Fast Facts
Location
Located in the Catawba River Valley in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Burke County is situated in the rolling landscape of western North Carolina. Interstate 40 and U.S. Highway 70 bisect the county, running parallel to six municipalities (Connelly Springs, Drexel, Glen Alpine, Hildebran, Rutherford College and Valdese) and the county seat of Morganton. Additionally, portions of Hickory, Long View, and Rhodhiss, N.C., rest within Burke County’s borders.
Distance in miles to Morganton from:
|
CITY
|
DISTANCE (in miles)
|
|
Asheville, NC
|
56
|
|
Atlanta, GA
|
237
|
|
Charlotte, NC
|
77
|
|
Greensboro, NC
|
120
|
|
Greenville, SC
|
95
|
|
Hickory, NC
|
26
|
|
Knoxville, TN
|
169
|
|
Raleigh, NC
|
194
|
|
Wilmington, NC
|
279
|
|
Washington DC
|
426
|
|
Winston-Salem, NC
|
92
|
Climate & Weather
Climate data courtesy of TNC Cooperative Extension
|
MONTH
|
HIGH
|
LOW
|
PRECIPITATION
|
|
January
|
51°F
|
28°F
|
4.28″
|
|
February
|
55°F
|
29°F
|
4.41″
|
|
March
|
63°F
|
36°F
|
4.78″
|
|
April
|
72°F
|
44°F
|
3.83″
|
|
May
|
79°F
|
52°F
|
4.06″
|
|
June
|
86°F
|
52°F
|
4.29″
|
|
July
|
88°F
|
64°F
|
4.51″
|
|
August
|
87°F
|
63°F
|
4.49″
|
|
September
|
81°F
|
57°F
|
4.31″
|
|
October
|
73°F
|
45°F
|
3.69″
|
|
November
|
62°F
|
35°F
|
3.40″
|
|
December
|
53°F
|
29°F
|
3.73″
|
|
Total
|
|
|
49.78″
|
Taxes
For updates and information: Burke County Tax Administration, 764-9430
|
Sales Tax
|
6.75%
|
|
State Portion
|
4.75%
|
|
Population
|
89,842
|
|
Land Area
|
507.1 Square miles
|
|
Water Area
|
8.2 Square miles
|
|
County Elevation
|
From 900 to 4,350 feet above sea level
|
|
Property Tax
|
$.68 (for updates and information: Burke County Tax)
|
Government
|
Board of Elections
|
(828)764-9010
|
|
Building Inspections
|
(828)764-9020
|
|
Clerk of the Court
|
(828)433-3200
|
|
Economic Development
|
(828)764-9370
|
|
Health Department
|
(828)764-9150
|
|
Planning and Zoning
|
(828)764-9030
|
|
Register of Deeds
|
(828)438-5450
|
|
Tax Office
|
(828)764-9430
|
|
Population
|
16,944
|
|
Property Tax
|
$0.68 (Rates based per $100 valuation)
|
Morganton Phone Numbers
|
Main Number
|
(828) 438-5228
|
|
Police Department
|
(828) 437-1211
|
|
Post Office
|
(828) 437-3484
|
|
Morganton Public Library
|
(828) 437-5638
|
|
Population
|
4,514
|
|
Property Tax
|
$0.485
|
Phone Numbers
|
Main Number
|
(828) 879-2120
|
|
Police Department
|
(828) 879-2104
|
|
Post Office
|
(828) 874-2812
|
|
Public Library
|
(828) 874-2421
|
Phone Numbers
|
Post Office
|
(828) 397-5071
|
Phone Numbers
|
Main number
|
(828) 879-2321
|
|
Post Office
|
(828) 874-0784
|
Phone Numbers
|
Main Number
|
(828) 437-7421
|
|
Police Department
|
(828) 437-7421
|
Phone Numbers
|
Main Number
|
(828) 584-2622
|
|
Police Department
|
(828) 584-7279
|
|
Post Office
|
(828) 584-0628
|
Phone Numbers
|
Main Number
|
(828) 397-5801
|
|
Post Office
|
(828) 397-6573
|
|
C.B. Hildebran Public Library
|
(828)397-3600
|
Phone Numbers
|
Main Number
|
(828) 874-0333
|
|
Post Office
|
(828) 874-0048
|
|
Duke Energy Company
|
(800) 653-5307
|
|
Rutherford EMC
|
(828) 584-1410
|
|
City of Morganton Electrical Co.
|
(828) 438-5282
|
Gas, Oil, & Propa
|
Piedmont Natural Gas
|
(800) 752-7504
|
|
Heritage Propane
|
(828) 439-8140
|
|
Burke Oil
|
(828) 879-8561
|
Water & Sewer
Distributed by the cities of Morganton and Valdese or applicable municipality
|
City of Morganton
|
(828) 437-8863
|
|
Burke County Public Works
|
(828) 439-4391
|
|
Town of Valdese
|
(828) 879-2120
|
Solid Waste Management
|
Blue Ridge Garbage (commercial & industrial)
|
(828) 438-1799
|
|
Republic Services, Inc. (residential, commercial, industrial)
|
(828) 437-7940
|
Telephone/Telecommunications
|
AT&T Residential
|
(855) 324-3665
|
|
AT&T Business
|
(877) 253-0009
|
|
att.com/newservice
|
|
|
Repairs Residential
|
(877) 737-2478
|
|
Repairs Business
|
(866) 620-6900
|
|
Repair.att.com
|
|
|
Billing Residential
|
(800) 288-2020
|
|
Billing Business
|
(866) 620-6000
|
|
att.com/pay
|
|
Cable
|
CoMPAS Cable TV & Internet (City of Morganton)
|
(828) 438-5353
|
|
Charter Communications
|
(866) 472-2200
|
Healthcare
Medical Facilities
|
Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge/ Morganton
|
(828) 580-5000
|
2201 South Sterling St., Morganton
|
|
Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge/ Valdese
|
(828) 580-2251
|
720 Malcolm Blvd., Valdese
|
|
Frye Regional Medical Center
|
(828) 315-5000
|
420 North Center St., Hickory
|
Extended Care
|
Blue Ridge Community Action
|
800 North Green St., Morganton
|
|
HandiCare, Inc.
|
304 South Main Street, Drexel
|
Assisted Living/Nursing Homes
|
Cambridge House
|
(828) 325-4980
|
114 10th St. NE, Hickory
|
Retirement Living
|
Grace Ridge
|
(828) 580-8330
|
500 Lenoir Road, Morganton
|
|
NC Center for Engineering Technologies
|
(828) 328-6183
|
1990 Main Ave. SE, Hickory
|
|
Burke County Board of Education
|
(828) 439-4329
|
700 E. Parker Road, Morganton
|
|
Gardner-Webb University
|
(704) 406-4000
|
110 South Main St., Boiling Springs
|
|
Lees-McRae College
|
(800) 280-4562
|
191 Main Street W., Banner Elk
|
|
Western Carolina University
|
(828) 227-7211
|
1 University Way, Cullowhee
|
|
Western Piedmont Community College
|
(828) 448-3500
|
1001 Burkemont Avenue, Morganton
|
Other Schools/Educational Programs
|
Blue Ridge Community Action
|
(828) 758-4290
|
|
Child Care Connections of BC, Inc.
|
(828) 439-2328
|
|
Morganton Day School
|
(828) 437-6782
|
|
The New Dimensions Charter School
|
(828) 437-5753
|
|
North Carolina School for the Deaf
|
(828) 432-5200
|
Media & Communications
Newspapers
|
Hickory Daily Record
|
(828) 322-4510
|
|
The Morganton News Herald
|
(828) 437-2161
|
Housing & Real Estate
Burke County MLS
Transportation
|
Greenway Public Transportation
|
(828) 438-0867, (828) 464-9444
|
Airports
|
Charlotte Douglas International
|
(704) 359-4027
|
|
Hickory Regional
|
(828) 323-7408
|
|
Foothills Regional Airport Authority
|
(828) 757-0099
|
|
NC Employment Security Commission
|
(828) 438-6161
|
|
AccuForce Staffing Services
|
(828) 432-2950
|
|
Friday Staffing Services
|
(828) 437-4200
|
|
The Laviz Group, Inc.
|
(828) 430-9252
|
|
Manpower, Inc.
|
(828) 652-8865
|
|
Catawba Valley Staffing
|
(828) 432-9797
|
