Highlands is an incorporated

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Macon County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Located on a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

in the southern

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, within the

Nantahala National Forest The Nantahala National Forest () is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina, lying in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina. The Nantahala is the second wettest region in the Continental US, after the Pacific Nor ...

, it lies mostly in southeastern Macon County and slightly in southwestern Jackson County, in the Highlands and Cashiers

Township A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...

s, respectively. The permanent population was 1,014 at the 2020 census.

History

Highlands was founded in 1875 after its two founders, Samuel Truman Kelsey and Clinton Carter Hutchinson, drew lines from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

and from

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. They felt that the place where these lines met would eventually become a great trading center and commercial crossroads. Highlands was named for its lofty elevation. In the 1930s the town became a

golfing Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

mecca when Bobby Jones of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

and some of his well-heeled golfing buddies founded the Highlands Country Club. Today that club is one of seven successful residential country club communities in the area. The Highlands Country Club is south of Highlands on Dillard Road (

North Carolina Highway 106 Georgia State Route 246 (SR 246) and North Carolina Highway 106 (NC 106) are actually a pair of highway designations that run concurrently on a single road that runs from Dillard, Georgia to Highlands, North Carolina. The ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the community has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.94%, is water. The official average

elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

within town limits is , making it one of the highest incorporated municipalities east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, and the highest not developed as a resort community - the only other communities laying higher, Sugar Mountain, NC, Wolf Laurel, NC, Snowshoe, WV, and Beech Mountain, NC were all created as resorts. The annual rainfall approaches due to the

orographic lifting effect Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and cre ...

of storms coming from the lower elevations. This rainfall, coupled with abundant sunshine, creates a lush and verdant microclimate that appeals to

botanists This is a list of botanists who have Wikipedia articles, in alphabetical order by surname. The List of botanists by author abbreviation is mostly a list of plant taxonomists because an author receives a standard abbreviation only when that aut ...

Climate

Highlands has a

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfb''), with cool winters and warm summers. Highlands experiences notably cooler weather than the rest of the American South; this cooling is caused by its altitude. Astride the

Eastern Continental Divide The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a drainage divide, hydrological divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard drainage basin, watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico wat ...

, at just over , the town's elevation contributes to its relatively cool summers and abundant rainfall, averaging per year. Average

snow Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...

fall is , largely due to the fact that Highlands is further south and east in the

. In 2013 Highlands received 106 inches of rainfall. Areas of similar elevation on the northwest side of the Appalachian region, such as Banner Elk, are not as protected from periodic blasts of Arctic air and receive more substantial snowfall. Highlands is one of the very rare locations at this latitude that has an average high of 78 °F or 26 °C in July, far lower than the rest of the

American South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is census regions United States Census Bureau. It is between the Atlantic Ocean and the ...

Economy

Tourism

Highlands is increasingly becoming a two-season community; a summer-season community and an ever-growing winter-season community. The summer season (generally March through November) draws large numbers of Southerners from the summertime heat and humidity found throughout much of the region to enjoy the cooler mountains and hometown "Main Street experience". The town is dotted with

antique An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...

dealers, restaurants (six of which have received awards from ''

Wine Spectator ''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine, wine culture and wine ratings. It is the flagship publication of M. Shanken Communications, which also publishes ''Cigar Aficionado'', ''Whisky Advocate'', ''Market Watch' ...

''), shops, and inns, as well as several buildings on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. For the performing arts there are four theaters: The Highlands Playhouse (founded in 1938), the Instant Theatre Company (founded in 1981), the Highlands Community Players (founded in 1995), and the Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center, which hosts touring groups. For the visual arts there is The Bascom - A Center for the Visual Arts, a new facility named for the artist and playwright, Louise Rand Bascom Barratt. The historic (NRHP-listed) Lee's Inn, with an enormous tree growing through the middle of its dining room, was lost to an electrical fire in the 1980s and was not rebuilt. The historic Old Edwards Inn (also NRHP-listed) continues to operate as an inn and spa catering to affluent demographics, with several properties in Highlands and the surrounding area.

Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center

The Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center is a prominent venue in Highlands, featuring independent theater and local musical acts. When the building, which was formerly the Community Bible Church, went up for sale in 1999, the founding director of the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival started a fundraising campaign to buy the property so that the festival could have a permanent home. Since then, the Performing Arts Center has brought over 255 performances to the southeastern Macon County area.

Public utilities and services

There is one public school in the town, Highlands School, as well as a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending library, that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil servic ...

, known as the Hudson Library. The Hudson Library is part of the Fontana Regional Library, which serves Swain, Jackson, and Macon counties. The Hudson Library also housed The Bascom until May 2009; The Bascom is a nonprofit visual arts center that is housed on a six-building, six-acre campus, and offers exhibitions and educational programs. Highlands has one hospital, Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Highlands has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

, with ZIP code 28741 covering all of Highlands township and adjacent parts of Sugar Fork township. It is within

area code 828 Area code 828 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for most of the western third of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The numbering plan area (NPA) comprises the Blue Ridge Mountains and most of the Foothills. T ...

, and all telephone numbers served by the town's exchange begin with 526 or 482, with

seven-digit dialing Seven-digit dialing is a telephone dialing procedure customary in some territories of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for dialing telephone numbers in the same numbering plan area (NPA). NANP telephone numbers consist of ten digits, of wh ...

allowed. Since buying

GTE GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation (1955–1982), was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System. The company operated from 1926, with roots tracing furth ...

Verizon Verizon Communications Inc. ( ), is an American telecommunications company headquartered in New York City. It is the world's second-largest telecommunications company by revenue and its mobile network is the largest wireless carrier in the ...

is now the

telephone company A telecommunications company is a kind of electronic communications service provider, more precisely a telecommunications service provider (TSP), that provides telecommunications services such as telephony and data communications access. Many t ...

for the area. It also offers

DSL Digital subscriber line (DSL; originally digital subscriber loop) is a family of technologies that are used to transmit digital data over telephone lines. In telecommunications marketing, the term DSL is widely understood to mean asymmetric di ...

high-speed Internet In telecommunications, broadband or high speed is the wide- bandwidth data transmission that exploits signals at a wide spread of frequencies or several different simultaneous frequencies, and is used in fast Internet access. The transmission m ...

Television and Internet

Cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...

and

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

services for the town of Highlands are contracted to Northland Communications Corporation and Highlands Cable Group. Both systems carry local

TV station A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the earth's ...

s from the

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populous city in Western North Carolina a ...

/ Hendersonville Greenville/

Spartanburg Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-most populous city in the state. The Office of Management and Budg ...

Designated Market Area. Additionally, because there are many visitors and residents from

metro Atlanta Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the sixt ...

, Northland carries two major-TV network stations from Atlanta:

WSB-TV WSB-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Cox Media Group, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to rad ...

2 (ABC),

WAGA Waga or WAGA may refer to: Broadcasting * WAGA-TV, a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. * WVEE, a radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, formerly WAGA-FM from 1948 to 1959 * WDWD, a radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, formerly WAGA from 1 ...

TV 5 (Fox). Highlands Cable Group now carries all the local networks and the 3 "PBS" networks as well as "Peachtree TV" and "Fox Networks". Highlands is the

city of license In U.S., Canadian, and Mexican broadcasting, a city of license or community of license is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator. In North American broadcast ...

for two

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

s. WHLC FM 104.5 broadcasts from a house just north of the town and is one of very few stations to still have an

easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

. Its

omnidirectional Omnidirectional refers to the notion of existing in every direction. Omnidirectional devices include: * Omnidirectional antenna, an antenna that radiates equally in all directions * VHF omnidirectional range, a type of radio navigation system for ...

broadcast range A broadcast range (also listening range or listening area for radio, or viewing range or viewing area for television) is the service area that a broadcast station or other transmission covers via radio waves (or possibly infrared light, which i ...

extends into all three surrounding states, going furthest into

upstate South Carolina The Upstate, historically known as the Upcountry, is a region of the U.S. state of South Carolina, comprising the northwesternmost area of the state. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the ...

. W277CU on 103.3

relay A relay Electromechanical relay schematic showing a control coil, four pairs of normally open and one pair of normally closed contacts An automotive-style miniature relay with the dust cover taken off A relay is an electrically operated switc ...

s Western North Carolina Public Radio from Asheville. UNCTV is relayed

digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Businesses *Digital bank, a form of financial institution *Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) or Digital, a computer company *Digital Research (DR or DRI), a software ...

ly on W35CK-D, replacing

analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

W27BD.

Transportation

There are four major roads in and out of town. Franklin Road and most of Main Street carry

U.S. 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,281 miles (3,672 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route ...

west and N.C. 28 north, going briefly west and then northwest to

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

, along the

Mountain Waters Scenic Byway The Mountain Waters Scenic Byway is a National Forest Scenic Byway that traverses through the Nantahala National Forest, in Western North Carolina. It features two river gorges, hardwood forests and countryside vistas. Route description The f ...

alongside the

Cullasaja River The Cullasaja River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Cashiers, with views of Whiteside Mountain. Walhalla Road and south Fourth Street carry N.C. 28 briefly south, west around the south side of downtown, and then south again toward

Pine Mountain, Georgia Pine Mountain is a town in Harris and Meriwether counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 1,216. The Harris County portion of Pine Mountain is part of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, while ...

, and

Walhalla, South Carolina Walhalla is a city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. Designated in 1868 as the county seat, it lies within the area of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, an area of transition between mountains a ...

, keeping the number 28 in all three states. Dillard Road carries N.C. 106 southwest, crossing the state line five times, and soon ending at U.S. 441 in

Dillard Dillard may refer to: People * Dillard (name) Places in the United States * Dillard, Alabama * Dillard, Georgia * Dillard, New Orleans, Louisiana * Dillard, Missouri * Dillard, North Carolina * Dillard, Oklahoma * Dillard, Oregon Arts, entertai ...

. There are also other state secondary roads maintained by NCDOT, with Buck Creek Road (N.C. 1535/1538) acting as a very curvy

bypass route A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, to improve road safety and as replacement ...

around the town. There is no

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whi ...

within or through the town. The nearest municipal airport is

Macon County Airport Macon County Airport is a public use airport in Macon County, North Carolina, United States. Owned by the Macon County Airport Authority, it is located three nautical miles (6 km) northwest of central business district of Franklin, No ...

, between Franklin and Iotla. While it is also the nearest

automated airport weather station Airport weather stations are automated sensor suites which are designed to serve aviation and meteorological operations, weather forecasting and climatology. Automated airport weather stations have become part of the backbone of weather observin ...

, conditions there do not accurately reflect Highlands, as there is a major difference in elevation, and therefore

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...

and

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

. A

USFS The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...

RAWS The Remote Automatic Weather Stations (RAWS) system is a network of automated weather stations run by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and monitored by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), mainly to observe ...

automated weather station An automatic weather station (AWS) is an automated version of the traditional weather station, either to save human labor or to enable measurements from remote areas. An AWS will typically consist of a weather-proof enclosure containing the data ...

(HGLN7) operates from north-northwest of Highlands, along Flat Mountain Road (N.C. 1544).

Recreation

Hiking

The nature and hiking trails around Highlands are popular with backpackers, and there is at least one

outfitter An outfitter is a shop or person that sells specialized clothes (an '' outfit'' is a set of clothing). More specifically, it is a company or individual who provides or deals in equipment and supplies for the pursuit of certain activities. In Nort ...

store in town. There are several mountainous hiking trails, including several leading to waterfalls.

Fishing

Fishing is available in Highlands, at Harris Lake, Cliffside Lake Recreation Area and other in-town and surrounding-area lakes. Cliffside Lake, in particular, is stocked with Rainbow, Brown and Brook Trout. Some fishing areas near Highlands are public and others are private fishing grounds. Fly Fishing is also a common activity in highlands/ There are also several rivers, including the

Cullasaja River The Cullasaja River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Chattooga River The Chattooga River (also spelled Chatooga, Chatuga, and Chautaga, variant name Guinekelokee River) is the main tributary of the Tugaloo River. Water course The headwaters of the Chattooga River are located southwest of Cashiers, North Car ...

to the southeast.

Waterfalls

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is a

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

located in the

, northwest of Highlands. With a short curve of roadway located behind the falls, it has the distinction of being the only waterfall in the state that one can drive a vehicle behind. Bridal Veil Falls flows on a tributary of the

Cullasaja River The Cullasaja River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

U.S. Highway 64 northwest of town. Highway 64 originally used the curve of roadway behind the falls exclusively so that all traffic went behind them; however, this caused problems with icing of the roadway during freezing weather, and it was re-routed around the front of the falls since. There is a parking area on the side of the road, where visitors can park and view the falls as well. In 2003, a massive boulder slid off the left side of the falls, blocking that side of the drive-under completely. However, in July 2007, that boulder was removed by a local developer.

Cullasaja Falls

Cullasaja Falls is located on the

Cullasaja River The Cullasaja River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

and is part of the

. ''Cullasaja'' comes from a

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

word meaning "

honey locust The honey locust (''Gleditsia triacanthos''), also known as the thorny locust or thorny honeylocust, is a deciduous tree in the family Fabaceae, native to central North America where it is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys. Honey ...

place". The falls is the last major waterfall on the Cullasaja River.Kevin Adams, ''North Carolina Waterfalls'', p. 470 The falls is a long cascade over the course of . The height of the falls is given as in Kevin Adams' book, ''North Carolina Waterfalls'' and by NCWaterfalls.com. However, Google Earth gives a height (based on the elevation of the water at the top of the falls and the elevation of the plunge pool at the bottom of the falls) of . The falls are located beside a series of blind curves on Highway 64 with sheer rock cliffs above and below the road. There is only one small pull-off near the falls, but walking on the road puts visitors in danger of being hit by a passing vehicle.

Dry Falls

Dry Falls, also known as Upper Cullasaja Falls, is a

in the

, northwest of Highlands on the

Cullasaja River The Cullasaja River ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Cullasaja Falls Cullasaja Falls ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Caroli ...

. Dry Falls flows over an overhanging bluff that allows visitors to walk up under the falls and remain relatively dry when the water flow is low, hence its name. The waterfall has also gone by other names, including High Falls, Pitcher Falls, and Cullasaja Falls.Kevin Adams, ''North Carolina Waterfalls'', p. 467 Dry Falls is located on the side of U.S. Highway 64, north of Highlands. There is a parking area on the side of the road, where visitors can park before walking the short path with stairs to the falls. During 2008-2009 the Forest Service made improvements to the parking area, which included renovation and expansion and the addition of bathroom facilities. A new walkway and overlook were also constructed adjacent to the parking area.

Quarry Falls

Quarry Falls (aka Bust Your Butt Falls) is a small

located beside US Highway 64 west of Highlands. It is best known for the large, deep pool at the bottom and is a popular place for swimming during warm weather. Also located here is a rock to climb and jump from into the deep pool. The waterfall is located about 10 miles from Franklin and 6.5 miles from Highlands.

Other waterfalls

* Glen Falls * Lower Cullasaja Falls * Quarry Falls *

Silver Run Falls Silver Run Falls is a 20-foot waterfall a few miles from the town of Cashiers, North Carolina. It is popular with locals and tourists alike. The falls are located after a flat, 200 yard trail. Additionally, there is a second secret falls located ...

* Secret Falls * Scadin Falls * Kalakaleskies Falls(Sequoyah Dam Falls) * Whitewater Falls **

Upper Whitewater Falls Upper Whitewater Falls is a waterfall in North Carolina on the Whitewater River. As with most of North Carolina's waterfalls, it is in the mountainous area of the state. There is a cluster of falls in the area where the borders of Georgia and ...

Lower Whitewater Falls Lower may refer to: * ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is sit ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,072 people, 639 households, and 333 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 909 people, 445 households, and 253 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,713 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.46%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.11% Asian, 0.88% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.97% of the population. There were 445 households, out of which 18.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.66. In the town, the population was spread out, with 16.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 33.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $31,964 versus $20,662 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $24,120. About 4.2% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Highlands has been served by ''

The Highlander ''Highlander'' is a media franchise created by Gregory Widen. The series began with '' Highlander'', a 1986 fantasy film starring Christopher Lambert, who played Connor MacLeod, the eponymous Highlander. There have been four theatrical ''Highla ...

'' newspaper since 1958. It was preceded by a newspaper of the same name that began in 1885 and ceased publication in 1887 due to financial difficulties. Accessed January 19, 2024.

Notable people

Bil Dwyer William Michael "Bil" Dwyer (born March 30, 1962) is an American stand-up comedian, game-show host, actor, and writer. He is perhaps most well known as the host or play-by-play announcer on series such as ''BattleBots,'' '' I've Got a Secret'', a ...

, cartoonist and humorist (1907–1987)

Nearby towns

Scaly Mountain Scaly Mountain (separate of near-easterly big / little Scaly Mountains, per se - see External link below) is a small Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community along North Carolina Highway 106, southwest of Highlands, North Caro ...

* Cashiers In

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

* Sky Valley *

* Mountain City *

Pine Mountain Pine Mountain may refer to: Natural formations Australia * Pine Mountain (Victoria), large monolith located in Burrowa-Pine Mountain National Park United States * Pine Mountain Wilderness, a protected wilderness area in Prescott National Fore ...

* Clayton

References

External links

Town of Highlands official website

Highlands Chamber of Commerce

"Highlands Historical Society" - a complete resource for local history"Highland Excursion" - US Forest Service Outfitter Guide Service
{{authority control Populated places established in 1875 Towns in Macon County, North Carolina Towns in Jackson County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina

History

Geography

Climate

Economy

Tourism

Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center

Public utilities and services

Television and Internet

Transportation

Recreation

Hiking

Fishing

Waterfalls

Bridal Veil Falls

Cullasaja Falls

Dry Falls

Quarry Falls

Other waterfalls

Demographics

2020 census

2000 census

Media

Notable people

Nearby towns

References

Further reading

External links