Boone

History

Boone took its name from the famous pioneer and explorer Daniel Boone, who on several occasions camped at a site generally agreed to be within the present city limits. Daniel's nephews, Jesse and Jonathan (sons of brother Israel Boone), were members of the town's first church, Three Forks Baptist, still in existence today. Boone was served by the narrow-gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (nicknamed "Tweetsie") until the flood of 1940. The flood washed away much of the tracks and it was decided not to replace them. Boone is notable for being home to the Junaluska community. Located in the hills just north of Downtown Boone, a free black community has existed in the area since before the Civil War. Although integration in the mid-20th century led to many of the businesses in the neighborhood closing in favor of their downtown counterparts, descendants of the original inhabitants still live in the neighborhood. Junaluska is also home to one of the few majority-African American Mennonite Brethren congregations.

Geography

Boone has an elevation of above sea level. An earlier survey gave the elevation as 3,332 ft and since then it has been published as . Boone has the highest elevation of any town of its size (over 10,000 population) east of the Mississippi River. As such, Boone features, depending on the isotherm used, a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), a rarity for the Southeastern United States, bordering on an oceanic climate (Cfb) and straddles the boundary between USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6B and 7A; the elevation also results in enhanced precipitation, with of average annual precipitation. Compared to the lower elevations of the Carolinas, winters are long and cold, with frequent sleet and snowfall. The daily average temperature in January is , | source = }}

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Watauga High
  High · Boone · 1,272 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Hardin Park Elementary
  Elementary · Boone · 851 students · 10.9:1 ratio
• Parkway Elementary
  Elementary · Boone · 647 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Blowing Rock Elementary
  Elementary · Blowing Rock · 431 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• Valle Crucis Elementary
  Elementary · Sugar Grove · 342 students · 11.4:1 ratio
• Green Valley Elementary
  Elementary · Boone · 309 students · 10.3:1 ratio
• Cove Creek Elementary
  Elementary · Vilas · 294 students · 10.1:1 ratio
• Watauga Innovation Academy
  High · Boone · 274 students · 68.5:1 ratio