Macon

Formed January 1, 1828 (65^th county)

Macon County (37,016), Franklin (4,170)

A Modern red brick courthouse was erected in 1972.  It is located on Main Street at Iotla Street.  Main Street is North Carolina State Highway 28 in the town.  Kyle C. Boone is the architect.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds and an Annex is down the street.  An 1881 courthouse preceded this one also in Franklin, the only county seat.  Macon County was formed on January 1, 1828 from Haywood County as the 65^th county.  It is named for Senator Nathaniel Macon.  The county seat is named for Governor Jesse Franklin. 

Macon 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 Macon, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties, Four District Court Judges serve Macon, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, and Swain counties and a court clerk serves Macon County (judicial.)  The county is in the southwest part of North Carolina on the border with Georgia.  Charlotte, North Carolina is east and Asheville, North Carolina is northeast of the county.  The county center is 10.1 miles South-Southwest of Franklin nearer Gneiss.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Swain and Jackson counties and Georgia and Clay, Cherokee, and Graham counties. 

The area of the county is 520 square miles.  It is 45 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 65 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 71.2 persons per square mile making it 64 out of 100 in the state.  Macon County has 14.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 23/441 enter the county from the northeast, Jackson County, and exit to the south, Georgia.  United States Highway 64 crosses east to west from Jackson County to Clay County.  The county is shaped like a garbage bag leaning northwest.  Franklin is located in the eastern third of the county.  Franklin is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 11.3% of the county population.