Location & Transportation
MITCHELL COUNTY (CENTRAL WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA LOCATION)
Mitchell County is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, approximately 50 miles northeast of Asheville, North Carolina and 25 miles southeast of Johnson City, Tennessee. We are adjacent to 4 metropolitan statistical areas (Boone, Asheville, Marion, Hickory, Lenoir, Morganton, and Johnson City-Kingsport TN-Bristol, VA MSAs). Also, we are approximately 100 miles from the MSAs of Charlotte, NC, Winston-Salem, NC and Greenville, SC.
Mitchell County provides businesses a place to grow and expand and the location advantage of being within a day’s drive of 60% of the nation’s population.
Major Highways
The major highways running through Mitchell County is US Highway 19-E and NC HWY 226.
The County is approximately 26 miles from I-26 corridor. I-40 can be reached via Marion (25 miles). Currently, Highway 19-E is finished to west Spruce Pine. Future phase will complete the HWY 19E widen from east Spruce Pine to Avery County Airport.
Highway 226 connects the county south to McDowell County and to Tennessee in the north. Future plans to widen Highway 226 from HWY 19E to Blue Ridge Parkway is a high priority.
Railroad
CSX, a Class 1 Railroad, is a leading supplier of rail-based freight transportation in North America. But there’s more to CSX than you might expect.
CSX serves major markets in the eastern United States and has access to over 70 ocean, river and lake port terminals along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the Mississippi River, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Overall, the CSX Transportation network encompasses about 21,000 route miles of track in 23 states, the District of Columbia and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Our transportation network serves some of the largest population centers in the nation. Nearly two-thirds of Americans live within CSX’s service territory. The company also has access to Pacific ports through alliances with western railroads.
Airports
Avery County Airport is approximately 6 miles or 10 minutes away and provides hanger services to private airplanes with a 3,000 foot runway.
Asheville Regional Airport is approximately 63 miles or 1 hour and 20 minutes away. The Airport has 26 non-stop flights daily.
Tri-Cities Airport (Johnson City, Tennessee) is approximately 66 miles or 1 hour and 15 minutes away. The Airport has 7 flights daily and is served by Delta, US Air, Allegiant Air, and Northwest.
Greenville-Spartanburg Airport is approximately 105 miles or 2 hours away served by 16 airlines offering 77 non-stop departures to 19 US major cities.
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is approximately 117 miles or 2 hours away with non-stop service to 130 destinations. The Airport is served by 8 domestic carriers, 7 regional carriers, and 2 international carriers.
Nearest Ports
Port of Morehead City – 382 miles away
Breakbulk and bulk facility just four miles from the Atlantic with some of the deepest water on the East Coast.
Port of Wilmington – 365 miles away
Multi-use facility with high productivity, fast turn times, flexible labor and low cost.
Port of Savannah – 342 miles away
The Port of Savannah’s global carrier network, superior location and faster to market service provide vital links to international markets.
Port of Charleston – 298 miles away
Home to the Southeast’s deepwater port, the South Carolina Ports Authority is the industry leader in productive operations, big ship handling, efficient market reach and environmental responsibility.
