Old Fort is located in
McDowell County within the
Pisgah National Forest, between
Asheville and
Morganton along US Hwy 70 near
Black Mountain,
Montreat, and the Catawba River. Originally a fort built by the colonial militia before the Declaration of Independence, the settlement served for many years as the western outpost of the early United States. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 826, an increase of 94 since 1990.
