Waynesville is a cross between a resort town and all-Americana. Great downtown eating and shopping makes for a great visit. Waynesville is close enough to Asheville for a day trip and close enough to the Smokies to make it a fun place to spend some time or even overnight to enjoy a great meal and do some shopping.
Like most towns in Western North Carolina, the settlement around Waynesville really took off with the introduction of the railroad. Waynesville was founded in 1810 by a former Revolutionary War soldier. He named the town for his commanding officer. After the Civil War when the train came to the area in 1881, Waynesville began to take off.
With the establishment of Interstate 40 and the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway, Waynesville was even more connected to the rest of the world. The roadways and the railway (which sees multiple visits a day) make this towns connection to Asheville and Knoxville a vital link in the change of shipping.
Stats
- 10,191 population
- 2,752 (average altitude)
- 35°29′0″N 82°59′40″W
- Haywood County
- http://www.waynesville.com/