Maggie Valley, North Carolina

Maggie Valley is a town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,687 at the 2020 census.[4] A popular tourist destination, it is home to Cataloochee Ski Area and the former Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park. Maggie Valley is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Town
St. Margaret of Scotland Church
St. Margaret of Scotland Church
Official seal of Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Seal
Location of Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Location of Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°31′16″N 83°02′47″W
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyHaywood
Area
[1]
 • Total3.39 sq mi (8.78 km2)
 • Land3.39 sq mi (8.78 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
2,792 ft (851 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,687
 • Density497.79/sq mi (192.17/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28751
Area code828
FIPS code37-40600[3]
GNIS feature ID2406076[2]
Websitewww.maggievalleync.gov

The community gets its name from Maggie Mae Setzer; her father John "Jack" Sidney Setzer founded the area's first post office and named it after one of his daughters.[5]

History

Before European colonization, what is now Maggie Valley was inhabited by the Cherokee people and other Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Cherokee in Western North Carolina are known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a federally recognized tribe.

Maggie Valley was officially incorporated as a town on May 10, 1904.[6]

Geography

Maggie Valley is in west-central Haywood County. U.S. Route 19 is the main road through the town, leading east 35 miles (56 km) to Asheville and west over Soco Gap 16 miles (26 km) to Cherokee.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has an area of 3.2 square miles (8.2 km2), all land.[7]

Wildlife
An elk in a Maggie Valley neighborhood.

Elk were copious throughout the United States, but numbers have decreased since the mid-1800s because of overhunting and habitat loss. In 2001, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the National Park Service and other partners joined to restore wild elk to the Smoky Mountains in the Cataloochee Valley near Maggie Valley.[8] Most elk are found in Cataloochee Valley, which is a perfect viewing area in the southeastern section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But the elk have been known to wander out of the park and walk toward Maggie Valley. The best times to view elk are in the early morning and late evening.[9] There are an estimated 200 elk in the Maggie Valley area currently.[10]

Not only are there elk around Maggie Valley, but occasionally there are black bears. Bears are found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and occasionally in the areas around Maggie Valley.[11] During winter, the black bears are inactive for a short amount of time and exhibit some physiological responses to low food storage and temperatures. But a result of their brief hibernation is that there are more bear sightings. This is risky because they can be looking for food in neighborhoods or killed on roads. Locals strongly suggest never approaching a bear to photograph it, or leaving food or garbage out, and taking in any bird feeders that are not monitored (especially at night).[12]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1980202—
1990185−8.4%
2000607228.1%
20101,15089.5%
20201,68746.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]

2020 census
Maggie Valley racial composition[14]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 1,475 87.43%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 23 1.36%
Native American 15 0.89%
Asian 30 1.78%
Other/Mixed 69 4.09%
Hispanic or Latino 75 4.45%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,687 people, 833 households, and 562 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 607 people, 297 households, and 179 families residing in the town. The population density was 372.8 people per square mile (143.9 people/km2). There were 565 housing units at an average density of 347.0 per square mile (134.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.38% White, 1.32% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.16% of the population.

There were 297 households, of which 16.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% 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 2.56.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 14.0% under age 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 33.8% from 45 to 64, and 23.9% who were 65 or older. The median age was 49. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,808, and the median income for a family was $40,417. Males had a median income of $27,813 versus $20,865 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,211. About 9.8% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people and events

Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPGMA) “Hall of Greats" member Raymond Fairchild.[15]

Maggie Valley is home to the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum. [16]

Maggie Valley is the birthplace of legendary moonshiner Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton.[17]

Elk were reintroduced into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Maggie Valley in 2001.[18]

References
  1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Maggie Valley, North Carolina
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. "Maggie Valley, North Carolina". Ballotpedia. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  5. Hembree, Linda (July 10, 1983). "For a good time, call Maggie". Herald-Journal. pp. E1. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
  6. "The History of Maggie Valley NC". Town of Maggie Valley. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  7. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Maggie Valley town, North Carolina". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  8. "Maggie Valley elk". Maggie Valley. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  9. "Maggie Valley elk". Maggie Valley. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  10. "Cataloochee Valley Elk". Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  11. "Bears in Maggie Valley". About Maggie Valley. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  12. "Black Bears". NC Wildlife. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
  15. HISTORIC ARTIST Raymond Fairchild Banjo player from Maggie Valley, NC
  16. Wheels Through Time
  17. Carol Motsinger, "New Movie Focuses on WNC Moonshiner Popcorn Sutton," Citizen-Times, November 10, 2014.
  18. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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