Banner Elk, North Carolina

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.Heritage, 1976

The Banner Elk Hotel and Robert Chester and Elsie H. Lowe House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{NRISref|version=2010a}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20130510.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=May 10, 2013|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 4/29/13 through 5/03/13|publisher=National Park Service}}

{{US Census population

|1920= 264

|1930= 340

|1970= 754

|1980= 1087

|1990= 933

|2000= 811

|2010= 1028

|2020= 1049

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015 }}

}}

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

As of the census of 2000, there were 811 people, 215 households, and 124 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|679.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 290 housing units at an average density of {{convert|243.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 90.26% White, 3.95% African American, 0.62% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.85% of the population.

Of the 215 households, 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.65.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 10.7% under the age of 18, 47.8% from 18 to 24, 16.8% from 25 to 44, 14.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|4.9|km2|order=flip}}, all land.

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.

{{Weather box

|location = Banner Elk, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1907–present)

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 74

|Feb record high F = 75

|Mar record high F = 82

|Apr record high F = 86

|May record high F = 89

|Jun record high F = 98

|Jul record high F = 95

|Aug record high F = 97

|Sep record high F = 93

|Oct record high F = 86

|Nov record high F = 76

|Dec record high F = 75

|year record high F = 98

|Jan avg record high F = 59.3

|Feb avg record high F = 62.5

|Mar avg record high F = 69.3

|Apr avg record high F = 76.0

|May avg record high F = 79.4

|Jun avg record high F = 82.2

|Jul avg record high F = 83.9

|Aug avg record high F = 82.6

|Sep avg record high F = 80.9

|Oct avg record high F = 75.6

|Nov avg record high F = 66.4

|Dec avg record high F = 61.5

|year avg record high F = 85.0

|Jan high F = 40.3

|Feb high F = 43.5

|Mar high F = 50.4

|Apr high F = 60.4

|May high F = 67.9

|Jun high F = 74.0

|Jul high F = 76.9

|Aug high F = 76.3

|Sep high F = 71.3

|Oct high F = 62.0

|Nov high F = 52.3

|Dec high F = 43.9

|year high F = 59.9

|Jan mean F = 31.2

|Feb mean F = 33.9

|Mar mean F = 40.4

|Apr mean F = 49.5

|May mean F = 57.7

|Jun mean F = 64.8

|Jul mean F = 67.8

|Aug mean F = 66.8

|Sep mean F = 61.4

|Oct mean F = 51.1

|Nov mean F = 41.5

|Dec mean F = 34.7

|year mean F = 50.1

|Jan low F = 22.1

|Feb low F = 24.3

|Mar low F = 30.4

|Apr low F = 38.6

|May low F = 47.4

|Jun low F = 55.5

|Jul low F = 58.7

|Aug low F = 57.3

|Sep low F = 51.5

|Oct low F = 40.1

|Nov low F = 30.8

|Dec low F = 25.5

|year low F = 40.2

|Jan avg record low F = 1.2

|Feb avg record low F = 6.3

|Mar avg record low F = 11.7

|Apr avg record low F = 22.3

|May avg record low F = 31.8

|Jun avg record low F = 43.2

|Jul avg record low F = 48.9

|Aug avg record low F = 47.8

|Sep avg record low F = 37.4

|Oct avg record low F = 25.0

|Nov avg record low F = 16.1

|Dec avg record low F = 8.5

|year avg record low F = -1.7

|Jan record low F = −31

|Feb record low F = -13

|Mar record low F = -9

|Apr record low F = 7

|May record low F = 19

|Jun record low F = 27

|Jul record low F = 35

|Aug record low F = 31

|Sep record low F = 24

|Oct record low F = 8

|Nov record low F = -7

|Dec record low F = -21

|year record low F = −31

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 4.62

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.70

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.87

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.83

|May precipitation inch = 5.13

|Jun precipitation inch = 5.12

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.68

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.31

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.55

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.41

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.30

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.25

|year precipitation inch = 53.77

|Jan snow inch = 6.9

|Feb snow inch = 11.4

|Mar snow inch = 4.8

|Apr snow inch = 0.8

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.1

|Nov snow inch = 1.6

|Dec snow inch = 5.8

|year snow inch = 31.4

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 13.9

|Feb precipitation days = 11.3

|Mar precipitation days = 13.1

|Apr precipitation days = 12.3

|May precipitation days = 13.8

|Jun precipitation days = 14.3

|Jul precipitation days = 15.3

|Aug precipitation days = 14.1

|Sep precipitation days = 11.5

|Oct precipitation days = 9.3

|Nov precipitation days = 9.8

|Dec precipitation days = 13.2

|year precipitation days = 151.9

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 5.7

|Feb snow days = 4.2

|Mar snow days = 2.9

|Apr snow days = 0.9

|May snow days = 0.1

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.2

|Nov snow days = 1.0

|Dec snow days = 4.4

|year snow days = 19.3

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=gsp

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = May 12, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00310506&format=pdf

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| title = Station: Banner Elk, NC

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)

| access-date = May 12, 2021}}

}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.woollyworm.com/ |title=Woolly Worm Festival |publisher=Woolly Worm Festival |access-date=September 4, 2016 }}

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.

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.

Image:Shawneehaw Creek into Mill Pond.jpg|Mill Pond, where Shawneehaw Creek and the Elk River merge (2009-12-26)

Image:The Shawneehaw Creek over bridge.jpg|Unique bridge that fords Shawneehaw Creek (2009-12-26)

• Beech Mountain (North Carolina)
• Elizabethton, Tennessee
• Elk River (North Carolina)
• Roan Mountain, Tennessee
• Shawneehaw Creek
• Sugar Mountain (North Carolina)
• Watauga River

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.townofbannerelk.org/ Town of Banner Elk official website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20040404051809/http://www.banner-elk.com/ Avery Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce]

{{Avery County, North Carolina}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in North Carolina

Category:Towns in Avery County, North Carolina

Category:Populated places established in 1848