Connelly Springs, North Carolina
Connelly Springs is a town of 2,427 people in Burke County, North Carolina.
Why visit Connelly Springs
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 10 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include McGalliard Falls, Jean-Pierre Auguste Dalmas House and Valdese Elementary School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 30°F.
Weather in Connelly Springs
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Connelly Springs
Connelly Springs is a town in Burke County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Connelly Springs had a population of 1,529. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Connelly Springs, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Jean-Pierre Auguste Dalmas House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Valdese Elementary School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Historic school building in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes10
Aztec Chef
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.1 mi
1121 US-70, Connelly Springs
JD's Smokehouse
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.8 mi
500 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs
Jessica's Mediteranean & American Eatery
Restaurant · 1.8 mi
1311 Malcolm Boulevard, Rutherford College
Chicken in the Basket
Restaurant · 1.5 mi
1413 US-70, Connelly Springs
South Mountain Distilling Company
Brewery and winery · 1.7 mi
1027 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs
History
The first settler on record in the area was William Lewis Connelly, a colonel in the North Carolina militia, for whom the town was named. In 1838, Colonel Connelly built a log home and operated a way station where fresh horses could be made available for the stagecoach line that ran from Salisbury to Asheville. He also took in boarders who were looking to spend a night during a long journey. During this time, a settlement grew up around the way station, which was then known as Happy Home, and a post office was established.
In 1885, the area was found to have a mineral spring, thought to be beneficial in healing a large number of diseases. Mrs. Elmira Connelly opened her spring to others, and before long people were arriving by horse and wagon, and by train, to cart water away in five-gallon demijohns. The popularity of Mrs. Connelly's mineral spring led to the construction of the Connelly Mineral Springs Hotel, a 50-room hotel that was built along the railroad tracks, and near the mineral spring discovered by Mrs. Connelly. As the town grew, it became known as Connelly Springs, and was incorporated as such on May 4, 1920.
From the History section of Connelly Springs, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Waldensian Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Fellowship Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.5 mi
1991 Tomlinson Loop, Connelly Springs
Abernathy Memorial United Methodist Church
Church · 1.6 mi
960 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs
Calvery Free Will Baptist Church
Church · 1.9 mi
212 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs
Rutherford College First Baptist Church
Church · 1.7 mi
1200 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Healthcare6
Piedmont Cardiology
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
721 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs
Rutherford College Eye Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.6 mi
831 Malcolm Boulevard, Connelly Springs
UNC Health Blue Ridge
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.6 mi
110 Hilltop Street, Connelly Springs
Valdese Family Medicine
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
99 Griffin Street, Connelly Springs
Map of Connelly Springs
49 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 30°F | 3.8 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 33°F | 3.2 in |
| Mar | 61°F | 40°F | 4.1 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 48°F | 4.1 in |
| May | 77°F | 56°F | 3.9 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 64°F | 4.3 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 68°F | 4.3 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 67°F | 4.6 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 61°F | 3.9 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 49°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 39°F | 3.6 in |
| Dec | 52°F | 33°F | 3.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hickory Faa Ap 72301 (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Burke County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2021-03-03: Tropical Storm Eta (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hickory Regional Airport (HKY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Cajah's Mountain 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Hickory 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Lenoir 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Morganton 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Bethlehem 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Newton 16 mi southeast, about 26 min by car
- Claremont 19 mi east, about 31 min by car
- Lincolnton 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Cherryville 26 mi south, about 43 min by car
- Shelby 32 mi south, about 52 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Connelly-Springs-Main-Circle-nc, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
- Jean-Pierre Auguste Dalmas House, rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Waldensian Presbyterian Church, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Valdese Old Rock School-Old Valdese Elementary School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- McGalliard Falls, KatieMacSC, CC BY-SA 4.0
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