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Jefferson, North Carolina
Jefferson is a town of 1,864 people in Ashe County, North Carolina, founded in 1799.
Why visit Jefferson
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 11 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 7 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Ashe County Courthouse, West Jefferson Historic District and Ashe County Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 22°F.
Weather in Jefferson
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Jefferson
Jefferson is a town in and the county seat of Ashe County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 1,622.
From the Wikipedia article Jefferson, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do7
Museums and landmarks4
Ashe County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
United States historic place in Jefferson, North Carolina
West Jefferson Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes11
Bobby D's
Restaurant · Italian · 0.8 mi
588 South Main Street, Jefferson
La Chatis Mexican Kitchen/ Zy-Zy Market
Restaurant · Mexican
419 East Main Street, Jefferson
Plaza Del Sol
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
777 East Main Street, Jefferson
Morchella Provisions
Restaurant · 1.6 mi
247 Mount Jefferson Road, West Jefferson
Southern Scoops and Sandwiches
Ice cream
215 Long Street, Jefferson
Sweets And Spirits Bakery Cafe
Bakery
234 East Main Street, Jefferson
When Pigs Fly Of Ashe BBQ & Wings
Restaurant · 1.0 mi
658 South Main Street, Jefferson
History
The North Carolina General Assembly created a special commission in 1799 to found a county seat for Ashe County. The commission purchased 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land to form the town of Jeffersonton, later named Jefferson. It is one of the first towns in the nation to bear the name of Thomas Jefferson, who was the vice president of the United States in 1799.
The Ashe County Courthouse and Poe Fish Weir are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Jefferson, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship7
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.7 mi
506 West Main Street, Jefferson
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare3
Ashe County Health Department
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.6 mi
413 McConnell Street, Jefferson
Map of Jefferson
47 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F | 22°F | 3.9 in | 4.3 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 24°F | 3.3 in | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 29°F | 4.1 in | 2.9 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 36°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 71°F | 45°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 53°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 58°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 57°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 50°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 38°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 55°F | 28°F | 3.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 24°F | 4.0 in | 3.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Jefferson 2 E (2 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
Ashe County has had 19 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)
- 2021-09-08: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred (Hurricane)
- 2021-03-03: Tropical Storm Eta (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wilkes County Airport (IKB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- West Jefferson 3 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- Boone 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Mountain City 19 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Sparta 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Cove Creek 20 mi southwest, about 32 min by car
- Millers Creek 20 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Mulberry 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Cricket 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Independence 23 mi northeast, about 37 min by car
- North Wilkesboro 25 mi southeast, about 40 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
- Mount Jefferson-27527-2, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- Jefferson town hall, NC, Nyttend, Public domain
- Mount Jefferson-27527-2 (cropped), Ken Thomas, Public domain
- 1904 Ashe County Courthouse, Jblevins47, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ashe County Memorial Hospital, Nyttend, Public domain
- AristolochiaMacrophylla9, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla18, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla10, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla13, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla3, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla16, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla5, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Protoparmeliopsis muralis1, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla12, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla2, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla17, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla1, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla6, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla11, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Protoparmeliopsis muralis3, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla7, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla14, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla15, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla4, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Protoparmeliopsis muralis4, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Protoparmeliopsis muralis5, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Protoparmeliopsis muralis2, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- AristolochiaMacrophylla8, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gyalolechia flavovirescens4, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gyalolechia flavovirescens1, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gyalolechia flavovirescens5, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gyalolechia flavovirescens3, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gyalolechia flavovirescens2, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bryoria americana1, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bryoria americana5, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bryoria americana3, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bryoria americana2, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bryoria americana4, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
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