Beech Mountain, North Carolina | |
---|---|
Nickname: Beech | |
Coordinates: 36°12′23″N 81°52′59″W / 36.20639°N 81.88306°W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
Counties | Watauga, Avery |
Incorporated | 1981 |
Named for | Beech Mountain |
Area | |
• Total | 6.49 sq mi (16.82 km2) |
• Land | 6.48 sq mi (16.78 km2) |
• Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
Elevation | 4,354 ft (1,327 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 675 |
• Density | 104.15/sq mi (40.21/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 28604 [3] |
Area code | 828 |
FIPS code | 37-04510 [4] |
GNIS feature ID | 2405226[2] |
Website | www |
Beech Mountain is a town in both Avery and Watauga counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina.[2] As of the 2010 census, the town population was 320. The town is located atop Beech Mountain and is the highest town east of the Rocky Mountains at 5,506 ft (1,678 m) in elevation. The nearest municipality at a higher elevation is Des Moines, New Mexico, some 1,220 miles (1,960 kilometers) away.
The town relies heavily on tourism, with the population swelling as high as 5,000 in the summer, and to 10,000 during the peak of ski season. The abundance of outdoor activities, mild summer temperatures (compared to the rest of the southeast), and ski resort make it a popular location for people in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida to own both summer and winter vacation homes.[5]