Asheville (pop. 94,589; met. area pop. 531,104) is the economic and cultural center of 18 counties in western North Carolina. It is set in the midst of recreational areas covering more than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares). Asheville is next to Pisgah National Forest and serves as the eastern gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway passes nearby the city.
The Asheville area’s manufactured products include electrical equipment, engine components, laboratory equipment, paper products, and plastics products. The city serves as the agricultural wholesale center for the surrounding area.
Author Thomas Wolfe was born and raised in Asheville. The boarding house his mother ran, called “Dixieland” in his novel Look Homeward, Angel (1929), is open to the public. A branch of the University of North Carolina is in the city. Asheville was incorporated as a town in 1797. It is the seat of Buncombe County and has a council-manager government.
