Watauga County, North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Watauga County, North Carolina | |
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| Map | |
 Location in the state of North Carolina |
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| Statistics | |
| Formed | 1799 |
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| Seat | Boone |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
810 km² (313 mi²) sq mi ( km²) 1 km² (0 mi²), 0.07% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
42,695 53/km² |
| Website: www.wataugacounty.org | |
Watauga County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 42,695. Its county seat is Boone,6
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[edit] History
The county was formed in 1849 from parts of Ashe County, Caldwell County, Wilkes County, and Yancey County. It was named for the Watauga River, whose name is said to be a Native American word meaning "beautiful water."
In 1861 parts of Watauga County, Burke County, Caldwell County, McDowell County, and Yancey County were combined to form Mitchell County. In 1911, parts of Watauga County, Caldwell County, and Mitchell County were combined to form Avery County.
[edit] Law and government
Watauga County is a member of the regional High Country Council of Governments.
[edit] Climate and Weather
As with most of the High Country, the climate of the county is considerably cooler and more drastic than other parts of the state. Dramatic and unexpected changes in the weather are not uncommon in the county, particularly when it comes to precipiation falling. Snowfall and winter weather is quite common much due to the elevation of the county and orographic lifting causes precipitation to fall more readily across the county than in areas to the east. Winter weather has actually been reported in the county in every month of the year except for July. Windy conditions, also, tend to be amplified across the county due to the rugged terrain and higher elevations. Many people compare the winters of Watauga County and northwestern North Carolina to be more like those of the northern United States than of the Southeast.
[edit] Schools
Watauga County elementary schools include: Parkway Elementary, Hardin Park Elementary, Blowing Rock Elementary, Green Valley, Mabel, Bethel; and one private school, Appalachian Christian School. Watauga has one high school, Watauga High. The high school has appx. 1400 students from around the county. The Watauga football team, the Pioneers, won the state championship in 1978; but since then, the farthest the team has gotten was the Final Four of the 4A Tournament in the 2006 season.
[edit] Agriculture
- The county produces heavy amounts of Fraser Fir Christmas Trees
- The growth of produce was once a mainstay in the agricultural economy of the county. Cabbage was once widely grown, so much so, that a sauerkraut plant was once located in Boone. The plant has long been closed. Boone Creek, the main creek that runs through Boone and the Appalachian State campus is still nicknamed Kraut Creek since it is said that the creek used to smell of sauerkraut juice coming out of the plant.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 810 km² (313 mi²). 809 km² (313 mi²) of it is land and 1 km² (0 mi²) of it (0.07%) is water. Watauga County is extremely mountainous, and all of the county's terrain is located within the Appalachian Mountains range. The highest point in the county is Beech Mountain, which rises to 5,506 feet (1,678 meters) above sea level. Boone, the county's largest city and county seat, has the highest elevation (3,266 feet) of any city over 10,000 population in the Eastern United States. As a result of the elevation, Watauga County enjoys considerably cooler summers than the lowland areas to the east and south. However, winters are longer, harsher, and often much colder, with frequent sleet and snowfall, and blizzard-like conditions are not uncommon.
The county government provides a GIS interface on the county website (see links below).
[edit] Townships
The county is divided into fifteen townships: Bald Mountain, Beaverdam, Blowing Rock, Blue Ridge, Boone, Brushy Fork, Cove Creek, Elk, Laurel Creek, Meat Camp, New River, North Fork, Shawneehaw, Stony Fork, and Watauga.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Ashe County, North Carolina - northeast
- Wilkes County, North Carolina - east
- Caldwell County, North Carolina - south
- Avery County, North Carolina - southwest
- Johnson County, Tennessee - northwest
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 42,695 people, 16,540 households, and 9,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 53/km² (137/mi²). There were 23,155 housing units at an average density of 29/km² (74/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.45% White, 1.59% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. 1.46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 16,540 households out of which 23.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.40% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.10% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.80.
The age distribution is 16.30% under the age of 18, 27.80% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. The overall age distribution and median age are greatly affected by the presence of Appalachian State University in Boone. For every 100 females there are 99.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,611, and the median income for a family was $45,508. Males had a median income of $29,135 versus $22,006 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,258. About 7.20% of families and 17.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 10.60% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Cities and towns
[edit] Unincorporated communities
[edit] Transportation
No commercial airports or passenger train depots are nearby. A helipad is in service at the Watauga Medical Center. A small general aviation airstrip is located in Boone. Commercial airline passengers typically utilize the airports at Charlotte, Tri-Cities Tennessee, or Greensboro, North Carolina. Some visitors use Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which may have lower airfares on some routes, but is a considerable distance away.
[edit] External links
- Watauga County government official website
- Cy Crumley ET&WNC Photo Collection
- Appalachian State University
- Appalachian State University Admissions
- Appalachian Student Ambassador Program
