Mitchell

Formed February 1, 1861 (89^th county)

Mitchell County (14,906), Bakersville (452), Spruce Pine (2,201)

The 2000 version of the courthouse is a red brick Modern Colonial Revival structure.  It is located on Longview Drive off of Roan Mountain Road.  North Carolina State Highway 261 is Roan Mountain Road.  Besson, Lusk & Street provided the building designs.  The structure features a small tower and columns.  There was a 1907 facility earlier.  Veteran memorials are at the old courthouse.  The county was founded on February 1, 1861 from parts of Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Watauga, and Yancey counties as the 89^th county.  The county is named for Professor Doctor Elisha Mitchell.  Bakersville is named for settler David Baker.  Calhoun was the first county seat until 1866 when Bakersville took over. 

Mitchell 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 Mitchell, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties, Three District Court Judges serve Mitchell, Avery, Madison, Watauga, and Yancey counties and a court clerk serves Mitchell County (judicial.)  The county is in the northwest on the border with Tennessee.  Asheville, North Carolina is southwest and Greensboro, North Carolina is east of the county.  The county center is .7 miles West of Bakersville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tennessee and Avery, McDowell, and Yancey counties. 

The area of the county is 222 square miles.  It is 99 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 87 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 67.1 persons per square mile making it 65 out of 100 in the state.  Mitchell County has 17.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 19 East comes in from the northeast, Avery County, and goes to the west, Yancey County.  United States Highway 221 enters from Avery County and exits south into McDowell County.  The county resembles a lazy comma.  Bakersville is located slightly east of center in the county.  Spruce Pine is in the southeast corner of the county.  Bakersville is the county seat and Spruce Pine is the largest city.  Bakersville is 3.0% of the county population while Spruce Pine is 14.8% of the county population.