It’s South Carolina
HalloweenHalloween in South Carolina: haunted trails, trunk-or-treats and fall festivals, dated and priced →Halloween Events in South Carolina →
This Week
It's South Carolina

Events and things to do in South Carolina, with prices, dates and drive times checked at the source.

Greenville vs Asheville

Destinations › Greenville vs Asheville

Greenville (74,371 people) is smaller than Asheville (94,992) (Census, July 2024). Greenville's downtown has Falls Park on the Reedy and the Swamp Rabbit Trail, with Paris Mountain, Caesars Head and Table Rock state parks within reach; Asheville sits on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which charges no fee, and is home to Biltmore. Every fact below is from a city, agency or operator page.

  • Cities2SC and NC
  • Greenville74,371people, July 2024
  • Asheville94,992people, July 2024
  • Sources16official pages

The Short Answer

  • Greenville city, SC population estimate July 1, 2024: 74,371; Asheville city, NC: 94,992 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 city/town population estimates file, July 1, 2024; QuickFacts blocked automated access but uses the same estimates). source
  • Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) says it has over 100 daily nonstop flights. source
  • Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) says it flies to 26 nonstop destinations. source
  • The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles long. source
  • The year-round Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center is at Milepost 384 in Asheville, NC. source
  • Greenville County's Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail opened in 2009 and is a 32-mile and growing network through Travelers Rest, Greenville and Fountain Inn. source

Population

  • Greenville city, South Carolina: 2020 estimates base 71,110; July 1, 2024 estimate 74,371 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 city/town population estimates file, July 1, 2024; QuickFacts blocked automated access but uses the same estimates). source
  • Asheville city, North Carolina: 2020 estimates base 94,725; July 1, 2024 estimate 94,992 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 city/town population estimates file, July 1, 2024; QuickFacts blocked automated access but uses the same estimates). source

Airports

  • GSP: 'With over 100 daily nonstop flights and hundreds of connecting flight options'; destinations listed include Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas and Denver; Cincinnati is seasonal, returning May 2027. source
  • AVL: 'flights to 26 nonstop destinations, and easy 1 stop connections to the world'. source

Downtown Parks

  • Falls Park on the Reedy is in downtown Greenville at the Reedy River falls; the Liberty Bridge spans a 345-foot expanse with a curved concrete deck supported by a single suspension cable, connecting downtown to the West End. source
  • City of Greenville Liberty Bridge page directions point to 601 S Main St, Greenville, SC 29601. source
  • Asheville's Pack Square Park covers 6.5 acres of public land including Pack Square and City-County Plaza; it had its grand opening on May 28, 2010, and includes J. Rush Oates Plaza, Reuter Terrace and Roger McGuire Green with the Splasheville splashpad. source

Blue Ridge Parkway Access

  • The parkway connects Shenandoah National Park (Milepost 0) with Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee, NC (Milepost 469); Asheville is one of the largest cities along the way, and Interstates 40 and 26 have parkway signs. source
  • No fee is charged to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway; campgrounds charge a fee. source
  • Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center (MP 384) in Asheville is open year round, closed only on Thanksgiving, December 25th and January 1st. source
  • Road status (as checked): the section from NC Highway 80 to Mount Mitchell State Park (MP 344.2-355.3) is closed for a Helene-related closure with recreation prohibited; sections near Asheville from Craggy Gardens to Highway 25 are listed open or ungated. source
  • The NPS park page lists the parkway's states as NC and VA. source

Swamp Rabbit Trail

  • The trail runs from the Blue Ridge Escarpment through Travelers Rest, Greenville and Fountain Inn, with ½ mile markers; the Blue Line extends from Greenville Tech to Conestee Nature Preserve and the Green Line reaches Simpsonville and Fountain Inn. source
  • Trail etiquette posted by Greenville County Rec: keep it under 20 mph, stop at all road crossings, keep dogs on a short leash and clean up after them. source

Biltmore

  • Biltmore House & Grounds daytime admission starting at $110 (discount ages 16 & under, ages 9 & under FREE); Grounds only starting at $85; all tickets include 8,000 acres of gardens and grounds, Antler Hill Village & Winery, a complimentary wine tasting and parking. source
  • Candlelight Christmas Evenings run November 3, 2026-January 9, 2027, starting at $135; Annual Pass $299. source

Hiking Near Each City

  • Paris Mountain State Park has 17 miles of hiking and biking trails near downtown Greenville; admission $6 adults. source
  • Caesars Head and Jones Gap state parks form the 17,000-acre Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area ; each park page lists 60+ miles of trails; Raven Cliff Falls (420 feet) is a four-mile round trip. source
  • Table Rock State Park trails reach the tops of Pinnacle and Table Rock mountains and connect to the Foothills Trail. source
  • Near Asheville, the parkway section with the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center (MP 364) is listed open; hiking is prohibited at Crabtree Falls due to Helene-related damage. source

FAQ

Does it cost money to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway?

No. No fee is charged to travel the parkway; campgrounds charge a fee. source

How long is the Swamp Rabbit Trail?

Greenville County Rec calls it a 32 mile and growing network, open since 2009. source

How much is Biltmore?

Biltmore lists House & Grounds starting at $110 and Grounds only starting at $85, with ages 9 & under free and a discount for ages 16 & under. source

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

  • Distance between the cities left empty (computed by the site).
  • Census QuickFacts blocked automated access; figures from the Census Vintage 2024 SUB-EST2024 file.
  • Falls Park acreage: sources conflict (Visit Greenville overview 20 acres, a city GIS tour 26 acres, a postcard 32 acres) – none read on a page; left out.
  • City of Greenville Falls Park pages load content dynamically; history/acreage text not readable by fetch.
  • GSP nonstop destination count: home page says 'over 20 destinations'; where-we-fly page says 'over 100 daily nonstop flights'. Both are GSP's own wording.
  • Biltmore prices vary by date ('starting at'); confirm before publishing. Youth price rule (half adult, ages 10-16) seen only in an unofficial summary of the help center.
  • Blue Ridge Parkway road status changes often after Hurricane Helene; recheck the NPS road closures page on publish day.
  • Hiking near Asheville beyond the parkway (e.g., Mount Mitchell State Park, Pisgah National Forest) not researched on official NC pages.

Sources

  1. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2024/cities/totals/sub-est2024.csv
  2. https://gspairport.com/where-we-fly/
  3. https://flyavl.com/flights/featured_destinations
  4. https://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm
  5. https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm
  6. https://greenvillerec.com/swamprabbit/
  7. Downtown Parks
  8. Downtown Parks
  9. Downtown Parks
  10. Blue Ridge Parkway Access
  11. Blue Ridge Parkway Access
  12. Blue Ridge Parkway Access
  13. Biltmore
  14. Hiking Near Each City
  15. Hiking Near Each City
  16. Hiking Near Each City

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Greenville vs Asheville”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/greenville-vs-asheville/ (updated ). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.