Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce Logo - 3 Peaks Mountains Orange, Lime and Olive Green
Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce Text in Olive and Orange

Living in Mitchell County

Mitchell County is located halfway between Boone and Asheville North Carolina and is bordered by the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail. We are a stone’s throw away from Mt. Mitchell, Roan Mountain and Grandfather Mountain… the three most famous peaks in NC. Located equally between the major cosmopolitan Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee cities, but far enough away to be able to hear the creeks bubbling and see the stars in a dark sky.


You may not recognize our name, but we bet you recognize who we call our neighbors…Penland School of Craft, Sibelco Corporation, The Quartz Corp, BRP Inc….all call Mitchell County home. From world class arts to the world’s purest quartz in the world, we are a place that people come to when they are seeking the best. Sound proud? We are! We have the quality of life that respects and preserves our history and our environment while giving those who call Mitchell County home a unique place to work at high tech global corporations or enjoy the entrepreneurial freedom of launching their own business.

What we find is that lots of people come to visit….and then they come back and stay! Now a compliment doesn’t get much better than that!

Learn more about Mitchell County

Education That Rises to The Top

From our public and private to our home school students, education is an integral part of our community. Our community rallies around our students whether through volunteering in the schools, cheering for the home teams or serving as mentors in the classrooms.

Our local community college, Mayland Community College, was ranked in the Top 1% in the nation and chosen on Bankrate.com’s list of Top 10 Community Colleges in the nation. Mitchell County is also within an hour’s drive of several state and public colleges including Appalachian State University, East Tennessee State University, Lenoir-Rhyne University and the University of North Carolina-Asheville. Many of our local businesses partner with these universities inviting students to intern, shadow and later join them as employees.

Mitchell County Schools
Tri-County Christian School
Montessori School
Mayland Community College
Mitchell Yancey Partnership for Children

Regional Universities

Appalachian State University
Lees McCrae College
East Tennessee University
Mars Hill University
Montreat College


World Class Healthcare, Close to Home

A true mark of a vibrant community is the importance it places on the health of its citizens.
Mitchell County is home to Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, a member of the Mission Health System. Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, originally Spruce Pine Community Hospital, was built with the full support of the citizens. Sixty years ago, local citizens contributed their funds from their monthly salary checks to help get the local hospital built. Today, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital has continued to grow and now serves the citizens of three counties.
In 2015, East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine cut the ribbon on their new Service Learning Center, located on the campus of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital. Dedicated to serving the people of the Mitchell County region, the 7,700-square-foot center is a fully functioning general dentistry office with 16 treatment rooms, X-ray equipment, educational space and more. Full-time dental school faculty members staff the center, along with dental hygienists and other staff members, and fourth-year dental students and residents will train at the center.

Also in 2015, Blue Ridge Regional Hospital will open the new Mauzy-Phillips Medical Office Building, a state of the art facility on the campus of BRRH. The new medical office building will include primary care providers as well as expanded space and additional exam rooms for Family Medicine, Women’s Health, Cardiac Rehab and Wellness and Wound Care services. Visiting specialty physicians who currently rotate office space inside the hospital will relocate to the new building for better patient accessibility.

Other healthcare providers in the community including dialysis treatment, orthopedics, podiatry, dental and home health partner to provide quality health care in our community.
blue ridge regional hospitalbrrh medical office buildingecu service learning center


Mountain Real Estate That Calls You Home

There’s a reason so many people want to live in the mountains of North Carolina! It’s beautiful! But beyond that, our area offers homebuyers, investors and second home owners an opportunity to choose between mountain estates and creek side cabins and everything in between. Property owners choose to select properties in our area because of its central location to larger cities while having the pleasure of living in peace, quiet and a slower pace of life. Contact one of our member Real Estate agents to set up a visit to Mitchell County.

Real Estate Agents
Mitchell-Yancey Board of Realtors


Our Food Scene is Winning Folks Over

From dressed up to dressed down, our area restaurants offer everything from casual dining fare, like burgers and barbeque, to something a little more special, like local trout or a thick prime rib.

Whatever you have a taste for, you’ll find it here! Becoming more and more well known around the Southeast for restaurants featuring locally sourced farm-to-table resources, our area has become quite the draw for folks from Asheville, Charlotte, Atlanta, Raleigh and beyond.

You can certainly create a special menu and dining experience each day you are here. During the summer season, be sure to visit a local farmer’s market for the freshest veggies, fruits and herbs! Local specialties like the ramp or fresh mountain trout are musts during your mountain visit.

See Places to Eat >>


chaletdts blue ridge java


A Haven for the Arts

No other area can boast that they have more NC Living Treasures than Mitchell County. With more artists per capita than anywhere we know of, our region is a haven for the creatives! You can spend a day, a week, a month or a year exploring and discovering world class artists in our community. Pick up one of the local craft maps and take your pick of hundreds of artists’ studios and galleries.

Of course there’s Penland School of Crafts, where you can schedule a tour of the campus and studios. Our area is home to hundreds of professional craft artists’ studios and galleries representing glass, pottery, metal, weavings, jewelry and a lot more. Don’t miss the Toe River Studio tours held in June and December for the opportunity to visit artists in their working studio environments. Then there’s the Blacksmith Festival in April, the Summer Studio Tour in June, the Potter’s Market in October and the Holiday Tour in December just to name a few of the annual craft events.

Helpful Resources

Other Service Numbers

  • Mitchell County Senior Center
    (828) 688.3019
  • Mitchell County Visitors Center
    (828) 765-9483
  • Mitchell County Parks and Recreation
    (828) 688.5901
  • Museum of NC Minerals
    (828) 765-2761

  • Town of Spruce Pine (Parks)
    (828) 765-3012

  • Phone Directories
    800-888-8448

Organizations

  • Mitchell County Animal Rescue
    (828) 765-6952

  • Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce (Admin Office)
    (828) 765-9033

  • Mitchell County Historical Society
    (828) 688-4371

  • Mitchell Yancey Board of Realtors
    (828) 765-0880

  • Spruce Pine Main Street
    (828) 765-3008

  • Toe River Arts Council
    (828) 765-0520

Emergency Numbers

  • All Emergencies (Police, Fire, and Rescue)
    911

  • Mitchell County Department of Emergency Management
    (828) 688.4771

  • Mitchell County Emergency Communications Center
    (828) 688.9110

  • Mitchell County SafePlace Crisis Hotline
    (828) 765-4044

  • National Poison Control Center
    (800) 222-1222

Non-Emergency Numbers

  • Bakersville Community Health Center
    (828) 688-2104
  • Bakersville Police Department
    (828) 688-2113
  • Blue Ridge Regional Hospital
    (828) 765-4201
  • Mitchell County County Sherriff’s Office
    (828)688-2139, ext. 1636
  • North Carolina Highway Patrol (Spruce Pine Office)
    (828) 765-6220
  • Spruce Pine Police Department
    (828) 765-2233

News Media

  • Blue Ridge Christian News
    (828) 765-6800

  • Mitchell News Journal
    (828) 765-2071

  • WTOE Radio
    (828) 765-7441

Utilities

  • AT&T
    (828) 258-7005
  • Country Cablevision
    (828) 682-4074
  • Charter Communications
    (888) 537-2319 or
    (888) 692 8635
  • Duke Energy
    (800) 452.2777
  • Piedmont Natural Gas
    (828) 765-0300
  • French Broad Electric (Bakersville office)
    (828) 688-4815
  • Verizon
    (828) 652-6136

Education

  • Mitchell County Board of Education
    (828) 766-2220
  • Mitchell County Schools
    (828) 766-2220
  • Mayland Community College
    (828) 766-1200
  • Penland School of Craft
    (828) 765-2359

Transportation

  • Mitchell County Transportation Authority
    (828) 688.2139, extension 1632
  • Avery Airport/Morrison Field
    (828) 733-8202

Local Government

  • Bakersville Town Hall
    (828) 688-2113
  • District Attorney
    (828) 688-5100

  • DMV-Driver License Services Spruce Pine
    (828) 766-7649

  • Gun Permits, Sheriff Donald Street
    (828) 688.2139, ext. 1636

  • Mitchell County Building Inspector
    (828)688.4771

  • Mitchell County Veterans Services
    (828) 688.2200
  • Spruce Pine Vehicle and License Plate Renewal Office
    (828) 765-2926

  • Spruce Pine Town Hall
    (828) 765-3000

  • Toe River Health Department
    (828) 765-2239

  • Workforce Development
    (828) 765-775

State Agencies

  • Board of Elections, State
    (919)733-7173
  • Department of Transportation North Carolina
    1-877-DOT-4YOU
  • Employment Security Commission of NC 1-888-737-0259
  • Internal Revenue Service Tax Payer Assistance 919-401-0300
  • NC Division of Veterans Affairs
    919-807-4250
  • NC Department of Commerce
    919-733-4151
  • NC Department of Labor (Durham)
    919-807-2796
  • NC Department of Revenue-Collection
    1-877-252-3052

Federal Agencies

  • Social Security Administration
    888-759-3908

Libraries

  • Bakersville Library
    (828) 688-2511
  • Spruce Pine Library (828) 765-4673

Post Offices

  • Post Office Spruce Pine (828) 765-4613

  • Post Office Bakersville (828) 688-2571

  • Post Office Little Switzerland
    (828) 765-2005