Introduction

Ashe County is located at the northwestern corner of the State of North Carolina, with the Commonwealth of Virginia to the north and the State of Tennessee to the west. The county is deeply embedded within the Great Smoky Mountains and is a popular vacation and retiree destination located within the higher elevations of the region, especially attractive to visitors from Florida, Georgia, and the lower elevations of the Carolinas.

Communities

While the Town of Jefferson is the county seat of Ashe County, the resort town of West Jefferson provides the vast majority of the cultural features associated with the area. Today, the Town of West Jefferson contains such cultural traits as the R T Morgan Art Gallery, the Catch Light Gallery, the Originals Only Gallery, and the Ashe Arts Center. To the east of the primary communities is the New River State Park, with the upper New River remaining a point of cultural significance throughout the region otherwise known as the High Country.