Cullowhee

Cullowhee is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. It lies in the Cullowhee Valley along Cullowhee Creek and the Tuckasegee River in the Blue Ridge Mountains region, west of Asheville.

The area is named for Cullowhee Creek, and the region was historically inhabited by the Cherokee.

Cullowhee is best known as the site of Western Carolina University, founded in 1889 as a teacher training school and later expanding to Western Carolina University in 1969. The university is the dominant institution in the community, shaping its economy and culture.

The community is unincorporated and governed at the county level by Jackson County. It is connected to surrounding towns by U.S. Route 64, and is a gateway to outdoor recreation in the southern Appalachians, including the nearby Panthertown Valley and other trails along the Tuckasegee River.

The nearby towns include Sylva to the west and Cherokee to the north, with tourism and education as major economic sectors. Cullowhee hosts campus facilities, housing, and services for students, faculty, and residents, while the broader area offers cultural events, parks, and outdoor activities.