Fletcher, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fletcher, North Carolina
Town
Town Hall
Motto(s):  Pride in our past, and faith in our future
Location of Fletcher, North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Henderson
Founded	1883
Incorporated	1989
Named for	Dr. George Fletcher
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• Total	6.47 sq mi (16.75 km2)
• Land	6.39 sq mi (16.56 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.18 km2)
Elevation	2,116 ft (645 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,987
• Density	1,248.94/sq mi (482.21/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28732
Area code(s)	828
FIPS code	37-23760
GNIS feature ID	2406499

Fletcher is a town located in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. It's a growing community. In 2010, about 7,187 people lived there. By 2020, the population had grown to 7,987.

Fletcher is right next to the Asheville Regional Airport. This airport helps people travel to and from western North Carolina. Fletcher is also part of the larger Asheville area.

History of Fletcher

Fletcher's story began in 1795. That's when Samuel Murray and his family moved to the mountains of western North Carolina. They traveled a tough road called Howard Gap Road. It was once an old Native American trail. Samuel decided to live near where Fletcher Community Park is today.

Murray started buying land in what was then called the Limestone District of Buncombe County. He eventually owned over 10,000 acres! This land stretched from Cane Creek to the French Broad River.

In 1827, Samuel's son opened the first post office in the area. Because of this, the area became known as Murrayville.

A Key Travel Spot

Murrayville became an important place. It was a main stop along the Buncombe Turnpike. This road was built in the early 1800s. It quickly became the main path for families, farmers, and traders. They used it to travel from South Carolina up to Asheville and other places north.

In 1837, Murrayville got a new name: Shufordsville. This happened after Jacob Rhyne Shuford became the new Postmaster. A year later, in 1838, North Carolina created many new counties. Shufordsville then became part of the new Henderson County.

Shufordsville kept growing slowly. It changed its name one last time in 1886. This was when Dr. George Fletcher became the local postmaster. The town was then named after him.

Two historic places in Fletcher are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are The Meadows and Rugby Grange.

Geography of Fletcher

Fletcher is located on the northern edge of Henderson County. To its north is the city of Asheville in Buncombe County. To the west is the town of Mills River. To the east is an area called Hoopers Creek. Both Mills River and Hoopers Creek are in Henderson County.

A major highway, Interstate 26, runs through the western part of Fletcher. You can get on or off this highway at Exits 40 and 44. Another important road is U.S. Route 25. It goes through the middle of Fletcher. This road leads north about 12 miles (19 km) to Asheville. It goes south about 9 miles (14 km) to Hendersonville.

The town of Fletcher covers a total area of about 6.5 square miles (16.8 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 6.4 square miles (16.6 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.07 square miles (0.2 square kilometers), is water.

People of Fletcher (Demographics)

Demographics is the study of who lives in a place. It looks at things like how many people there are and their ages or backgrounds.

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the United States Census counted 7,987 people living in Fletcher. These people lived in 3,468 households. About 2,127 of these households were families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Fletcher in 2020:

See also

• In Spanish: Fletcher (Carolina del Norte) para niños