Jefferson is in northwest North Carolina. It is the county seat of Ashe County.

Get in

The primary route from the north is NC 16 from the Virginia state line to just east of town, where it intersects with US 221. Traffic from Boone and neighboring West Jefferson and other points south take US 221 into Jefferson.

The closest commercial airports are Douglas International in Charlotte, Piedmont Triad International in Greensboro, and Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Tennessee. All three are about a two-hour drive from Jefferson.

The town has no bus service. The closest Amtrak stations are in Charlotte and Greensboro, also a two-hour drive.

Get around

A car is a must as there is no public transportation. A sidewalk runs from the old center of town to just below the county hospital, but walking is not feasible to most stores and restaurants.

See

Mount Jefferson State Park dominates the landscape and is visible from practically anywhere in town.

Eat

J&J Chop House offers a sophisticated dining experience in a renovated former private home on a hill overlooking the main street through town. (It's next door to Sweet Aromas and across the street from the Catholic church.)

Winner's Circle, in the Best Western Eldreth Inn, offers a popular weekday lunch special consisting of an entrée and three sides that rotate depending on the day of the week. Also, breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; check hours of operation at Thanksgiving and around Christmas.

Sleep

• Best Western Eldreth Inn at Mount Jefferson (Eldreth's), 829 East Main Street, ☏ +1 336 246-8845, fax: +1 336 246-9109. Rooms open to parking lot; two-story building connected to lobby, one-story building across parking lot from lobby. East of the hospital, the courthouse and downtown on the route to Glendale Springs NC and Mouth of Wilson and Independence VA. Winner's Circle restaurant off lobby, limited room service available. Adjacent to a fast-casual steakhouse and Hardee's; a shopping center with a Food Lion supermarket, drug store and Rose's discount store is walkable in that it's on the same side of busy multi-lane main road. $-$$. 

Go next

• West Jefferson (North Carolina)

Routes through Jefferson

Roanoke ← Jct N S ←

N  S

→ West Jefferson → Boone