Local Transportation in / around Cullowhee
Learn more about CAT-TRAN, Western’s free campus shuttle service.
Learn more about Jackson County’s Transit Shuttle service
Check out Western's Campus Map.
Traveling to Western
Since Western Carolina University is located in the Appalachian mountains, there is no direct way of traveling to Cullowhee. The public transportation system is not well developed in the mountains, so you need to travel by air or Greyhound Bus and be picked up by the university.
The closest airport to Cullowhee is the Asheville Regional Airport in Asheville, North Carolina. From this airport, Western Carolina University is 45 miles (70 km) away.
There is no ground transportation to the university from here. The university can pick you up. However, you must let us know your flight number, date and time of arrival, at least one week in advance. Contact Christopher Pedo with the flight arrival details.
You can also rent a car at the airport and drive to Cullowhee.
Make your travel plans well in advance to find a cheap connection to the Asheville Airport. Both Delta Airlines and U.S. Airways travel into Asheville from Atlanta.
Check out these particular web sites for flight arrangements:
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
If you cannot fly into Asheville, fly to Charlotte, North Carolina. Take a taxi to the Greyhound Bus Terminal and board a bus to Asheville. Learn more about the Greyhound Bus schedule.
Contact Christopher Pedo with your bus number, date and arrival time in Asheville at least one week before you arrive. The university will pick you up.
If you arrive at the Charlotte Airport after 7 p.m. (19:00), you will have to get a Greyhound Bus the next morning. The last bus for Asheville leaves around 8 p.m. (20:00). Students often get a room at a motel, such as Comfort Inn, Hampton Inn, Days Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Red Roof Inn, that is reasonably priced. You can find information on these hotels on the Internet. If your flight arrives late at night and the university cannot pick you up, you can stay overnight at the Fairfield Inn across from the airport. They have a shuttle service to and from the airport. The telephone number from the airport is: 684-1144. There is a courtesy phone (free of charge) that you can use at the airport to call the Inn. Cost of a room on weekdays is around $79.00; on weekends, $89.00; in January, $59.00.
You can also rent a car at the airport and drive to Cullowhee.
Other Airports
Flights to Atlanta may be cheaper but the Greyhound from Atlanta to Asheville takes around 14 hours (normally a 2-3 hour trip).
If you fly to an international airport like Atlanta, Georgia, or New York, or Los Angeles and fly to Nashville, Tennessee, connect with a flight or take a Greyhound Bus to Asheville.