McDowell County elevation and terrain tools
Foothills • County seat: Marion
McDowell County sits at the foot of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, which curves around its west and north from the Swannanoa Gap at Old Fort to the country around Linville Falls. The Catawba River rises on that wall and runs east past Marion to Lake James on the Burke line, with the foothills rolling out below the mountain front.
Open the mapLidar coverage
Lidar projects that cover Marion, from the USGS 3DEP index. Other parts of the county may come from other projects; the coverage guide explains how to check any spot.
| Project | Year | Cell size | Point density |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC_Phase5_McDowell_2017used by the elevation model | 3.1 ft per pixel | — |
Property boundaries
The Property tool can select parcels in McDowell County from the county assessor’s GIS parcels (NC OneMap statewide parcels (county assessors)) and use the boundary as the area for any other tool. Assessor parcels are not surveys.
Tools for McDowell County
A PDF terrain report for a parcel: hillshade, contours, slope and elevation statistics.
How the tool worksContour lines at the interval you choose, on the map and as vector files.
How the tool worksHours of direct sun on any day of the year, with shadows cast by the terrain.
How the tool works