The area of modern day Buncombe County and its environs was originally populated by the Anigiduwagi, better known as the Cherokee people.

[5] Europeans, primarily of German, Scottish and English descent, began to live in Buncombe in the early 18th century.

[9] The first meeting of the county government took place in April 1792 in Colonel Davidson's barn (located on the present-day Biltmore Estate).

It was named for Edward Buncombe, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War who was captured at the Battle of Germantown.

Congressman whose district included Buncombe County, unintentionally contributed a word to the English language.

In the Sixteenth Congress, after lengthy debate on the Missouri Compromise, members of the House called for an immediate vote on that important question.

Felix Walker rose to address his colleagues, insisting that his constituents expected him to make a speech "for Buncombe."

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic, record-breaking flooding throughout Buncombe County and Western North Carolina.

Mitchell is the highest point in the eastern United States at 6,684 ft.[18] Its summit lies in adjacent Yancey County; the highest point in Buncombe County is Potato Knob, at 6400+ feet, which lies a short distance south of Mount Mitchell.

A milestone was achieved in 2003 when Interstate 26, still called Future I-26 in northern Buncombe County, was extended from Mars Hill (north of Asheville) to Johnson City, Tennessee.

Current commissioners are Amanda Edwards (Chair), Al Whitesides, Jennifer Horton, Terri Wells, Martin Moore, Parker Sloan, and Drew Ball.

The Sheriff's Office is organized into six divisions: Enforcement, Detention, Animal Control, Support Operations, School Resources, Civil Process.

The NC State Highway Patrol Troop G regional headquarters is located in east Asheville.

[35] As of 2023, in the North Carolina Senate, Julie Mayfield (D–49th) and Warren Daniel (R–46th) both represent parts of Buncombe County.

When Donald Trump won the electoral college (and the election) after losing the popular vote, the county lost its bellwether status.

In 2024, Kamala Harris achieved the strongest performance by a Democrat in the county since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide.

North Carolina is represented in the United States Senate by Republicans Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, from Advance and Huntersville, respectively.

All of the county is located in North Carolina's 11th congressional district, which is currently held by Republican Chuck Edwards.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's impacts on the region, in October the department reported that Buncombe had the highest rate of unemployment in the state at 8.8 percent.