Transylvania County, North Carolina

Transylvania County Education, Geography, and History

Transylvania County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 33,090. Its county seat is Brevard.

Transylvania County comprises the Brevard, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Asheville-Brevard, NC Combined Statistical Area.

Etymology - Origin of Transylvania County Name

It's name is derived from the Latin words, trans meaning "across" and sylva meaning "woods."

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Transylvania County History

Transylvania was formed in 1861 from Henderson and Jackson. It's name is derived from the Latin words, trans meaning "across" and sylva meaning "woods." It is in the western section of the State and is bounded by the State of South Carolina and Jackson, Haywood and Henderson counties. The present land area is 378.39 square miles and the population in 2000 was 29,334. The first court was to be held at the home of B. C. Langford. Commissioners were named to select a site for the public buildings within five miles of W. P. Poor's store and to acquire land and lay out Brevard. Brevard is the county seat.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 381 square miles (990 km²), of which 379 square miles (980 km²) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) (0.5%) is water.

There are over 250 waterfalls in the county. Receiving over 90 inches of rain annually, Transylvania County is the wettest county in the state. This is contrasted with Buncombe County, which is thirty miles northeast of Transylvania County receiving the lowest precipitation. The Blue Ridge Parkway traverses through parts of the county, affording spectacular views of the Appalachian Mountains, which reach over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) elevation in the county. The highest point, Chestnut Knob, 6,025 feet (1,836 m), lies northwest of the county seat Brevard.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Henderson County - east
• Greenville County, South Carolina - southeast
• Pickens County, South Carolina - south
• Oconee County, South Carolina - southwest
• Jackson County - west
• Haywood County - northwest
• Buncombe County - northeast

Education

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