Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It contains the highest mountains in the Eastern United States. The region covers an area of about 11,000 square miles (28,000 km2), and is roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts. The population of the region, as measured by the 2010 U.S. Census, is 1,399,954. 

 

Western North Carolina (often abbreviated as WNC) is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus 

The counties that make up WNC vary depending on which organization you are working. But generally speaking, the Western Region of North Carolina is made up of 28 counties:

  • Alexander County
  • Catawba County
  • Stokes County
  • Alleghany County
  • Cleveland County
  • Macon County
  • Surry County
  • Ashe County
  • Cherokee County
  • Madison County
  • Swain County
  • Avery County
  • Clay County
  • McDowell County
  • Transylvania County
  • Graham County
  • Mitchell County
  • Watauga County
  • Burke County
  • Haywood County
  • Polk County
  • Wilkes County
  • Caldwell County
  • Henderson County
  • Rutherford County
  • Yancey County