Welcome to Balm ...
Balm is located in Avery County<1>.
The location of Balm has been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (ie- the GNIS).<2>
While we don't have a date for the founding of Balm, you might consider that their post office opened in 1908.
Balm is 3,830 feet [1,167 m] above sea level.<3> In other words, the altitude of Balm is about ¾ mile [or ~1¼ km] above sea level.
Time Zone: Balm lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT) and observes daylight saving time
The telephone area code for Balm: (828)
Communities Also Named Balm ...
Using our Gazetteer, we found that there are 5 communities that are also named Balm - they are located in Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas.
For more information, see our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Balm.
Communities near Balm ...
We have created a list of 10 communities that are near Balm.
- Shell Creek
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shell Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shell Creek
- Shell Creek is located in Carter County (TN)
- Estimated population in 2014: 21,037 people
- Boone
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Boone have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Boone
- Boone is located in Watauga County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 20,003 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Boone <4>
- Norris
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest) - Trade
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trade
- Trade is located in Johnson County (TN)
- Estimated population in 2014: 1,441 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Trade <4>
- Roan Mountain
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roan Mountain
- Roan Mountain is located in Carter County (TN)
- Population from the 2010 Census: 1,360 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Roan Mountain <4>
- Blowing Rock
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blowing Rock
- Blowing Rock is located in Caldwell County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,316 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Blowing Rock <4>
- Newland
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newland have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newland
- Newland is located in Avery County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 694 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Newland <4>
- Elk Park
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elk Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elk Park
- Elk Park is located in Avery County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 450 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Elk Park <4>
- Beech Mountain
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beech Mountain have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beech Mountain
- Beech Mountain is located in Avery County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 320 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Beech Mountain <4>
- Crossnore
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crossnore have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crossnore
- Crossnore is located in Avery County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 231 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Crossnore <4>
To Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We created a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Balm. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Balm.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Balm. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Balm.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Balm. See our Newspapers Page for Balm.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Balm ...
Looking for more information about Balm? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
While we are unaware of a Tourism page that is specific to Balm, there are neighboring communities that do have Tourism pages. A map of those communities can be found with our TripAdvisor Page for Balm.
Adding Balm to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Balm in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found for Balm was in the document titled List of Post Offices from Cameron Blevins and Richard Helbock.<5>
From that list, the Balm post office opened in 1908.
For more details, see References and Mentions for Balm.
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Balm. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Avery County: www.averyco.com/gov/
The official website for State of North Carolina: https://www.nc.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If you're interested in how the shape of North Carolina's counties, including Avery, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <2> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <3> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Balm - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <4> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <5> | A copy of their list with background information can be found at: https://cblevins.github.io/us-post-offices/data-biography/ |