Cherokee County
County
Cherokee County Courthouse in Murphy
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°08′N 84°04′W / 35.14°N 84.06°W / 35.14; -84.06
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1839
Named for	Cherokee Indians
Seat	Murphy
Largest community	Andrews
Area
• Total	466.67 sq mi (1,208.7 km2)
• Land	455.54 sq mi (1,179.8 km2)
• Water	11.13 sq mi (28.8 km2)  2.38%
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,774
• Estimate  (2023)	29,959
• Density	63.16/sq mi (24.39/km2)
Demonym	Cherokee Countians
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	11th
Website	www.cherokeecounty-nc.gov

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.^[1] The county seat is Murphy.^[2][3]

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 area that would become Cherokee County was explored by Spanish conquistador Hernando DeSoto as early as 1540.^[4][5] In 1813, the first highway was built through the area. The Unicoi Turnpike was the first to link East Tennessee, North Georgia, and Western North Carolina.^[6] Early white farmers who wed Native Americans were granted property along the Nottley River in 1817.^[7] A Baptist mission center was established in the area as early as 1820.^[8] European Americans began to settle near present-day Murphy and a trading post was established prior to 1828.^[9] Fort Butler was built nearby in July 1836.^[10] In fall 1838, the area's land was put up for public sale in Franklin.^[8] Cherokee County was formed in 1839 from Macon County and named for the Cherokee Native Americans.^[11] A proposal to name the county Junaluska, in honor of the Cherokee leader, was rejected.^[12] Murphy was incorporated as the county seat in 1851.^[13]

Cherokee County's first industry, a tannery northeast of what would become Andrews, was established by James Stewart in 1852.^[14] 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.

Harshaw Chapel, the oldest brick structure and church building in Cherokee County, was constructed in 1869.^[15] 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.^[16]

The railroad came to Cherokee County in 1887, with Georgia & North Carolina Railroad's narrow gauge line from Marietta to Culberson – then the largest town in the county.^[7] The train reached Murphy the following year.^[17] The county's newspaper, the Cherokee Scout, was founded in 1889.^[18]

20th century to present

The nation's oldest and largest folk school, John C. Campbell Folk School, was founded in southeast Cherokee County in 1925.^[19][20] The county's first medical institution was Petrie Hospital, founded in November 1933 by Dr. R.W. Petrie, an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist. The hospital was a two-story white brick building atop a hill on Peachtree Street in downtown Murphy. It started with four registered nurses and a capacity of 21 patients.^[21] The Sisters of Providence of Holyoke came to Murphy in 1956 to manage Petrie Hospital and renamed it Providence Hospital.^[22] The 22-bed Murphy General Hospital was built by Dr. F. V. Taylor in 1941 and closed in July 1969 due to insufficient staff and property.^[23][24] In 1956, a $375,000, 30-bed non-profit regional hospital named District Memorial was constructed in Andrews.^[25][26] In January 1974 the Murphy Town Council approved spending $4,000 on a study to see whether constructing a new hospital was feasible. Following this study, Providence Hospital closed in 1978 and Murphy Medical Center was founded in 1979.^[27] Citing uncollected payments, District Memorial Hospital declared bankruptcy in 2000, closed soon afterward, and was demolished.^[28][29] Murphy Medical Center was acquired by Erlanger Health System and renamed Erlanger Western Carolina Hospital in 2019. Today it is the only hospital in the state west of Bryson City and Franklin.^[30]

Cherokee County operated on Central time as late as 1934.^[31] It is now located in the Eastern Time Zone. In the late 1930s, Hiwassee Dam was built in northwest Cherokee County by the Tennessee Valley Authority, creating Hiwassee Lake.^[32] It is the highest overspill dam in the Eastern United States and was the tallest in the world when it was completed in 1940.^[33] A second TVA dam, Apalachia, was built near the Tennessee border in 1942.^[34] In the 1950s, the world's largest and most powerful pump was added to Hiwassee Dam.^[23]

In the early 1940s, religious tourist attraction Fields of the Wood opened in western Cherokee County with the world's largest Christian cross and biggest Ten Commandments, covering a mountainside.^[23] In June 1955, the county health department moved into a new building at its current location.^[23] Tri-County Community College was founded in Peachtree in late 1964.^[35] A four-lane highway was built between Murphy and Andrews around 1977.^[36]

An F4 tornado in western Cherokee County killed four people (including two children) and injured 40 on April 3, 1974. It destroyed 45 homes near Murphy, causing $13 million (1974) in damages. The F4 was the deadliest of four tornadoes that struck the county during the first four days of April that year in the 1974 Super Outbreak.^[37][38] An EF-2 tornado hit Murphy the night of March 2, 2012, in the Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012, damaging businesses and temporarily closing two schools. An EF-1 tornado hit the Peachtree community on the night of May 8, 2024, in the Tornado outbreak of May 6–9, 2024.^[39]

In 2014, the U.S. Forest Service made the decision to close Hanging Dog Campground in Nantahala National Forest.^[40] A proposal to open a 1,200-acre state park at the site was dismissed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in 2023, as officials said the project would cost more than $20 million.^[41]

Geography

Interactive map of Cherokee County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 466.67 square miles (1,208.7 km²), of which 455.54 square miles (1,179.8 km²) is land and 11.13 square miles (28.8 km²) (2.38%) is water.^[42]

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)^[43]
• Hanging Dog Recreation Area
• Nantahala National Forest Game Land (part)^[43]

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

• US 19
• 
  US 19 Bus. (Andrews)
• 
  US 19 Bus. (Murphy)
• US 64
• US 74
• US 129
• NC 60
• NC 141
• NC 294

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 infrastructure

• 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,^[50] there were 24,298 people, 10,336 households, and 7,369 families residing in the county. The population density was 53 people per square mile (20 people/km²). There were 13,499 housing units at an average density of 30 units per square mile (12 units/km²). 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.^[51]

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.^[52]

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.^[53][54]

Fire and EMS

Fire protection is provided by thirteen all-volunteer fire departments in the county including those at Culberson and Murphy.^[55] Cherokee County Fire Inspector activity is part of the Cherokee County Building Code Enforcement Office.^[56]

Politics