Cherokee County, North Carolina Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Cherokee County
U.S. county
The Cherokee County Courthouse at Murphy
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1839
Named for	Cherokee people
Seat	Murphy
Largest town	Andrews
Area
• Total	467 sq mi (1,210 km²)
• Land	455 sq mi (1,180 km²)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km²) 2.4%%
Population
• Estimate (2019)	28,612
• Density	60/sq mi (20/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	11th

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 2010 census, the population was 27,444. The county seat is Murphy, population 1,627 (2010), elevation 1604 ft.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2020 census
Communities
See also

History

The county was formed in 1839 from the western part of Macon County. It was named for the Cherokee Native Americans, some of whom still live in the area.

In 1861 the southeastern part of Cherokee County became Clay County. In 1872 its northeastern part was also separated and became Graham County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 467 square miles (1,210 km²), of which 455 square miles (1,180 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (2.4%) 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, and the Hiawassee River - a tributary of the Tennessee River - flows through the county from southeast to northwest.

In April 1974, parts of Cherokee County were affected by a historic weather event - the 1974 Super Outbreak of tornadoes, which affected parts of 13 states and was the second-largest such event to be recorded in the U.S.

Indian reservation

Portions of the Qualla Boundary, also known as the Eastern Cherokee Indian Reservation, 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 Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and is protected by Tribal Police of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. Following the success of the Harrah's Cherokee Tribal Casino in Cherokee, a second tribal casino on Indian land in the Murphy city limits opened in 2015.

National protected area

Nantahala National Forest (part)
Cherokee Indian Reservation, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, "patchwork land" (part) that includes an outlying Indian Casino near Andrews (under construction as of Summer 2014), to be operated as part of the main Harrah's Casino headquartered in downtown Cherokee, an Indian gaming casino that supports the Eastern Band of the Cherokees.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

US 64 - the longest highway in North Carolina, and a cross country highway, passes through the county 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 Cherokee County, providing connections to Atlanta (to the south) and Knoxville (to the north).

US 19
US 64
US 74
US 129
NC 60
NC 141
NC 294

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	3,427	—
1850	6,838	99.5%
1860	9,166	34.0%
1870	8,080	−11.8%
1880	8,182	1.3%
1890	9,976	21.9%
1900	11,860	18.9%
1910	14,136	19.2%
1920	15,242	7.8%
1930	16,151	6.0%
1940	18,813	16.5%
1950	18,294	−2.8%
1960	16,335	−10.7%
1970	16,330	0.0%
1980	18,933	15.9%
1990	20,170	6.5%
2000	24,298	20.5%
2010	27,444	12.9%
2020	28,774	4.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 census

Cherokee County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	25,366	88.16%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	373	1.3%
Native American	417	1.45%
Asian	158	0.55%
Pacific Islander	3	0.09%
Other/Mixed	1,561	5.43%
Hispanic or Latino	899	3.12%