Editing Cherokee County, North Carolina (section)

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q484664|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Cherokee County}}
[[File:The Hiwassee River and the town of Murphy in Cherokee County, N.C., on Oct. 24, 2022.jpg|thumb|Downtown Murphy from the air; the Hiwassee River is on the left]]
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|466.67|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|455.54|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|11.13|sqmi}} (2.38%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The U.S. Forest Service owns 31 percent of the county, or 92,637 acres, as of 2025.<ref name=":6" />

Located in the southern [[Appalachian Mountains]], Cherokee County contains a varied [[natural landscape]]. Portions of the county fall within the boundaries of the [[Nantahala National Forest]]. The [[Hiwassee River]] flows into Tennessee after passing through this county from southeast to northwest; it is a tributary of the [[Tennessee River]]. Both rivers are known to have had several historic [[Cherokee]] towns and villages located along their banks.

As of 2022, the county had 25,410 acres of agricultural land and 246 farms.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2024-09-03 |title=County by the numbers |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/county-numbers |access-date=2024-09-06 |work=[[Cherokee Scout]] |publisher=[[Community Newspapers Inc.]] |location=Murphy, NC |pages=1A, 7A}}</ref> Cherokee County has a total of 28 dams according to the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]]. Thirteen are classified as high-hazard, meaning a dam failure may be deadly; nine of those have no emergency action plans. Of the 13 high-hazard dams, eight are marked as potentially dangerous; one is considered an immediate threat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Inventory of Dams |url=https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/#/dams/search/sy=@countyState:Cherokee,%20North%20Carolina&viewType=map&resultsType=dams&advanced=false&hideList=false&eventSystem=false |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=U.S. Army Corps of Engineers}}</ref>

In April 1974, parts of Cherokee County were affected by a historic weather event, the [[1974 Super Outbreak]] of tornadoes. This affected parts of 13 states and was the second-largest such event to be recorded in the U.S.

===Cherokee reserve===
Portions of the [[Qualla Boundary]] are located in Cherokee County. These are non-contiguous and are separate from the main part of the Qualla Boundary, which is in [[Swain County, North Carolina|Swain]] and [[Jackson County, North Carolina|Jackson]] counties. The land is exclusive territory of the federally recognized [[Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians]] and is protected by their Tribal Police. Following the success of [[Harrah's Cherokee]] Tribal Casino in Cherokee, the EBCI opened a second tribal casino in 2015 on a plot of their land here, located within the [[Murphy, North Carolina|Murphy]] city limits.

===National protected area===
* [[Nantahala National Forest]] (part)

===State and local protected areas===
* [[Cherokee Lake Recreation Area]]
* [[Fires Creek|Fires Creek Wildlife Management Area]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
* [[Hanging Dog Recreation Area]]
* [[Nantahala National Forest Game Land]] (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands">{{Cite web |title=NCWRC Game Lands |url=https://www.ncpaws.org/ncwrcmaps/gamelands |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=www.ncpaws.org}}</ref>

===Major water bodies===
* [[Appalachia Lake (North Carolina)|Appalachia Lake]]
* [[Harold Wells Lake (North Carolina)|Harold Wells Lake]]
* [[Hiwassee Lake]]
* [[Hiwassee River]]
* [[Junaluska Creek (North Carolina)|Junaluska Creek]]
* [[Little Tennessee River]]
* [[Moccasin Creek (North Carolina)|Moccasin Creek]]
* [[Nottely River]]
* [[Peachtree Creek (North Carolina)|Peachtree Creek]]
* [[Valley River (North Carolina)|Valley River]]
* [[Welch Mill Creek (North Carolina)|Welch Mill Creek]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Graham County, North Carolina|Graham County]] – north
* [[Clay County, North Carolina|Clay County]] – east
* [[Macon County, North Carolina|Macon County]] – east
* [[Fannin County, Georgia]] – southwest
* [[Union County, Georgia]] – south
* [[Polk County, Tennessee]] – west
* [[Monroe County, Tennessee]] – northwest

===Major highways===
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|19}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|19|dab1=Andrews}} (Andrews)
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|19|dab1=Murphy}} (Murphy)
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|64}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|74}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|129}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|60}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|141}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|294}}

US 64, the longest highway in North Carolina, and a cross-country highway, passes through the county from east–west. US 74, which links [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]], [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]], [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]], and [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]], is a major 4-lane highway through the county. US 19 and US 129 also pass through the county, providing connections to [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]] to the south and [[Knoxville, Tennessee|Knoxville]] to the north. There is also a plan to extend Interstate 24 from Chattanooga to Charlotte.

===Major infrastructure===
* [[Western Carolina Regional Airport]]