<P> In April 2011, a devastating EF - 3 tornado hit Raleigh, and many other tornadoes touched down in the state (ultimately the largest, but not the strongest (1984 Carolinas tornado outbreak) outbreak to ever hit the state), killing 24 people . The tornado tracked northeast through parts of Downtown, East Central Raleigh and Northeast Raleigh and produced $115 million in damages in Wake County . There were 4 fatalities in the city . </P> <P> According to the United States Census Bureau, Raleigh occupies a total area of 144.0 square miles (373.0 km), of which 142.9 square miles (370.1 km) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km), or 0.76%, is covered by water . The Neuse River flows through the northeast end of the city . </P> <P> Raleigh is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions meet . This area is known as the "fall line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers . As a result, most of Raleigh features gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state's flat coastal plain . Its central Piedmont location situates Raleigh about two hours west of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains . The city is 155 miles (249 km) south of Richmond, Virginia, 263 miles (423 km) south of Washington, D.C., and 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Charlotte, North Carolina . </P> <P> Raleigh is divided into several major geographic areas, each of which use a Raleigh address and a ZIP code that begins with the digits 276 . PNC Plaza, formerly known as RBC Plaza, is the largest and tallest skyscraper in the city of Raleigh . The tower rises to a height of 538 feet (164 m), with a floor count of 34 . </P>

How far is raleigh north carolina to charlotte north carolina