Mills River

History

Prior to European colonization a large Cherokee settlement existed within the borders of Mills River. Mills River is among the oldest communities in Henderson County, with its first landholder receiving a deed from the state of North Carolina in 1788. It was once a thriving agricultural community, often called the "fertile crescent". The Mills River Chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Geography

Mills River lies in the northwestern part of Henderson County, extending northeast to the Buncombe County border and southwest to the Transylvania County border. It is bordered to the northeast by the city of Asheville and the town of Fletcher, and to the south by the unincorporated communities of Horse Shoe and Etowah. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.74%, are water. The French Broad River, one of the primary tributaries of the Tennessee River, flows through the northeastern part of the town. The Mills River, a tributary of the French Broad, flows from west to east through the center of the town, and the southern part of the town is in the valley of Boylston Creek, a small tributary of the French Broad. The town lies within minutes of Pisgah National Forest, Interstate 26, and Asheville Regional Airport. Highways 280 and 191 serve as the major arteries and provide access to the nearby cities of Asheville, to the north; Hendersonville, to the southeast; and Brevard, to the southwest.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• North Henderson High
  High · Hendersonville · 1,146 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• West Henderson High
  High · Hendersonville · 1,087 students · 16:1 ratio
• Apple Valley Middle
  Middle · Hendersonville · 825 students · 15:1 ratio
• Rugby Middle
  Middle · Hendersonville · 804 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Hendersonville High
  High · Hendersonville · 784 students · 17.4:1 ratio
• Mills River Elementary
  Elementary · Mills River · 589 students · 15.1:1 ratio
• Glenn C Marlow Elementary
  Elementary · Mills River · 580 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• FernLeaf
  Other · Fletcher · 520 students · 14.1:1 ratio