Macon County is a county in North Carolina, United States, in the far southwestern corner of the state along the Nantahala National Forest. It had a population of 37,014 at the 2020 census and covers 519.67 square miles (1,345.9 km2), of which 515.58 square miles are land and 4.09 square miles are water, centred near 35°09′N 83°25′W.
Franklin is the county seat, and its postal code is 28734. The county has two incorporated towns (Franklin and Highlands) and dozens of unincorporated communities, most of them small mill settlements and mountain hollows scattered along the Little Tennessee and Nantahala rivers. Macon County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Macon County
Only two places in Macon County are incorporated municipalities — Franklin and Highlands. Everything else on the list below is an unincorporated community: a crossroads, an old mill site, or a mountain settlement with no municipal government of its own. Populations are shown only where the U.S. Census Bureau reports a figure for the place; ZIP codes are shown only for places with their own dedicated post office.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | Town · seat | 3,845 | 28734 |
| Highlands | Town | 924 | 28741 |
| Otto | Unincorp. | — | 28763 |
| Scaly Mountain | Unincorp. | — | 28775 |
| Addington Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Aquone | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beechertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Berry Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Blossomtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Brendletown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burnett Fields | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burningtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cowee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cozads Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cullasaja | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dean | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Deans Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Franklin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ellijay | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fairview | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fulchertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gneiss | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Higdonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Iotla | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kyle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leatherman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lickskillet | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Malonee Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McClure Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McDonald Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mountain Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Norton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olive Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orlando | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parrish Gap | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prentiss | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rainbow Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shallow Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shookville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Slickrock Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stiles | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tellico | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Teresita | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tumblerville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Union | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Watkins Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wayah Depot | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 28734 — Franklin (also serves East Franklin, Cowee, Iotla, Cullasaja and most of the county’s rural mill communities)
- 28744 — Franklin (P.O. box ZIP)
- 28741 — Highlands
- 28763 — Otto
- 28775 — Scaly Mountain
The great majority of the small communities on the list above have no dedicated ZIP code and are served by the Franklin (28734) post office; roughly four in five county residents use that single ZIP.
Geography
Macon County lies in the Blue Ridge Mountains of far southwestern North Carolina, almost entirely within the Nantahala National Forest. The Little Tennessee River rises in Georgia and flows north through the county past Franklin, while the Nantahala River — one of the most popular whitewater-rafting rivers in the country — cuts through the Nantahala Gorge in the county’s northwest before joining the Little Tennessee in neighboring Swain County. The terrain is steep and forested, with the Highlands Plateau in the southeast rising above 4,000 feet.
Macon County borders Swain County to the north, Jackson County to the east, Oconee County, South Carolina to the southeast, Rabun County, Georgia to the south, Clay County to the southwest, Cherokee County to the west, and Graham County to the northwest.
Demographics
Macon County had 37,014 residents at the 2020 census, up from earlier counts as retirees and second-home owners have moved into the Highlands and Franklin areas. Franklin, the county seat, is the largest community at 3,845 people, followed by the resort town of Highlands at 924. Median household income in the county runs below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting a mountain economy built on tourism, retail and services rather than the higher-wage corridors around Raleigh and Charlotte. Population density is low, at roughly 72 people per square mile, concentrated in the Franklin valley and the Highlands plateau.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism and second-home/retiree spending drive much of Macon County’s economy, centered on whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River, hiking on the Appalachian and Bartram trails, and the seasonal resort trade in Highlands. Franklin calls itself the “Gem Capital of the World” for the ruby, sapphire and other corundum mines that draw rockhounds to the area, and hosts gem and mineral shows each spring and fall. Macon County Public Schools and Southwestern Community College’s Macon campus are among the larger local employers, alongside Angel Medical Center in Franklin.
History
Macon County was formed in 1828 from Haywood County and named for Nathaniel Macon, a North Carolina congressman and U.S. senator known for his strict states’-rights views. The county was historically Cherokee land before removal in the 1830s; Cowee, on the Little Tennessee River north of Franklin, was the site of a major Cherokee town and later a Revolutionary War-era battleground. Franklin was established as the county seat in the early 19th century and grew around gold and later gem mining.
Getting There
US 23/US 441 and US 64 cross through Franklin, with NC 28 and NC 106 running toward the Nantahala Gorge and Highlands respectively.
- Asheville — 65 miles northeast
- Sylva — 25 miles northeast
- Murphy — 35 miles west
- Clayton, Georgia — 20 miles south
Macon County Airport, just south of Franklin, handles general aviation; the nearest commercial airport is Asheville Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Macon County, North Carolina?
It is in the far southwestern corner of the state, in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Georgia line, within the Nantahala National Forest.
What is the population of Macon County?
37,014 at the 2020 census.
How big is Macon County?
519.67 square miles (1,345.9 km2), of which 515.58 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Macon County?
Franklin is the county seat.
How many towns are in Macon County?
Two incorporated towns, Franklin and Highlands, plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Macon County?
28734 and 28744 (Franklin), 28741 (Highlands), 28763 (Otto) and 28775 (Scaly Mountain).
What is Macon County known for?
Gem mining around Franklin, whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River, and the resort town of Highlands.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.