Our Region
Get to know a little about the geography that defines Buncombe County.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
Located among the Blue Ridge Mountains in the western portion of the state, Buncombe County contains 660 square miles of land.
It is considered a gateway community, connecting people from different parts of North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia to the cultural heritage and natural resources of Western North Carolina.
SURROUNDING COUNTIES
Buncombe is surrounded by the counties of Madison, Yancey, McDowell, Rutherford, Henderson, Transylvania, and Haywood.
These counties experience a daily migration of people as they travel into or out of Buncombe County for work, health care, entertainment, recreation, and other needs.
UNINCORPORATED BUNCOMBE
The term 'unincorporated' means an area that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. In other words, it is the land outside of official cities and town limits.
Buncombe's Comprehensive Plan will focus primarily on the unincorporated areas shown in orange on the map, because that is where the county government has regulatory authority.
However, The Plan will take a regional approach, and will seek answers about the best ways to work and grow in collaboration with the municipalities within its borders, and with the broader community in Western North Carolina.
TOWNSHIPS
Cities, towns, zip codes, school districts, census tracts - there are many different types of boundaries within the county that distinguish places. Townships are one of those types.
Most people are unaware of which township they live in. Can you find yours on the map? Counties use townships as a way to identify the location of properties, watersheds, and other features.
You can see a reference map for the Township numbers HERE .
MUNICIPALITIES
Cities and towns that have corporate status and a local government are called municipalities. These places are able to create their own ordinances and regulations, and provide services for the areas within their borders. Buncombe County contains the municipalities listed below:
- Weaverville
- Woodfin
- Asheville
- Black Mountain
- Montreat
- Biltmore Forest
Many cities and towns have their own Comprehensive Plans, or are currently in the process of creating plans to meet state requirements.
Understanding those plans provides opportunities for Buncombe to make decisions that enhance the goals and priorities created by the municipalities that we are interconnected with. That can result in better infrastructure, more connected recreation options, more efficient use of resources, and so on.
In this next section get to know the municipalities' Comprehensive Plans...
TOWN OF WEAVERVILLE
Weaverville completed their most recent Comprehensive Plan in 2019:
TOWN OF WOODFIN
Woodfin began an update to its Comprehensive Plan in 2021. You can read about upcoming planning activities and past plans on their website:
TOWN OF BILTMORE FOREST
Information about Planning for Biltmore Forest can be found on their website:
TOWN OF BLACK MOUNTAIN
Black Mountain completed their latest Comprehensive Plan in 2021:
BUNCOMBE COUNTY
The 2043 Plan will be Buncombe County's first true Comprehensive Plan.
Since 1998 Buncombe has looked to its Land Use Plan and other more focused plans to guide the county. Now it seeks to look 20 years into the future through a broad, long-range plan that will help guide growth and address community needs and priorities to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Learn more about Buncombe County's Comprehensive Plan and get involved on their website:
