About Ashe County, NC
Did you ever travel to a vacation destination and wish you could live there? Many visitors to this area of the NC Mountains have had that feeling – and now call it home. While enjoying the mountain views, the Blue Ridge Parkway or a float on the river, they thought, “I could live here.”
Ashe County, North Carolina, with West Jefferson at its heart, is the type of place that sticks with you. Once a remote Appalachian region, Ashe County has been discovered. There’s lots of room here – 25,000 full-time residents spread over 400 square miles.
West Jefferson is the main shopping district. The downtown offers murals, galleries, shops and restaurants. Nearby Jefferson offers more, and is home to the county government and the hospital.
The area’s natural beauty is compelling. Many conservation groups are working to preserve these mountains, protecting thousands of acres, ridge tops (some over 5000 feet high) and river land from future development.
Events vary from festivals for music and art to the physical challenges of the Blue Ridge Brutal 100 Bike Race. Some of the area festivals include Christmas in July, the Todd Summer Music Series (in historic Todd, North Carolina), the New River Blues Festival, and the annual wine tasting at the River House Restaurant.
Summer temperatures are a relief from the heat of lower regions. Autumn’s leaf display makes fall a compelling time to spend a weekend.
Located near Boone, home to Appalachian State University, with even more shopping & cultural opportunities, Ashe enjoys a small town atmosphere, but with resources of a small city close-by.
The real estate market has been primarily second homes, with a growing focus on retirement, as the area was named “one of the best kept secrets for retirement.”
Come visit. Maybe you’ll stay awhile, too.
