Watauga County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Watauga County
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United States Post Office in Boone
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Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
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 North Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  North Carolina |
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| Founded | 1849 | |
| Named for | Watauga River | |
| Seat | Boone | |
| Largest community | Boone | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 313.32 sq mi (811.5 km2) | |
| • Land | 312.44 sq mi (809.2 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.88 sq mi (2.3 km2) 0.28% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 54,086 | |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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54,748 | |
| • Density | 173.11/sq mi (66.84/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional district | 5th | |
Watauga County (/wəˈtɔːɡə/ wuh-TAW-guh) is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2020, about 54,086 people lived here. Its main town and largest community is Boone.
Watauga County is in a very mountainous area called the High Country. It is also home to Appalachian State University, a large college with over 21,500 students. The county is part of the Boone, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which means it's a smaller urban area with a central city.
Contents
History of Watauga County
How Watauga County Was Formed
Watauga County was created in 1849. It was made from parts of four other counties: Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Yancey.
What Does "Watauga" Mean?
The county is named after the Watauga River. The name "Watauga" comes from a Native American word. People believe it means things like "beautiful water," "whispering waters," or "river of islands."
Geography of Watauga County
Size and Landscape
Watauga County covers about 313 square miles. Most of this area, about 312 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 0.88 square miles, is water.
The county is very mountainous. All of its land is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The highest point is Calloway Peak, which is part of Grandfather Mountain. It reaches 5,964 feet above sea level.
High-Altitude Communities
Beech Mountain is a town in the county. It sits at 5,506 feet above sea level. This makes it the highest town east of the Mississippi River.
Boone, the county's largest town, is also very high up. At 3,333 feet, it is the highest city with over 10,000 people in the Eastern United States.
The "Lost Provinces"
For a long time, Watauga County was hard to reach. It was cut off by mountains from the rest of North Carolina. Because of this, it was sometimes called one of the "Lost Provinces" in the 1800s and early 1900s.
Protected Natural Areas
Watauga County has several beautiful natural areas. These places are protected to keep them wild and beautiful.
National Protected Areas
- Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
- Julian Price Memorial Park
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
- Pisgah National Forest (part)
State and Local Protected Areas
- Beech Creek Bog State Natural Area
- Elk Knob Game Land
- Elk Knob State Park (part)
- Foscoe Grandfather Community Center
- Grandfather Mountain State Park (part)
- Green Valley Community Park
- Pisgah National Forest Game Land (part)
- Turtle Island Preserve
Major Water Bodies
The county is home to several creeks and rivers. These waterways are important for the local environment.
- Buckeye Creek
- Craborchard Creek
- Howard Creek
- Laurel Creek
- Meadow Creek
- North Fork New River
- Sharp Creek
- South Fork New River
- Watauga River
- Yadkin River
Neighboring Counties
Watauga County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Ashe County – to the northeast
- Wilkes County – to the east
- Caldwell County – to the south
- Avery County – to the southwest
- Johnson County, Tennessee – to the northwest
Climate and Weather
Understanding the Climate
Watauga County has a humid continental climate. This means it has cooler and more extreme weather than other parts of North Carolina. The weather can change quickly and unexpectedly, especially when it comes to rain or snow.
This is because the county is high up in the mountains. The mountains also cause something called orographic lifting. This makes it rain or snow more often here than in lower areas.
Seasons in Watauga County
Summers can be warm, often around 80°F. Sometimes, temperatures might even reach 90°F, but that's not very common. Snow usually starts in November and mostly stops by March. Sometimes, it can even snow in April. The high mountains also mean it's often very windy across the county.
Ski Resorts
Because of the cold winters, Watauga County is a great place for skiing. It has several popular ski resorts:
- Appalachian Ski Mountain
- Beech Mountain Resort
- Sugar Mountain Resort
Transportation
Highways and Roads
Watauga County, like much of the High Country, does not have any interstate highways. Instead, it is served by state highways. These roads are maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
The Blue Ridge Parkway also runs through parts of Watauga County. People sometimes use it to get around, especially between places like Bamboo and Blowing Rock.
Major Highways
US 221
US 321
US 421
NC 88
NC 105
NC 184
NC 194
Blue Ridge Parkway
Airports
Boone has a small airport for private planes (FAA Identifier: NC14). However, there are no regular flights for passengers. If you want to fly, you usually need to go to larger airports. These include Charlotte, Greensboro in North Carolina, or Tri-Cities in Tennessee.
Public Transportation
Boone has a public bus system called AppalCART. It offers free rides in downtown Boone and some nearby areas. They also have services for people with special needs and routes to rural areas for a small fee.
A company called Sunway Charters also runs bus services. They work with Greyhound Lines to provide coach bus trips from Boone to Charlotte and Greensboro. These routes are called the Mountaineer North–South and Mountaineer East–West.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,400 | — | |
| 1860 | 4,957 | 45.8% | |
| 1870 | 5,287 | 6.7% | |
| 1880 | 8,160 | 54.3% | |
| 1890 | 10,611 | 30.0% | |
| 1900 | 13,417 | 26.4% | |
| 1910 | 13,556 | 1.0% | |
| 1920 | 13,477 | −0.6% | |
| 1930 | 15,165 | 12.5% | |
| 1940 | 18,114 | 19.4% | |
| 1950 | 18,342 | 1.3% | |
| 1960 | 17,529 | −4.4% | |
| 1970 | 23,404 | 33.5% | |
| 1980 | 31,666 | 35.3% | |
| 1990 | 36,952 | 16.7% | |
| 2000 | 42,695 | 15.5% | |
| 2010 | 51,079 | 19.6% | |
| 2020 | 54,086 | 5.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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Population in 2020
In 2020, there were 54,086 people living in Watauga County. There were 21,077 households and 11,452 families.
Racial Makeup in 2020
| Race | Number | Percentage |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 44,986 | 83.17% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,101 | 3.88% |
| Native American | 82 | 0.15% |
| Asian | 938 | 1.73% |
| Pacific Islander | 11 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,447 | 4.52% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,521 | 6.51% |
Economy of Watauga County
Key Industries and Products
Watauga County has a diverse economy. Here are some important parts of it:
- The county grows many Fraser fir Christmas trees.
- Growing vegetables was once a big part of the county's farming. Cabbage was so widely grown that there was even a sauerkraut factory in Boone. The factory is now closed.
- Boone Creek, which runs through Boone, is still sometimes called Kraut Creek. This is because people say it used to smell like sauerkraut juice from the old factory.
- The Watauga County Farmers' Market has been open in Boone since 1974. It's a great place to buy local produce.
- Beech Mountain Resort is one of the few ski resorts in the Southeastern United States. It brings many visitors to the area.
- Appalachian State University is a huge part of the local economy. In 2022, it brought in about $2.2 billion to the state and $573 million to the local area.
Education in Watauga County
Schools for Younger Students
Watauga County has several schools for students from kindergarten to eighth grade:
- Bethel
- Blowing Rock
- Cove Creek
- Grace Academy
- Green Valley
- Hardin Park
- Mabel
- Mountain Pathways Montessori School
- Parkway
- Two Rivers Community School
- Valle Crucis
High School
- Watauga High School is where students go for their high school education.
Colleges and Universities
- Appalachian State University is a large college with over 21,000 students. It is part of the University of North Carolina System.
- Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute also has a campus in the county.
Communities in Watauga County
Towns
These are the main towns in Watauga County:
- Beech Mountain
- Blowing Rock
- Boone (This is the county seat and the largest community.)
- Seven Devils
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially towns:
- Aho
- Bamboo
- Cove Creek
- Deep Gap
- Foscoe
- Matney
- Meat Camp
- Sherwood
- Silverstone
- Sugar Grove
- Todd
- Valle Crucis
- Vilas
- Zionville
Townships
Townships are smaller areas used for local government and organization:
- Bald Mountain
- Beaverdam
- Blowing Rock
- Blue Ridge
- Boone
- Brushy Fork
- Cove Creek
- Elk
- Laurel Creek
- Meat Camp
- New River
- North Fork
- Shawneehaw
- Stony Fork
- Watauga
Images for kids
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United States Post Office in Boone
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Watauga para niños
