carolina |
| 10 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville | 1,713,240 | Florida |
| 11 | Raleigh–Cary | Raleigh | 1,509,231 | North Carolina |
| 12 | Louisville–Jefferson County | Louisville | 1,365,557 | Kentucky /Indiana |
| 13 | Richmond-Petersburg | Richmond | 1,349,732 | Virginia |
| 14 | Memphis | Memphis | 1,335,674 | Tennessee /Mississippi /Arkansas |
| 15 | Birmingham-Hoover | Birmingham | 1,184,290 | Alabama |
Beyond Megalopolis byVirginia Tech's Metropolitan Institute, an attempt to updateJean Gottmann's work with current trends, defines two "megapolitan areas" contained within the Southeast, out of a total of ten such areas in the United States:
Two others tie some areas on the margins of the Southeast to urban centers in other regions:
These are the combined statistical areas of the Southeastern region which exceed 1 million in population according to theUnited States Census Bureau's 2016 estimates. Note that the metropolitan areas of Tampa and Richmond are not included in any CSAs, so they are included in the table without constituent areas.[13]
The predominant culture of the Southeast U.S. has its origins with the settlement of the region byEuropean colonists andAfrican slaves during the 17th to 19th centuries, as large groups ofEnglish,Scottish,Scotch-Irish,Germans,Spanish,French, andAcadians migrated to the region. Since the late 20th century, the "New South" has emerged as the fastest-growing area of the United States economically. Multiculturalism has become more mainstream in the Southeastern states. African Americans remain a dominant demographic, at around 30% of the total population of the Southeast. Cities along this corridor from north to south include Raleigh-Durham area, Greensboro, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta, and Montgomery.
Most of the southeastern part of the United States is dominated by thehumid subtropical climate (Cfa/Cwa). As one nears the southern portion of Florida, the climate gradually becomes tropical, as the winter season and all months have a mean temperature above 64.4 °F (18.0 °C) (the defined coldest monthly mean temperature of tropical climates).
Seasonally, summers are generally hot and humid throughout the entire region. TheBermuda High pumps hot and moist air mass from the tropical Atlantic Ocean and easternGulf of Mexico westward toward the southeast United States, creating the typical sultry tropical summers. Daytime highs are often in the upper 80s to lower 90s F.[14][15] Rainfall is summer concentrated along the Gulf Coast and the South Atlantic coast fromNorfolk, Virginia southward, reaching a sharp summermonsoon-like pattern over peninsular Florida, with dry winters and wet summers. Sunshine is abundant across the southeastern United States in summer, as the rainfall often comes in quick, but intense downpours. The mid-South, especially Tennessee, and the northern halves of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, have maximum monthly rainfall amounts in winter and spring, owing to copious Gulf moisture and clashes between warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold, dry air from Canada during the cold season. In this area, December, March, or April are typically the wettest months; August to October, the driest months (for example, inTupelo, MS,Huntsville, AL andMemphis, TN).
Winters are cool in the northern areas likeTennessee,Virginia,Maryland, and westernNorth Carolina, with average high temperatures in the 45 °F (7 °C) range in January. Farther south, winters become milder across interior eastern North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, with average January highs in the 53 °F (12 °C) range. As one nears the Gulf of Mexico, coastal plain, and coastal areas of Georgia and the Carolinas, winters become warm, with daytime highs near or over 60 °F (16 °C). Once in Florida, daytime highs are above 70 °F (21 °C) from just south of St. Augustine on the Atlantic coast and Clearwater on the Gulf Of Mexico. Extreme southern Florida has the warmest winter temperatures (mid 70's F) in the United States. Winters tend to be very dry and sunny across Florida, with a gradual increase in winter rainfall with increasing latitude, especially west of the Appalachian Mountains.
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The Southeast economically has changed dramatically since the late 20th century. There has been aboom in itsservice economy, manufacturing base, high technology industries, and the financial sector. Examples of this include the surge in tourism in Florida and along theGulf Coast; the numerous new automobile production plants such asMercedes-Benz inTuscaloosa;[16]Hyundai inMontgomery;[17]Toyota Motors inBlue Springs, Mississippi;[18]Kia inWest Point, Georgia;BMW production plant inGreer, South Carolina;Volkswagen inChattanooga;GM manufacturing plant inSpring Hill, Tennessee; with theNissan North American headquarters inFranklin, Tennessee;Mercedes-Benz USA; andPorsche North American headquarters in the Atlanta area; the two largest research parks in the country:Research Triangle Park in the Triangle area of North Carolina (the world's largest) and theCummings Research Park inHuntsville, Alabama (the world's fourth largest); corporate headquarters ofBank of America,Truist Financial, andWells Fargo inCharlotte, North Carolina, the corporate headquarters ofVerso Paper andFedEx inMemphis, Tennessee as well as the corporate headquarters ofthe Coca-Cola Company,Delta Air Lines,the Home Depot andUnited Parcel Service inAtlanta, Georgia.Dillards, along withHeifer International, is headquartered inLittle Rock, Arkansas.Walmart is also headquartered inArkansas.
In 2020, Fortune 500 companies having headquarters in the Southeast region include: 22 in Virginia, 18 in Georgia, 18 in Florida, 13 in North Carolina, and 10 in Tennessee.[19] This economic expansion has enabled parts of the South to have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States.[20] In Alabama, there is the large-scale manufacturing project owned by the German steel megacorporationThyssenKrupp, which operates a massive, state-of-the-art facility inMobile.
Even with certain states and areas in the Southeast doing well economically, many Southeast states and areas still have a high poverty rate when compared to the U.S. nationally. In 2017, seven Southeast states were in the top ten nationwide when it came to having the highest poverty rate.[21]
Research Triangle Park in theRaleigh–Durham urban area of North Carolina, has emerged as a major hub of technology, governmental, and biotechnological research and development. TheCummings Research Park in theHuntsville, Alabama area, is the second-largest research complex in the nation. Located in Huntsville is theRedstone Arsenal,United States Army Missile Command, theU.S. Space & Rocket Center,NASA'sMarshall Space Flight Center and other key government, military, and aerospace agencies.Tullahoma, TN contains the Arnold Air Force Base. The base is home to the Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), the most advanced and largest complex of flight simulation test facilities in the world.
TheNational High Magnetic Field Laboratory inTallahassee, Florida, is the largest laboratory in the world devoted to the study of magnetism.[22] TheUniversity of South Carolina is currently constructing a research campus in downtownColumbia, and the university is the nation's onlyNational Science Foundation-funded Industry/University Cooperative Research Center forFuel Cells.[23]
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The region includes a number of notable universities, public and private, whose research exert influence globally. Chief among public universities are:
There are a number of well-known private institutions, as well. Notable among these are:
The region is home to the greatest number ofhistorically black colleges and universities in the nation. The three largest in the region are:
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There are nineNational Football League (NFL) franchises across the region: theAtlanta Falcons,Baltimore Ravens,Carolina Panthers,Jacksonville Jaguars,Miami Dolphins,New Orleans Saints,Tampa Bay Buccaneers,Tennessee Titans, andWashington Commanders.
The Southeast has sevenNational Basketball Association (NBA) franchises: theAtlanta Hawks,Charlotte Hornets,Memphis Grizzlies,Miami Heat,New Orleans Pelicans,Orlando Magic, andWashington Wizards.
Major League Baseball (MLB) maintains five teams in the Southeast: theAtlanta Braves,Baltimore Orioles,Miami Marlins,Tampa Bay Rays, andWashington Nationals.
The Southeast has fiveNational Hockey League (NHL) franchises: theCarolina Hurricanes,Florida Panthers,Nashville Predators,Tampa Bay Lightning, andWashington Capitals.
Major League Soccer currently holds six clubs:Atlanta United FC,Charlotte FC,DC United,Inter Miami CF,Nashville SC andOrlando City SC.
The majority ofNASCAR teams are headquartered in the Charlotte area along with the sports operations headquarters and media outlets. Tracks in the region includeAtlanta Motor Speedway,[52]Bristol Motor Speedway,[53]Charlotte Motor Speedway,[54]Darlington Raceway,Daytona International Speedway,Homestead-Miami Speedway,Martinsville Speedway,Nashville Superspeedway,North Wilkesboro Speedway,Richmond Raceway, andTalladega Superspeedway.
The southeast also hosts two of the three legs of the AmericanTriple Crown: theKentucky Derby inLouisville, and thePreakness Stakes inBaltimore. The Derby is considered the western leg of the crown and the Preakness is traditionally considered the southern leg.
TheAtlantic Coast Conference is anNCAA Division I conference with many Southeastern college teams, including the:Clemson Tigers,Duke Blue Devils,Florida State Seminoles,Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets,Louisville Cardinals,Miami Hurricanes,North Carolina Tar Heels,NC State Wolfpack,Virginia Cavaliers,Virginia Tech Hokies, andWake Forest Demon Deacons.[55]
TheSoutheastern Conference is also anNCAA Division I conference made up of Southeastern college teams, including the:Alabama Crimson Tide,Arkansas Razorbacks,Auburn Tigers,Florida Gators,Georgia Bulldogs,Kentucky Wildcats,LSU Tigers,Ole Miss Rebels,Mississippi State Bulldogs,South Carolina Gamecocks,Tennessee Volunteers, andVanderbilt Commodores.[56]
TheSugar Bowl,Orange Bowl,Peach Bowl,Citrus Bowl, andMusic City Bowl, are notable college football bowls held in Southeastern cities.[57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69]
