Asheville, NC

About Asheville

• • Roberta Flack, Grammy-winning singer, was born in Black Mountain near Asheville.
• • Moog synthesizers, revolutionary electronic instruments, were developed here.
• • The arrival of the railroad in 1880 spurred Asheville's growth as a resort destination.
• • A network of underground tunnels exists beneath downtown, once used for various purposes.
• • The Great Fire of 1913 destroyed a large portion of downtown Asheville.
• • Named in 1797 for Governor Samuel Ashe, it was incorporated in 1849.
• • With 94,587 residents, it's smaller than Durham but larger than Wilmington.
• • Sitting at 2,134 feet, it offers stunning views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
• • Tourism and hospitality are major employers, drawing visitors year-round.
• • It feels like a quirky, creative mountain town with a thriving arts scene.
• • The Greenville Drive, a Red Sox affiliate, are the closest pro baseball team.
• • UNC Asheville's basketball team upset Arkansas-Little Rock in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
• • The Blue Ridge Mountains are composed of Precambrian metamorphic rocks, some over a billion years old.
• • The French Broad River flows north, making it one of the few rivers east of the Mississippi to do so.
• • Hellbender salamanders, North America's largest aquatic salamander, inhabit the French Broad River basin.
• • The area is known for its diverse hardwood forests, including oak, hickory, and maple species.
• • Cherokee people inhabited the area for thousands of years before European contact.
• • George Vanderbilt began construction on the Biltmore Estate in 1889.
• • The Biltmore Estate, a Gilded Age mansion, was completed in 1895.

Artists From Asheville

Songs About Asheville

Nearby Places