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is a city in Henderson County, North Carolina, USA, 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Asheville. In 1900, 1,917 persons lived in Hendersonville; in 1910, 2,818; and in 1940, 5,381 people lived here. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,420, up fivefold in one century. It is the county seat of Henderson County. Like the county, the city is named for 19th-century North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Leonard Henderson.
Hendersonville and Henderson County are part of the four-county Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area, the fifth-largest MSA in North Carolina the 2000 U.S. Census.
Dating to shortly after the founding of Henderson County in 1838, Hendersonville is traditionally known as "The City of Four Seasons". Recently, the mayor of Hendersonville has proclaimed it "Friendliest City in America". The town has a well-preserved Main Street and adjoining downtown areas with many restaurants, antique shops and boutiques located in buildings that housed key local business until the mid-1980's. Its architecture reflects the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Much downtown revitalization has occurred since the early 1990s. Larger stores are located almost entirely along the commercial strips extending outward from the downtown along U.S. Hwy. 64 East and U.S. Hwy. 176 and U.S. Hwy. 25. A number of historic neighborhoods exist outside the Main Street corridor including the 5th Avenue neighborhood on the city's west side and the Druid Hills neighborhood north of downtown. Depressed areas are located along the city's east side, but redevelopment efforts are underway in the historic commercial district along 7th Avenue East.
The architectural focus of the downtown area is the Historic Henderson County Courthouse, completed in 1905 and completely renovated in 2008. The city is also home to the newly-restored City Hall (erected 1924) and the modern Henderson County Courthouse (1995).
The largest street festival of the Hendersonville calendar is the annual Apple Festival, culminating in the Apple Parade that regularly draws up to 50,000 spectators. Main Street Hendersonville is also home to a number of other festivals and special activities throughout the year.The most beloved event of the year is the annual chalk art contest, "Chalk It Up!", now celebrating its 13th anniversary.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.5 km²), of which, 6.0 square miles (15.4 km²) of it is land and 0.17% is water. Though Henderson County is mountainous, the area within the city limits is located on level land or small hills with only 100-150 feet elevation difference between the highest and lowest points.