Rutherford County North Carolina Demographics

Rutherford County, NC

SIZE / POPULATION / ELEVATION:

564.117 Square Miles

64,161 Jan. (2009 estimate)

Lowest Elevation 806

Highest Elevation 3,967

 

INDIVIDUAL TOWNS:

Location	Size (Sq. Miles)	Population	Elevation (Ft)
Chimney Rock	2.8	173	1,096
Forest City	10.6	7,148	860
Lake Lure	14.8	1,007	1,125
Rutherfordton	2.6	4,031	1,075
Spindale	4.62	3,857	960

For more information, check out the Rutherford County Government Website

Why the Weather is So Pleasant

The Iso-Thermal Belt

Our unique location at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains brings wonderful weather to Rutherford County. Spring arrives earlier, fall lasts longer,
and our winters are milder than other mountain areas. Even neighboring regions of comparable altitude and latitude do not fare as well.

This outstanding region, called the "isothermal belt", is a mid-slope area lying at the junction of the rolling piedmont hills and the Blue Ridge Mountains, which climb to the highest elevations east of the Rockies. In early and late frost seasons, thanks to its protected location, this hilly mid-slope area tends to be warmer on many occasions than the higher and lower elevations nearby. The relatively warm air becomes "trapped" between higher and lower layers of colder air.

The result, gorgeous fall foliage colors lasting deep into November, spring flowers arriving noticeably earlier than most areas, and winters with noticeable less ice and snow. Rutherford County considers this all-year climate phenomenon a unique attribute.