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County · code 37039

Cherokee CountyNorth Carolina

Cherokee County is a county in North Carolina, located in the mountains, with Murphy as its county seat. It was created on January 4, 1839, from Macon County and named after the Cherokee people.

  • Founded1839
  • County seatMurphy
  • Named forCherokee
  • Land area456 sq mi + 11 sq mi water
  • Population28,774 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped34,921 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Cherokee County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

Union, GAGrahamClayMonroe, TNFannin, GAPolk, TNMacon Murphy Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Cherokee on the map of North Carolina

North Carolina has 100 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Alamance CountyAlexander CountyAlleghany CountyAnson CountyAshe CountyAvery CountyBeaufort CountyBertie CountyBladen CountyBrunswick CountyBuncombe CountyBurke CountyCabarrus CountyCaldwell CountyCamden CountyCarteret CountyCaswell CountyCatawba CountyChatham CountyChowan CountyClay CountyCleveland CountyColumbus CountyCraven CountyCumberland CountyCurrituck CountyDare CountyDavidson CountyDavie CountyDuplin CountyDurham CountyEdgecombe CountyForsyth CountyFranklin CountyGaston CountyGates CountyGraham CountyGranville CountyGreene CountyGuilford CountyHalifax CountyHarnett CountyHaywood CountyHenderson CountyHertford CountyHoke CountyHyde CountyIredell CountyJackson CountyJohnston CountyJones CountyLee CountyLenoir CountyLincoln CountyMcDowell CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMartin CountyMecklenburg CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyNash CountyNew Hanover CountyNorthampton CountyOnslow CountyOrange CountyPamlico CountyPasquotank CountyPender CountyPerquimans CountyPerson CountyPitt CountyPolk CountyRandolph CountyRichmond CountyRobeson CountyRockingham CountyRowan CountyRutherford CountySampson CountyScotland CountyStanly CountyStokes CountySurry CountySwain CountyTransylvania CountyTyrrell CountyUnion CountyVance CountyWake CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWatauga CountyWayne CountyWilkes CountyWilson CountyYadkin CountyYancey CountyCherokee County Cherokee
Counties of North Carolina · Cherokee highlighted

History

Formed in 1839 from Macon County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Cherokee County was established in 1839 from Macon County. The county lost territory to the creation of Clay County in 1861 and Graham County in 1872. Boundary disputes with Clay County were resolved through legislative action and voter referendum in 1891 and 1897.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1839
    Cherokee County created Cherokee created from Macon.
    from Macon
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1838-1839, pub., ch. 10, sec. 1/p. 18
  2. 1861
    Lost territory Cherokee lost to creation of Clay.
    to Clay
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1860-1861, pub., ch. 6, sec. 1/pp. 8-9
  3. 1872
    Lost territory Cherokee lost to creation of Graham.
    to Graham
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1871-1872, pub., ch. 77, sec. 1/p. 127-128
  4. 1883
    Changed Boundary between Cherokee and Clay defined (no change).
    Clay
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1883, pub., ch. 196, sec. 1/pp. 324-325
  5. 1885
    Changed Boundary between Cherokee and Clay defined (no change).
    Clay
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1885, pub., ch. 343, sec. 1/p. 603-604
  6. 1891
    Lost territory Cherokee lost to Clay.
    to Clay
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1891, pub., ch. 418, secs. 1-2/p. 484
  7. 1897
    Lost territory Act of 7 March 1891, whereby Cherokee lost to Clay, repealed by legislature; repeal overturned by voters in local referendum (no change).
    to Clay
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1897, pub., ch. 362, secs. 1-3, 5/pp. 546-547

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Cherokee

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Cherokee by the Census

Population
28,774 2020 Census count
Housing units
17,863 2020 Census count
Land area
456 square miles
Water area
11 square miles
People per sq mi
63 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

GIS and maps

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Cherokee County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Cherokee County

When was Cherokee County founded?
Cherokee County was founded in 1839, formed from Macon County, and named after Cherokee.
What is the county seat of Cherokee County?
The county seat of Cherokee County is Murphy.
Is there an online parcel map for Cherokee County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 34,921 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Cherokee County's boundary or name changed?
Cherokee County was created in 1839 from Macon County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Clay County and Graham County.
Who issues building permits in Cherokee County?
The county's page on building permits: Permit Fee Schedule. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Cherokee County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Andrews Health Center.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Cherokee County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door