Why Asheville
Asheville is the seat of Buncombe County and the most populous city in Western North Carolina. Positioned within the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, the municipality spans nearly 46 square miles. Geographically, it lies west of Hickory, northwest of Charlotte, and southwest of Winston-Salem.
Prior to European settlement, the land surrounding the river confluence belonged to the Cherokee Nation, who used the area for hunting and gathering under the name Untokiasdiyi or Tokiyasdi, meaning "Where they race." Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto documented the location in 1540 during his expedition through the region. European American settlers established homes in the area during the 1780s following the American Revolutionary War. Originally laid out as Morristown in 1793, the settlement was incorporated and renamed Asheville in 1797 to honor North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe.
The arrival of the Western North Carolina Railroad in 1880 triggered industrial growth, fostering textile mills, wood processing, and mica production. In 1889, Asheville launched the state's first electric street railway lines. During the early 20th century, rapid expansion led to major civic construction, including the 1913 Asheville Masonic Temple designed by architect Richard Sharp Smith. However, extensive borrowing for infrastructure projects left the city with substantial debt when the Great Depression struck in 1930. Because financial stagnation limited new construction into the 1980s, much of the downtown area remained unaltered, leaving the city with a notable collection of Art Deco architecture.
Historic landmarks and districts reflect different eras of the city's past. The South Asheville Cemetery, which operated from the early 1800s until 1943, is recognized as the state's oldest and largest public Black cemetery. The area also encompasses Biltmore Forest, established after land from the Biltmore Estate was sold following severe flooding in 1916.
Due to its mountain elevation, Asheville experiences cooler weather than cities in North Carolina's eastern Piedmont region. Summers are warm without extreme heat, with July daily temperatures averaging 73.8 °F (23.2 °C), while winters are cool, featuring a January daily average of 37.1 °F (2.8 °C). Regional air travel is accommodated by the Asheville Regional Airport.
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