Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga and Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,376 at the 2020 census.
The Caldwell County portion of Blowing Rock is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Watauga County portion is part of the Boone Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History Before 1752, when Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg of the Moravian Church visited the Blowing Rock, the windy cliffs of the area were home to the Cherokee and the Catawba Native American tribes.
After the mid-18th century, when hardy Scots-Irish pioneers began to settle in the region, the mountain passes from southern Virginia into Kentucky attracted many colonists, farmers, hunters, and trappers who continued south to the mountains of North Carolina. The first family to settle in Blowing Rock were the Greenes, who were established by the mid-19th century on a site that would become the Green Park Hotel property.
In addition to the Green Park Inn, the Bollinger-Hartley House, East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Locomotive No. 12, Gragg House, Green Park Historic District, Randall Memorial Building, Former, Vardell Family Cottages Historic District, Westglow, and Moses Cone's Flat Top Manor are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church (Boone, NC), operates the Church of the Epiphany as a seasonal, mission church in Blowing Rock.
Geography
Blowing Rock is located in southern Watauga County in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The southernmost portion of the town, including the actual Blowing Rock cliff, is located in Caldwell County.
The town is located on the crest of the Blue Ridge. Most of the town lies just north of the crest, with waters draining north to the Middle Fork of the New River and thence to the Ohio River valley, while to the south of the ridgecrest, waters flow via the Johns River to the Catawba River valley and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which of the area is land, and , or 1.49% of the total area, is water.
Climate The climate in the area can be described as warm-summer humid continental (Dfb), or highland subtropical climate (Cfb) depending on the isotherm used; Köppen Climate Classification. This results in an unusual climate compared to the rest of North Carolina; the town's elevation of above sea level results in cooler summer temperatures than lowland areas to the east and south. Daytime temperatures in the summer infrequently rise above . Temperatures in the winter are much colder and harsher than what would be expected in a southern state, being more similar to southern coastal New England. Daytime highs can frequently fall into the 20s or lower. Snow, sleet, and freezing rain are all common in the winter months. Springtime and Autumn in Blowing Rock are both cool and generally pleasant.
The biggest 24-hour temperature change recorded in North Carolina was recorded at Blowing Rock on 1 January 1979, yielding a temperature range of 63 degrees, from −8 °F to 55 °F.
Demographics
2020 census +Blowing Rock racial composition Race Number Percentage White (non-Hispanic) 1,291 93.82% Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3 0.22% Native American 1 0.07% Asian 10 0.73% Other/Mixed 38 2.76% Hispanic or Latino 33 2.4% As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,376 people, 619 households, and 357 families residing in the town.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 1,418 people, 663 households, and 387 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,524 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.95% White, 0.35% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 663 households, of which 16.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.5% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 persons and the average family size was 2.59.
The population consists of 15.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 34.1% from 45 to 64, and 26.0% 65 years or older. The median age was 51 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $54,271, and the median income for a family was $66,979. Males had a median income of $45,417 compared to $27,361 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,294. About 2.9% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.
Attractions
The town of Blowing Rock takes its name from an unusual rock formation which juts over above the Johns River gorge. Due to the rock's shape and size, wind currents from the gorge often blow vertically, causing light objects to float upwards into the sky.
Blowing Rock is the site of Glen Burney Falls and Glen Marie Falls. The Glen Burney Trail was originally a Native American hunting trail which follows New Year's Creek to the falls overlooks. The trail also served as access to early 1900s logging camps.On-site plaque. Accessed June 6, 2026
The Blowing Rock area was once fought over by the Cherokee and Catawba Native American tribes. According to legend, two lovers - one from each tribe - were walking near the rocks when the man received a notice to report to his village and go into battle. When his lover urged him to stay with her, he became so distraught that he threw himself off the blowing rock into the gorge. The woman prayed to the Great Spirit to return her lover, and the Spirit complied by sending a gust of wind which blew the man back up the cliff and landed him safely on the blowing rock itself. This story of course is fictional but it was used as a draw for the attraction. In the 1980s, a billboard in Wilkesboro for Blowing Rock showed two Indians holding hands, one standing on the rock and one "floating". Today "The Blowing Rock" is a tourist attraction and is known for its superb views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
On the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway is Moses Cone Memorial Park, which offers views of the surrounding mountains. The park contains the Moses Cone Manor and Estate, and features two lakes surrounded by forests and trails.
Annual festivals and events in Blowing Rock include the "Art in the Park" festival, a monthly summertime (May-Oct) event in downtown Blowing Rock; the Fourth of July festival and parade; Blowing Rock Winterfest in November; the Blue Ridge Wine and Food Festival in April; Christmas in the Park and Lighting of the Town festivities, including a Holiday Parade; the Symphony by the Lake at Chetola Resort; and the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show.
Media The Blowing Rocket newspaper covers Blowing Rock. The newspaper is owned by Adams Publishing Group and is a sister publication of the Watauga Democrat in Boone.
Blowing Rock News is a digital-only news publication focused on Blowing Rock and its surrounding communities.
Infrastructure Most services are available either in Blowing Rock or in Boone, approximately away. The town is served by U.S. Highways 221 and 321 as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway. US 221 leads southwest to Linville and to Marion. US 321 leads southeast to Lenoir and to Hickory. The two highways together lead north to Boone.
For other transportation facilities, consult Boone, North Carolina and Watauga County, North Carolina.
Notable people Deanna Ballard, member of the North Carolina Senate Tristin Colley, long-distance runner Sarah Crouch, long-distance runnerAbout Sarah - Sarah's Running Shorts. Retrieved 21 May 2019. Tyler Pennel, long-distance runnerTyler Pennel Running. Zap Fitness. Retrieved 21 May 2019. Tom Robbins, author, recounted some early memories of Blowing Rock in Wild Ducks Flying Backward and in his 2014 "memoir" Tibetan Peach Pie Christopher Seitz, Old Testament scholar and theologian Cullie Tarleton, businessman and politicianRodgers, David. (June 15, 2016). Blowing Rock’s Cullie Tarleton Gets Nod For UNC-TV Board of Trustees. BlowingRockNews.com. Retrieved 21 May 2019. Harry Foster Welch, radio and voice actor, best known for portraying the voice of Popeye in cartoonsHarry Welch - IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 21 May 2019. Daniel Winkler, custom knife maker based in Blowing RockPetzal, David. (February 16, 2011). Daniel Winkler turns hunks of metal into eighteenth-century masterpieces with an edge. Garden & Gun. Retrieved 21 May 2019. Greg Bovino, U.S. Border Patrol commander, grew up in Blowing Rock and attended Western Carolina University
See also
Blowing Rock (land feature)
References
External links
Town website