Dillsboro, North Carolina

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Coordinates: 35°22′11″N, 83°15′4″W
Dillsboro, North Carolina
Backside of downtown Dillsboro during the Dillsboro Arts and Music Festival.
Location in North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Jackson
Government
- Mayor	Jean Hartbarger
Area
- City	0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
- Land	0.4 sq mi (1 km²)
Elevation	1,975 ft (602 m)
Population (2000)
- City	205
- Density	516.1/sq mi (199.3/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Website: http://www.dillsboronc.info/

Dillsboro is an incorporated town in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. The town is a popular tourist location, which visitors tend to stop at on their way into the Great Smoky Mountains. The town of Sylva is located just one mile east of Dillsboro and is the county seat. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad begins in Dillsboro and follows the historic "Murphy Branch" constructed in the 1880's. The population was 205 as of the 2000 census.

Originally known as New Webster, the state legislature had its name officially changed in 1889 to honor William Allen Dills, the town's founder.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Popular Culture
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Dillsboro is located at 35°22′11″N, 83°15′4″W (35.369671, -83.251114)^GR1. The town's altitude above sea level is 1,975 feet (602 meters.)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 205 people, 111 households, and 45 families residing in the community. The population density was 197.9/km² (516.1/mi²). There were 126 housing units at an average density of 121.6/km² (317.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.68% White, 0.98% African American, 3.41% Asian, and 2.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.

There were 111 households out of which 15.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 58.6% were non-families. 54.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 34.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the community the population was spread out with 16.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 31.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 66.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 59.8 males.

The median income for a household in the community was $18,750, and the median income for a family was $27,188. Males had a median income of $20,000 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,365. About 12.8% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 30.9% of those sixty five or over.

[edit] Popular Culture

The infamous train wreck scene in the 1993 blockbuster movie The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones was filmed in Dillsboro along the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The wreckage set can still be viewed on outbound train excursions from Dillsboro.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad was also used in the filming of 1996 comedy My Fellow Americans starring Jack Lemmon and James Garner when they stumble on to a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four.