Downtown Asheville bustles with activity at midday while smog silently obscures the Smoky Mountains to the west. The Biltmore House on Biltmore Estate, with more than 250 rooms, was built as a private residence complete with indoor pool and bowling alley. Modern tourists, who often come to see the adjacent gardens, enjoy a similar view to this 1902 photo. Asheville is a city located in Buncombe County, North Carolina6, and is its county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,889. It is the largest city in western North Carolina, and continues to grow rapidly.
Attractive to hip and creative young people as well as to hip and creative retirees, Asheville has been listed in both Rolling Stone and Modern Maturity as an ideal place to live or visit. The open and accepting character of the city is evidenced by the many life styles and beliefs that coexist peacefully there. The art scene is especially active and Asheville has become a mecca for potters, painters and musicians, with much of the current creativity inspired by the folk art and old ballads of early Scotch, English and Scotch-Irish settlers.
In the 2004 presidential election John Kerry was the choice of most Asheville voters, although George W. Bush carried the state. Most of the new-comers to the area are liberal politically.
Asheville is located at the confluence of the Swannanoa River into the French Broad River, which continues all the way northwest through the Appalachian Mountains to Knoxville in Tennessee. Its weather tends to be somewhat irregular and unpredictable, though morning fog in the valley is quite common. It has the hot and humid summers typical of the southeastern U.S., but in winter temperatures may fall into the teens and Asheville almost always receives snow and freezing rain) a few times each year.
The city is best known for the lavish Biltmore Estate, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Asheville and the surrounding mountains are also extremely popular in the autumn when fall foliage peaks in October. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs through town and the estate. Biltmore Village is a section of the city adjacent to the estate, where workers stayed during its construction. It is currently home to many small trendy shops. Author Thomas Wolfe was born in Asheville. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald lived and worked in Asheville during some of his literary career. His wife, Zelda, died in a fire in an Asheville sanitarium in 1948.
In 2003 alleged bomber Eric Robert Rudolph was transported to Asheville from Murphy, North Carolina for arraignment in federal court. In September 2004, major flooding was reported in town, particularly at Biltmore Village, due to rains from the remnants of Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan.
Asheville is served by Asheville Regional Airport in nearby Fletcher, North Carolina, and by Interstate 40 and Interstate 26.
Geography
Asheville is located at 35°34'48" North, 82°33'21" West (35.579862, _82.555810)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 107.0 km˛ (41.3 mi˛). 106.0 km˛ (40.9 mi˛) of it is land and 1.0 km˛ (0.4 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 0.94% water.
Demographics As of the census2 of 2000, there are 68,889 people, 30,690 households, and 16,726 families residing in the city. The population density is 650.0/km˛ (1,683.4/mi˛). There are 33,567 housing units at an average density of 316.7/km˛ (820.3/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 77.95% White, 17.61% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.53% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 3.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 30,690 households out of which 22.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% are married couples living together, 13.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% are non-families. 36.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.14 and the average family size is 2.81.
In the city the population is spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $32,772, and the median income for a family is $44,029. Males have a median income of $30,463 versus $23,488 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,024. 15.5% of the population and 10.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.9% of those under the age of 18 and 10.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Several ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Asheville in honor of this town.
External links - Official Asheville, NC website (http://www.ci.asheville.nc.us/)
- Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce (http://www.ashevillechamber.org/)
- Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau (http://www.exploreasheville.com/)
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=35.579862&longitude=-82.55581&zoom=6)
- Topographic map from Topozone (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=35.579862&lon=-82.55581&s=200&size=m&layer=DRG100)
- Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver (http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=-82.55581&lat=35.579862&w=750&h=500)
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