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Banner Elk, North Carolina
Official seal of Banner Elk, North Carolina
Seal
Location of Banner Elk, North Carolina
Location of Banner Elk, North Carolina
Country United States
State North Carolina
County Avery
Founded 1848
Incorporated 1911
Government
 • Type Mayor-council
Area
 • Total 1.92 sq mi (4.97 km2)
 • Land 1.92 sq mi (4.97 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
3,895 ft (1,187 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,049
 • Density 546.35/sq mi (210.95/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
28604
Area code(s) 828
FIPS code 37-03500
GNIS feature ID 2405208

Banner Elk is a town in Avery County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2010 census. Banner Elk is home to Lees–McRae College.

History

The area surrounding the Elk River was inhabited by the Cherokee before western settlement, although no evidence of a permanent Cherokee settlement has ever been found. It is likely the area was used for hunting and fishing. The first permanent settlement was established by Martin L. Banner in 1848. Although the Banner family originally came from Wales, Martin Banner moved from Forsyth County in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. Eventually, the Banner family grew to 55 members, and the area where they lived became known as Banner's Elk. This name was later shortened to Banner Elk when the town was incorporated in 1911.

The Banner Elk Hotel and Robert Chester and Elsie H. Lowe House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 264
1930 340 28.8%
1970 754
1980 1,087 44.2%
1990 933 −14.2%
2000 811 −13.1%
2010 1,028 26.8%
2020 1,049 2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 census

Banner Elk racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 883 84.18%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 47 4.48%
Native American 7 0.67%
Asian 6 0.57%
Other/Mixed 32 3.05%
Hispanic or Latino 74 7.05%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,049 people, 277 households, and 147 families residing in the town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2), all land.

Climate

Banner Elk is located in North America's humid continental climate zone due to its elevation, which gives it a climate more like that of Altoona, Pennsylvania, than Asheville, North Carolina, during the winter. During the summer the temperatures are much like a mountain lake town in New Hampshire. The town typically has cold, snowy winters and mild summers.

Climate data for Banner Elk, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1907–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 74
(23)
75
(24)
82
(28)
86
(30)
89
(32)
98
(37)
95
(35)
97
(36)
93
(34)
86
(30)
76
(24)
75
(24)
98
(37)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 59.3
(15.2)
62.5
(16.9)
69.3
(20.7)
76.0
(24.4)
79.4
(26.3)
82.2
(27.9)
83.9
(28.8)
82.6
(28.1)
80.9
(27.2)
75.6
(24.2)
66.4
(19.1)
61.5
(16.4)
85.0
(29.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 40.3
(4.6)
43.5
(6.4)
50.4
(10.2)
60.4
(15.8)
67.9
(19.9)
74.0
(23.3)
76.9
(24.9)
76.3
(24.6)
71.3
(21.8)
62.0
(16.7)
52.3
(11.3)
43.9
(6.6)
59.9
(15.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 31.2
(−0.4)
33.9
(1.1)
40.4
(4.7)
49.5
(9.7)
57.7
(14.3)
64.8
(18.2)
67.8
(19.9)
66.8
(19.3)
61.4
(16.3)
51.1
(10.6)
41.5
(5.3)
34.7
(1.5)
50.1
(10.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 22.1
(−5.5)
24.3
(−4.3)
30.4
(−0.9)
38.6
(3.7)
47.4
(8.6)
55.5
(13.1)
58.7
(14.8)
57.3
(14.1)
51.5
(10.8)
40.1
(4.5)
30.8
(−0.7)
25.5
(−3.6)
40.2
(4.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 1.2
(−17.1)
6.3
(−14.3)
11.7
(−11.3)
22.3
(−5.4)
31.8
(−0.1)
43.2
(6.2)
48.9
(9.4)
47.8
(8.8)
37.4
(3.0)
25.0
(−3.9)
16.1
(−8.8)
8.5
(−13.1)
−1.7
(−18.7)
Record low °F (°C) −31
(−35)
−13
(−25)
−9
(−23)
7
(−14)
19
(−7)
27
(−3)
35
(2)
31
(−1)
24
(−4)
8
(−13)
−7
(−22)
−21
(−29)
−31
(−35)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.62
(117)
3.70
(94)
4.87
(124)
4.83
(123)
5.13
(130)
5.12
(130)
5.68
(144)
4.31
(109)
4.55
(116)
3.41
(87)
3.30
(84)
4.25
(108)
53.77
(1,366)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 6.9
(18)
11.4
(29)
4.8
(12)
0.8
(2.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
1.6
(4.1)
5.8
(15)
31.4
(80)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 13.9 11.3 13.1 12.3 13.8 14.3 15.3 14.1 11.5 9.3 9.8 13.2 151.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.7 4.2 2.9 0.9 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.0 4.4 19.3
Source: NOAA

Attractions

During summertime there is hiking, whitewater rafting, fishing, and other activities. The largest lake in the area, Watauga Lake, is a favorite spot just 30 minutes away for boating, fishing and wake boarding. In the winter the main activities are skiing and snowboarding. There are two slopes in the area: Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain. There was formerly a third, but in the winter of 2008-2009, Hawks' Nest became an all-tubing park, the largest in the Eastern United States.

There are several restaurants in Banner Elk in addition to a post office, bank, and many lodging choices. The town has hosted the Woolly Worm festival over the third weekend of October since 1978.

In the 1970s, Beech Mountain was home to a theme park based on The Wizard of Oz, called The Land of Oz, but it closed after 10 years. The attraction was never fully removed, and there have been various attempts to revive it.

Education

Lees–McRae College is a private four-year college in Banner Elk. Banner Elk has a K-5th school, run by the Avery County School system.

Photo gallery

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Banner Elk para niños

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