Asheville is located in Buncombe county and is the County Seat. Situated at the confluence of the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers at an elevation of 2,134 feet with a population of 89,393 it is the largest city in Western North Carolina and the 11th largest city in North Carolina.
Considered the business, cultural and tourisim hub of Western North Carolina, Asheville and the surrounding mountains are a premier destination in the autumn when fall foliage peaks in October. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the city and the world-famous Biltmore Estate and Gardens, the largest privately owned house in the United States was erected here in 1889 and is open to the public for tours.
Asheville is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the world's largest active archive of weather data.
