Henderson County is a county in North Carolina, United States, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the South Carolina border. It had a population of 116,281 at the 2020 census and covers 375.09 square miles (971.5 km2) centred near 35°20′N 82°29′W.
Hendersonville is the county seat, and its postal code is 28792. The county has two cities, three towns, one village and twelve census-designated places, plus dozens of smaller unincorporated communities; it sits in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 37089.
Towns & Villages in Henderson County
Henderson County lists well over a hundred named places, from its two incorporated cities down to small mountain communities that never organised a government. Hendersonville and Saluda are cities; Fletcher, Laurel Park and Mills River are towns; Flat Rock is a village; twelve places are census-designated (CDPs) with their own population counts; everything else below is an unincorporated community, subdivision or crossroads — real on the map, with no municipal government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendersonville | City · seat | 15,137 | 28792 |
| Saluda | City | 631 | 28773 |
| Fletcher | Town | 7,987 | 28732 |
| Mills River | Town | 7,078 | 28759 |
| Laurel Park | Town | 2,250 | 28739 |
| Flat Rock | Village | 3,486 | 28731 |
| Etowah | CDP | 7,642 | 28729 |
| East Flat Rock | CDP | 5,757 | 28726 |
| Balfour | CDP | — | 28792 |
| Blue Ridge | CDP | — | 28791 |
| Dana | CDP | — | 28724 |
| Edneyville | CDP | — | 28727 |
| Fruitland | CDP | — | — |
| Horse Shoe | CDP | — | 28742 |
| Mountain Home | CDP | — | 28758 |
| Naples | CDP | — | 28760 |
| Tuxedo | CDP | — | 28784 |
| Zirconia | CDP | — | 28790 |
| Bat Cave | Unincorp. | — | 28710 |
| Gerton | Unincorp. | — | 28735 |
| Barker Heights | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Baxter | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bearwallow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beaumont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bent Tree | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bowman Bluff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Boylston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brickton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brightwater | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brookland Manor | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckeye Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Camelot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cannon Woods | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Carolina Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Chestnut Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cinnamon Woods | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Claremont | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Country Club Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crestwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crooked Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cumberland Village | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dellwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Druid Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Echo Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Echo Lakes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| English Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Essex | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Finlay Brook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flat Rock Forest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fleetwood Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Foxwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Frazier Forest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenn Brook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Goodluck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Green Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Grimesdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hickory Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Highland Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillandale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillgirt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holly Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holly Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoopers Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hunter Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Indian Cave Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Indian Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Indian Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kanuga Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kanuga Pines | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kanuga Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kenwood Knolls | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kingswood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lake Rugby | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakeview Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lakewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurel Park Villas | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maxwell Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mill Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain Lake Camp | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain Page | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Overlook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Patton Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pebble Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinehurst | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quail Hollow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Quail Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ravenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ridgeview Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rosebud | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rugby | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sedgewood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stone Brook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stoneycrest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sycamore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Terrace Gardens | Unincorp. | — | — |
| The Meadows | Unincorp. | — | — |
| The Pines | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Timbercreek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Timberland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tranquility | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tree Haven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Twin Brooks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Upward | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Valley Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willow Bend | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Willow Brook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Windsor Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodhaven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodland Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Woodland Trace | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yale | Unincorp. | — | — |
Saluda straddles the Henderson–Polk county line; its municipal limits and ZIP code (28773) run into both counties, and residents on the Henderson side use the same postal address as those in Polk. Bat Cave, near the county’s northeastern tip, takes its name from a genuine cave system in the cliffs above Hickory Nut Gorge.
ZIP Codes
- 28792 — Hendersonville (also serves Balfour)
- 28739 — Hendersonville
- 28791 — Hendersonville (also serves Blue Ridge)
- 28793 — Hendersonville
- 28732 — Fletcher
- 28759 — Mills River
- 28731 — Flat Rock
- 28726 — East Flat Rock
- 28729 — Etowah
- 28790 — Zirconia
- 28742 — Horse Shoe
- 28735 — Gerton
- 28710 — Bat Cave
- 28758 — Mountain Home
- 28727 — Edneyville
- 28760 — Naples
- 28784 — Tuxedo
- 28724 — Dana
Laurel Park uses the 28739 Hendersonville ZIP, and most of the small subdivisions listed above draw mail from whichever Hendersonville or outlying ZIP is geographically nearest rather than having a code of their own.
Geography
Henderson County lies on the eastern flank of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where the terrain steps down from Hickory Nut Gorge and the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail in the northeast to rolling farmland and orchards around Edneyville and Dana in the county’s centre. The French Broad River forms part of the county’s western edge near Mills River, and Mud Creek drains the Hendersonville basin south toward the Green River. Elevations range from under 2,000 feet along the river valleys to well over 4,000 feet on the ridgelines that carry the Blue Ridge Parkway across the county’s northern corner.
Henderson County borders Buncombe County to the north, Rutherford County to the northeast, Polk County to the east, Greenville County, South Carolina, to the south, Transylvania County to the west, and Haywood County to the northwest.
Demographics
Henderson County’s population was 116,281 at the 2020 census, up from just over 106,000 in 2010. Hendersonville and Fletcher are the two largest communities, followed by Mills River and the Etowah and East Flat Rock CDPs. Median household income in the county runs below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting a large retiree population living on fixed incomes alongside younger working families in Fletcher and Mills River. Population density is about 310 people per square mile, concentrated in the Hendersonville-Fletcher corridor along US 25 and I-26.
Economy & Local Life
Apple growing anchors the county’s rural economy — Henderson County is North Carolina’s largest apple-producing county, with orchards concentrated around Edneyville, Dana and Mills River, and the annual North Carolina Apple Festival draws crowds to downtown Hendersonville every Labor Day weekend. AdventHealth Hendersonville (formerly Pardee Hospital) and Blue Ridge Community College, headquartered in Flat Rock, are among the county’s largest employers, alongside manufacturers in the Mills River and Fletcher industrial parks. Tourism tied to the Blue Ridge Parkway, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock, and downtown Hendersonville’s Main Street shops also supports a large share of local jobs.
History
Henderson County was formed in 1838 from the southern part of Buncombe County and named for Leonard Henderson, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1829 to 1833. Hendersonville was laid out as the county seat the same year. The county grew as a summer retreat for lowland planters and, later, Northern visitors escaping the heat, a pattern that shaped Flat Rock’s 19th-century estate architecture and gave the village its nickname, “the Little Charleston of the Mountains.” Poet and biographer Carl Sandburg spent the last 22 years of his life at Connemara, his farm in Flat Rock, now preserved as a national historic site.
Getting There
Interstate 26 crosses the county on a north–south line, connecting Hendersonville directly to Asheville and to Spartanburg and Columbia, South Carolina. US 64 and US 25 run through the county seat, and US 176 leads southeast toward Saluda and Tryon.
- Asheville — 20 miles north
- Brevard — 20 miles west
- Columbus (Polk County seat) — 20 miles southeast
- Greenville, South Carolina — 40 miles south
Asheville Regional Airport, just across the Buncombe County line, is the nearest commercial airport, roughly 15 miles from Hendersonville.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Henderson County, North Carolina?
It sits in the southwestern mountains of North Carolina, along the South Carolina border, about 20 miles south of Asheville.
What is the population of Henderson County?
116,281 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Henderson County?
375.09 square miles (971.5 km2), of which 372.95 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Henderson County?
Hendersonville is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Henderson County?
Two cities (Hendersonville and Saluda), three towns (Fletcher, Laurel Park and Mills River), one village (Flat Rock) and twelve census-designated places.
What ZIP codes are in Henderson County?
Eighteen ZIP codes serve the county, led by 28792 and 28739 for Hendersonville; see the ZIP Codes section above for the full list.
What is Henderson County known for?
Apple orchards — it is North Carolina’s top apple-producing county — and the Blue Ridge Parkway, Carl Sandburg’s Connemara farm in Flat Rock, and downtown Hendersonville’s Main Street.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.