Location
Burke County is where “the Piedmont meets the Mountains” in Western North Carolina. The County is part of the Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of over 350,000 people.
Burke County is:
- 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Charlotte, NC
- 100 miles (160 km) west of Winston-Salem
- 100 miles (160 km) west of Greensboro, NC
- 200 miles (320 km) northeast of Atlanta, GA
Other MSA’s within one hundred miles include:
- Asheville, NC;Greenville and Spartanburg, SC
- Johnson City, Kingsport, and Bristol, TN.
The Catawba River traverses Burke County west to east creating a wide valley, locally known as the Catawba River Valley. The great majority of development occurs within this valley which is intersected by I-40, US Highways 64 and 70, and NC Highways 18 and 181. Interstates 26, 77 and 85 are within a 50 mile radius.
The county topography ranges from the gently rolling hills found in the Catawba River Valley to North Carolina’s largest state park in the South Mountains to the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and ski country to the north. Elevations within the county range from 1020 ft. along the Catawba River to over 4200 ft. at Long Mountain.
Burke County has a proud heritage in the manufacture of furniture and textiles. Henredon Furniture, James Tools, Environmental Inks & Coatings, E J Victor, and Shadowline are a few of the companies founded in Burke County.
Anti-lock brakes, truck axles, lithium batteries, pharmaceutical glass, diesel engine components and medical appliances are currently manufactured in Burke County - clearly indicating a rise in the diversification of the economic base.