Jackson

Formed January 1, 1851 (82^nd county)

Jackson County (43,107), Sylva (2,584)                

The Modern Justice Center was built in 1994 on Grindstone Road at the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway.  The Great Smoky Mountain Expressway is United States Highway 74.  Foy, Lee, Moody & Associates are the architects of this tan brick and stone facility.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  Jackson County was created on January 1, 1851 from Haywood and Macon counties as the 82^nd county.  There is a 1914 courthouse in Sylva.  Webster was the first county seat until 1913 when Sylva took over.  The county is named for United States President Andrew Jackson.  He is also the namesake of the county seats of Northampton County and Onslow County.  The county seat is named for settler William D. Sylva. 

Jackson County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-seven Superior Court Judges serve Jackson, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties, One District Court Judge serve Jackson, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Macon, and Swain counties and a court clerk serves Jackson County (judicial.)  Jackson County is in the southwest part of the state.  Charlotte, North Carolina is east and Asheville, North Carolina is northeast of the county.  The county center is 13.2 miles Southeast of Sylva nearer Cullowhee.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Haywood and Transylvania counties and South Carolina and Macon and Swain counties. 

The area of the county is 495 square miles.  It is 49 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 58 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 87.1 persons per square mile making it 59 out of 100 in the state.  Jackson County has 8.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 enters the county from Haywood County, northeast, and exits into Macon County, southwest.  United States Highway 64 crosses from east to west from Transylvania County to Macon County.  United States Highway 74 enters joined with United States Highway 23 from Haywood County, splits and exits northwest into Swain County.  United States Highway 441 is joined with United States Highway 74 from Swain County, northwest, splits and joins United States Highway 23 into Macon County, southwest.  The county looks like a hot air balloon.  Sylva is located in the northwest quarter of the county.  Sylva is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 6.0% of the county population.