Cherokee County, North Carolina

Cherokee County, North Carolina
Cherokee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It borders Tennessee to its west and Georgia to its south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,774. The county seat is Murphy.
History
This area was occupied for thousands of years by indigenous peoples who settled in the river valleys. It was part of the historic Cherokee homelands, a large territory composed of areas of what are now western Virginia, western North and South Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and northeastern Georgia.
The county was formed in 1839 from Macon County and named for the Cherokee Native Americans.
As European-American population increased in the area in the 19th century, the state legislature created new counties. In 1861 the southeastern part of Cherokee County became Clay County. In 1872, its northeastern part was separated and organized as Graham County.
In the late 19th century, there was widespread interest in Native American cultures. In the 1870s, the Valentine brothers of Richmond, Virginia, caused extensive damage to at least eight ancient mounds in Cherokee, Haywood, Jackson, and Swain counties. They roughly excavated and looted them, seeking artifacts for the museum of their father, Mann S. Valentine, which he operated in Richmond.
Cherokee County operated on Central time as late as 1934. It is now located in the Eastern Time Zone.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.38%) is water.
Located in the southern Appalachian Mountains, Cherokee County contains a varied natural landscape. Portions of the county fall within the boundaries of the Nantahala National Forest. The Hiwassee River flows into Tennessee after passing through this county from southeast to northwest; it is a tributary of the Tennessee River. Both rivers are known to have had several historic Cherokee towns and villages located along their banks.
In April 1974, parts of Cherokee County were affected by a historic weather event, the 1974 Super Outbreak of tornadoes. This affected parts of 13 states and was the second-largest such event to be recorded in the U.S.
Cherokee reserve
Portions of the Qualla Boundary are located in Cherokee County. These are non-contiguous and are separate from the main part of the Qualla Boundary, which is in Swain and Jackson counties. The land is exclusive territory of the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and is protected by their Tribal Police. Following the success of Harrah's Cherokee Tribal Casino in Cherokee, the EBCI opened a second tribal casino in 2015 on a plot of their land here, located within the Murphy city limits.
National protected area
Nantahala National Forest (part)
State and local protected areas
Cherokee Lake Recreation Area
Fires Creek Wildlife Management Area (part)
Hanging Dog Recreation Area
Nantahala National Forest Game Land (part)
Major water bodies
Appalachia Lake
Harold Wells Lake
Hiwassee Lake
Hiwassee River
Junaluska Creek
Little Tennessee River
Moccasin Creek
Nottely River
Peachtree Creek
Valley River
Welch Mill Creek
Adjacent counties
Graham County – north
Clay County – east
Macon County – east
Fannin County, Georgia – southwest
Union County, Georgia – south
Polk County, Tennessee – west
Monroe County, Tennessee – northwest
Major highways
(Andrews)
(Murphy)
US 64, the longest highway in North Carolina, and a cross-country highway, passes through the county from east–west. US 74, which links Chattanooga, Asheville, Charlotte, and Wilmington, is a major 4-lane highway through the county. US 19 and US 129 also pass through the county, providing connections to Atlanta to the south and Knoxville to the north. There is also a plan to extend Interstate 24 from Chattanooga, to Charlotte.
Major Infrastrure
Western Carolina Regional Airport
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 28,774 people, 12,471 households, and 8,465 families residing in the county.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 24,298 people, 10,336 households, and 7,369 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 13,499 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.82% White, 1.59% Black or African American, 1.63% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. 1.25% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.3% were of American, 10.8% Irish, 10.6% German and 10.3% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.7% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.
There were 10,336 households, out of which 25.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 9.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.70% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.60% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 24.40% from 25 to 44, 28.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,992, and the median income for a family was $33,768. Males had a median income of $26,127 versus $18,908 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,814. About 11.70% of families and 15.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.20% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.
Law, government, and politics
Government
Mandated by the laws of the State of North Carolina, Cherokee County is governed by an elected five-member board of commissioners who each serve a four-year term. The board directs the actions of the appointed Cherokee County Manager. The commission, as of 2023, is composed of Ben Adams, Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, Jan Griggs (vice-chair), Randy Phillips, and Cal Stiles (chair). Maria Hass is the clerk to the board and Darryl Brown is the county attorney.
Cherokee County is a member of the regional Southwestern Commission Council of Governments.
Cherokee County faces more than $50 million in costs related to lawsuits over its Department of Social Services practice of separating children from families with an unlawful form to bypass judicial approval.
Public safety
Sheriff and police
Court protection, jail management, and security for county owned property plus patrol and detective services for unincorporated county areas is provided by the Cherokee County Sheriff. The towns of Murphy and Andrews have municipal police departments. The Qualla Boundary tribal police provide security for the Cherokee Nation's Qualla Boundary territories throughout the county.
Fire and EMS
Fire protection is provided by thirteen all-volunteer fire departments in the county including those at Culberson and Murphy. Cherokee County Fire Inspector activity is part of the Cherokee County Building Code Enforcement Office.
Politics
Politically, Cherokee County is dominated by the Republican Party. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Cherokee County since Jimmy Carter in 1976, and the past five Republican candidates have all exceeded 65 percent of the county's vote, with Donald Trump exceeding 75 percent.
Cherokee County lies within the 50th State Senate district, represented by Republican Senator Jim Davis, in the North Carolina Senate. It lies within the 120th district, and is represented by Republican Kevin Corbin, in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
Education
Cherokee County Schools manages 13 schools including Murphy, Andrews, and Hiwassee Dam high schools. The school system has a total enrollment of 3,081 students.
Higher education is offered at Tri-County Community College in Murphy.
The John C. Campbell Folk School is located in Brasstown, an unincorporated village near Murphy. It exists partly in Cherokee County and partly in Clay County. This education center focuses on creative folk arts for all ages.
Media
The Cherokee Scout has been published weekly in Murphy since 1889. After merging with The Andrews Journal on January 1, 2019, the Scout has been the only newspaper serving Cherokee County.
WKRK 1320 AM and WCNG 102.7 FM are two radio stations currently broadcast from Murphy.
Local TV 4 is a Murphy-based television news station.
Communities
Towns
Andrews (largest community)
Murphy (county seat)
Census-designated place
Marble
Village
Hiwassee
Unincorporated communities
Bellview
Culberson
Friendship
Grape Creek
Hanging Dog
Hothouse
Liberty
Martins Creek
Owl Creek
Peachtree
Ranger
Rhodo
Texana
Tomotla
Topton
Unaka
Violet
Wehutty
Townships
Beaverdam
Hothouse
Murphy
Notla
Shoal Creek
Valleytown
See also
List of counties in North Carolina
National Register of Historic Places listings in Cherokee County, North Carolina
Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, wine region partially located in the county
References
Works cited
External links
Cherokee County, North Carolina profile with photos
Counties of Appalachia
1839 establishments in North Carolina
Populated places established in 1839