Macon County, North Carolina
| Macon County, North Carolina | ||
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 Location in the U.S. state of North Carolina |
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 North Carolina's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1828 | |
| Named for | Nathaniel Macon | |
| Seat | Franklin | |
| Largest town | Franklin | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 520 sq mi (1,347 km2) | |
| • Land | 516 sq mi (1,336 km2) | |
| • Water | 4.1 sq mi (11 km2), 0.8% | |
| Population | ||
| • (2010) | 33,922 | |
| • Density | 66/sq mi (25/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 11th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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Macon County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 33,922. Its county seat is Franklin.
Macon County is the home of the Nantahala River (along with Swain County, North Carolina). The Nantahala is one of the most popular whitewater rafting destinations in the nation.
The county was formed in 1828 from the western part of Haywood County. It was named for Nathaniel Macon, who represented North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives from 1791 to 1815 (serving as Speaker of the House from 1801 to 1807), and in the United States Senate from 1815 to 1828.
In 1839 the western part of Macon County became Cherokee County. In 1851 parts of Macon County and Haywood County were combined to form Jackson County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 520 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 516 square miles (1,340 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (0.8%) is water.
Of the land in Macon County, 239.31 square miles (620 km2) (46.1%) are federal lands that lie within the Nantahala National Forest and are administered by the United States Forest Service. Of the 239.31 square miles (620 km2) of USFS land, 71.56 square miles (185 km2) lie in the Highlands Ranger District and the remaining 167.75 square miles (434 km2) lie in the Wayah Ranger District. The county's largest natural water supply is the Cullasaja River.
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