Madison County Overview

   Each of the 16 counties in our mountain paradise is unique and Madison County is no exception. This county seems to have three faces: Marshall (also the County Seat), Mars Hill (home of Mars Hill College) and Hot Springs (almost lost in its isolates area in the northwest). The building of two freeways has greatly changed the character of Marshall (connected to I-26 by the US-25 freeway). Mars Hill has had the advantage of I-26 for many years but the extension of I-26 to the Tennessee border has opened up the north end of the county – including Wolf Laurel and its adjoining ski resort – and heaped added importance on Mars Hill.
   These freeways have  expedited the settlement of the adjoining areas by newcomers – especially retirees. Marshall used to be accesses by the old US-25 which followed the French Broad River. It was a pretty drive but inconvenient to say the least.  The area across the French Broad from Walnut has become very attractive to newcomers and the old farms are being carved up into residential lots.
   Mars Hill College is responsible for creating the vigorous character of Mars Hill. It is vibrant but well under control. I-26 makes Asheville very convenient which is very obvious when one views the traffic on I-26 during rush hours.

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  Hot Springs – ah, that’s another story. US-25, from Marshall to Hot Springs is a windy, though picturesque, road. NC-209 which allows access to Hot Springs from Waynesville in Haywood County is also windy and dangerous. Hot Springs and its spas are a tourist attraction. Other than that, year-round living is pretty much confined to Hot Springs.
   The Wolf Laurel development has become very popular especially with skiers when sufficient snow is in evidence. While many of the houses are vacation dwellings, the number of year-round residents has been increasing. In fact, Wolf Laurel has one of the very few interchanges on the new I-26 extension. (Sams Gap, where the old US-23 crosses under the new I-26 extension) does not have an interchange; shame!
   To many, the Walnut-Marshall-Mars Hill area of Madison County is a suburb of Asheville. While there is some shopping at the Weaver Boulevard Interchange of I-26 in Weaverville (which is about midway between Mars Hill and Asheville, Asheville has the stores, restaurants and entertainment and that’s where people go.