List of counties in North Carolina

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The U.S. state of North Carolina is divided into 100 counties. North Carolina ranks 28th in size by area, but has the seventh-highest number of counties in the country.[1]

Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, King Charles II rewarded eight persons on March 24, 1663, for their faithful support of his efforts to regain the throne of England. He gave the eight grantees, called Lords Proprietor, the land called Carolina, in honor of King Charles I, his father. The Province of Carolina, from 1663 to 1729, was a North American English (1663–1707), then British (from 1707 union with Scotland) colony. In 1729, the Province of North Carolina became a separate entity from the Province of South Carolina.[2]

The establishment of North Carolina counties stretches over 240 years, beginning in 1668 with the creation of Albemarle County and ending with the 1911 creation of Avery and Hoke counties. Six counties have been divided or abolished altogether, the last being Dobbs County in 1791.

The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS),[3] which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify states and counties, is provided with each entry. North Carolina's FIPS code is 37, which when combined with the county code is written as 37XXX.[4]

List

County FIPS code[3] County seat[5] Est.[5] Origin[6] Etymology[6] Pop.
(2025)[7] 		Area[8] Map

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Historic counties

County Created Abolished Fate
Albemarle County 1664[9] 1738[9] Partitioned into Bertie County, Chowan County, Currituck County, Pasquotank County, Perquimans County, and Tyrrell County
Bath County 1696[10] 1738[10] Partitioned into Beaufort County, Bladen County, Carteret County, Craven County, Hyde County, New Hanover County, and Onslow County
Bute County 1764[11] 1779[11] Created from the eastern part of Granville County. Partitioned into Franklin County and Warren County
Clarendon County 1664[12] 1667[12] Damaged by a hurricane in August 1667 and subsequently abandoned & abolished
Dobbs County 1758[13] 1791[13] Partitioned into Greene County and Lenoir County
Tryon County 1768[14] 1779[14] Partitioned into Lincoln County and Rutherford County

For several months in 1784, Cumberland County was known as Fayette County and sent representatives to the North Carolina General Assembly of April 1784 under this name.[15]

Proposed counties

In the state's history, two counties have officially been proposed, but not created—Hooper County and Lillington County, in 1851 and 1859, respectively. The former was to be created from parts of Richmond and Robeson Counties, and the latter was to be created from parts of New Hanover County. Hooper County was to be named for William Hooper, a Founding Father from North Carolina, and Lillington County was to be named for Alexander Lillington, a Revolutionary War hero who had been buried in the proposed area. Both of the proposals failed in their respective referendums. Later on, Scotland County would be created in the area where Hooper County was proposed, and Pender County would fill the area where Lillington County was proposed.[16][17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "How Many Counties are in Your State?". Click and Learn. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  2. ↑ "LEARN NC has been archived". www.learnnc.org. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". US Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from the original on September 28, 2004. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
  4. ↑ "North Carolina County FIPS Codes". www.lib.ncsu.edu. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "NACo – Find a county". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on December 11, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "County Histories". The State Library of North Carolina. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  7. ↑ "QuickFacts: North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  8. ↑ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Historic Albemarle County North Carolina Genealogy". USGenNet. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Historic Bath County North Carolina Genealogy". USGenNet. Archived from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Bute Co., North Carolina GenWeb 1764–1779". RootsWeb. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Clarendon County". Carolana.com. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Dobbs County, NC GenWeb Archives". USGenWeb. Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Finding Tryon County Ancestors". Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library System. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  15. ↑ Cheney, John L. Jr., ed. (1974). North Carolina Government, 1585–1974. pp. 212-213.
  16. ↑ "1851 North Carolina Legislative Act to Establish Hooper County". www.carolana.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  17. ↑ "North Carolina Gazetteer browse". NCpedia. Retrieved April 24, 2024.

Further reading

Works cited

  • Corbitt, David Leroy. The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663–1943. Raleigh: State Dept. of Archives and History, 1950. Reprint, Raleigh: Division of Archives and History, North Carolina Dept. of Cultural Resources, 1987. ISBN 0-86526-032-X
  • Powell, William S. The North Carolina Gazetteer. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1968. Reprint, 1985. ISBN 0-8078-1247-1

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