Canton, NC

Canton lies in North Carolina's mountains, about 25 minutes west of Asheville via I-40. This valley town of 4,400 sits where the Pigeon River cuts through the Blue Ridge foothills, with US 19/23 providing north-south access to Waynesville and the Smokies. The region offers cooler mountain weather and serves as a convenient highway stop between Asheville and Tennessee. The massive Champion paper mill dominated the skyline for over a century before closing in 2023.