Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville is a city located in Buncombe County, North Carolina{{GR|6}}, and is its county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,889. It is the largest city in western North Carolina, and continues to grow - as of 2004, the Census Bureau estimates that Asheville's population is 70,400.

General Information

Asheville is located at the confluence of the Swannanoa River and the French Broad River. The French Broad continues northwest through the Appalachian Mountains to Knoxville in Tennessee. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville's weather resembles the weather of the rest of the southeastern U.S., but with somewhat cooler temperatures due to the higher altitude. In winter, temperatures may fall into the teens, and Asheville almost always receives snow and freezing rain a few times each year.

Related Topics:
Confluence - Swannanoa River - French Broad River - Appalachian Mountains - Knoxville - Tennessee - Blue Ridge Mountains - U.S. - Freezing rain

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The city is best known for the lavish Biltmore Estate, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Other notable architecture in Asheville includes its art deco city hall and other unique buildings in the downtown area. The Montford neighborhood and other central areas are considered historic districts and include many Victorian houses. Asheville and the surrounding mountains are also extremely popular in the autumn when fall foliage peaks in October. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the Asheville area and the grounds of Biltmore Estate. Biltmore Village is a section of the city adjacent to the estate, where workers stayed during its construction. It is currently home to many small trendy shops. Author Thomas Wolfe was born in Asheville. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald lived and worked in Asheville during some of his literary career. His wife, Zelda, died in a fire in an Asheville sanitarium in 1948. In 1978, the acclaimed film Being There, which starred Peter Sellers and was directed by Hal Ashby, was filmed in Asheville.

Related Topics:
Biltmore Estate - Architecture - Art deco - Blue Ridge Parkway - Biltmore Estate - Biltmore Village - Thomas Wolfe - F. Scott Fitzgerald - Being There - Peter Sellers - Hal Ashby

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In 2005 alleged bomber Eric Robert Rudolph was transported to Asheville from Murphy, North Carolina for arraignment in federal court. In September 2004, major flooding was reported in town, particularly at Biltmore Village, due to rains from the remnants of Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan.

Related Topics:
2005 - Eric Robert Rudolph - Murphy, North Carolina - Arraignment - Biltmore Village - Hurricane Frances - Hurricane Ivan

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Asheville is served by two regional shopping malls, Asheville Mall and Biltmore Square Mall. Asheville is served by Asheville Regional Airport in nearby Fletcher, North Carolina, and by Interstate 40, Interstate 240, and Interstate 26.

Related Topics:
Asheville Mall - Biltmore Square Mall - Asheville Regional Airport - Fletcher, North Carolina - Interstate 40 - Interstate 240 - Interstate 26

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[[The city is home to the Asheville Tourists baseball club of the South Atlantic League.

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