High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 24,298. Its county seat is Murphy. The county was formed in 1839 from the western part of Macon County. It was named for the Cherokee people, some of whom still live in the area. In 1861 the southeastern part of Cherokee County became Clay County; in 1872 its northeastern part became Graham County.