Yadkin County is located in the U.S. state of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,214. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Yadkinville. Yadkin County is included in the

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro-

- High Point, NC

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...

History

The county was formed in 1850 from the part of Surry County south of the Yadkin River, for which it was named.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. Yadkin County is located in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of central North Carolina. The Piedmont consists of rolling farmlands frequently broken by hills or valleys formed by streams. The extreme western section of the county contains the Brushy Mountains, a deeply eroded spur of the much higher

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virg ...

to the west. Yadkin County marks the eastern end of the Brushy Mountains range; none of the peaks rise more than 400–500 feet above the surrounding countryside. The highest point in the county is Star Peak near Jonesville, at 1,590 feet above sea level. The Yadkin River forms the county's northern and eastern borders. The county takes its name from the river.

State and local protected areas

* Historic Richmond Hill Nature Park * Yadkinville Community Park

Major water bodies

* Beaverdam Creek * Deep Creek * Dobbins Creek * Forbush Creek * Harmon Creek * Little Forbush Creek * Logan Creek * Miller Creek * North Deep Creek * South Deep Creek *

South Yadkin River The South Yadkin River is a long river that flows through Alexander, Davie, Iredell, Rowan, and Wilkes counties of North Carolina. The mouth is located north of High Rock Lake, where the South Yadkin River meets the Yadkin River. Major cit ...

* Turner Creek * Yadkin River

Adjacent counties

* Surry County – north * Forsyth County – east * Davie County – south-southeast * Iredell County – south-southwest * Wilkes County – west

Major highways

* * (Concurrency with US 421) * * * * * Two major four-lane highways serve Yadkin County. Interstate 77 runs north to south in the western part of the county and U.S. Highway 421 runs east to west. The two highways intersect near Hamptonville. The county also is served by U.S. Highway 21, which runs mostly parallel with I-77, and U.S. Highway 601, which runs through Yadkinville and Boonville. North Carolina Highway 67 is another popular artery that links the northern part of the county with Jonesville-Elkin and

Airports

Commercial flights are available through

Piedmont Triad International Airport Piedmont Triad International Airport (commonly referred to locally as "PTI") is an airport located in unincorporated Guilford County, North Carolina, west of Greensboro, serving the Piedmont Triad region of Greensboro, High Point and Winsto ...

and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Two private airports are located in the county, Swan Creek near Jonesville and Lone Hickory near Yadkinville. One additional airport is located in Boonville on Baptist Church Road. It recently housed NC Baptist Hospital's AirCare II during a transitional period.

Public transportation

Beginning in 2006, the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) began offering limited bus service between

Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters for the disaster a ...

and Greensboro, North Carolina as part of its US 421 Mountaineer Express. The buses make stops east and west in Yadkinville. Yadkin Valley Economic Development District Inc. (YVEDDI), a community action agency based in Boonville, operates a multi-county rural public transportation system.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 37,214 people, 15,425 households, and 10,789 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 36,348 people, 14,505 households, and 10,588 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 108 people per square mile (42/km²). There were 15,821 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.54%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 3.43%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.16% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.91% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. 6.48% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 14,505 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,660, and the median income for a family was $43,758. Males had a median income of $29,589 versus $22,599 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $18,576. About 7.10% of families and 10.00% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Owing to its Quaker past and consequent historical Unionist sympathies, Yadkin County became and has always remained solidly Republican. The county has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every election since the party first contested North Carolina in the 1868 election. Alongside

Stokes County Stokes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,520. Its county seat is Danbury. Stokes County is included in the Winston-Salem, N.C., Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...

and Surry County, it was one of only three North Carolina counties to remain loyal to William Howard Taft in 1912, and one of seven to vote for Alf Landon in 1936. Even before the Republican Party contested the South, Yadkin County never voted Democratic: it would vote for Constitutional Union candidate John Bell in 1860, for Know-Nothing candidate

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853; he was the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Represen ...

in 1856, and for the Whig Party in its first election of 1852. Yadkin County is a member of the regional Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments. It is governed by a five-member board of commissioners who are elected every two years. In the North Carolina Senate, Yadkin County is located in the 31st Senate district represented by Republican Joyce Krawiec. In the North Carolina House of Representatives, Yadkin County is in the 73rd District represented by Republican Lee Zachary.

Education

Yadkin County has three high schools, Forbush, Starmount, and the Yadkin Early College. The Yadkin Early College is a five-year program where high school and college courses are offered on the Yadkin campus of Surry Community College. Students get the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and an associate degree in nursing, criminal justice, or a transfer degree to a four-year university. The high schools are fed by eight elementary schools, which teach kindergarten through sixth grades. The eight elementary schools are Boonville, Courtney, East Bend, Fall Creek, Forbush, Jonesville, West Yadkin and Yadkinville. The school system also operates Yadkin Success Academy, an alternative learning center on Old U.S. 421 in Yadkinville. Yadkin County opened two new middle schools in 2009. Starmount Middle School opened in August and serves seventh and eighth grade students from Jonesville, Boonville, and West Yadkin Elementary Schools. Forbush Middle opened in November and serves East Bend, Forbush Elementary, Fall Creek, Courtney, and Yadkinville Schools. Both campuses are adjacent to the high schools.

Surry Community College Surry Community College is a public community college in Dobson, North Carolina. Founded in 1964, it is part of the North Carolina Community College System and services Surry and Yadkin Counties. Surry Community College offers thirty-six are ...

offers courses through its Yadkin Campus at 4649 U.S. Highway 601 North near Yadkinville.

Media

Print

Yadkin County is covered by two community newspapers, '' The Yadkin Ripple'' and '' The Tribune'' of Elkin. The '' Winston-Salem Journal'', a larger daily paper, also covers the county. Yadkin Valley Living, a bimonthly lifestyles publication, is based in East Bend.

Broadcast

WSGH WSGH (1040 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a spanish language format. Licensed to Lewisville, NC, United States, it serves the Greensboro, NC area. The station is currently owned by Mahan Janbakhsh's TBLC Holdings, LLC, through licensee TBL ...

, an AM Spanish contemporary station, broadcasts from eastern Yadkin County. Yadkin County is part of the

Piedmont Triad The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina anchored by three cities: Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group of cities lies in the Piedmo ...

radio and television market but many broadcasts from the Charlotte market also can be received.

Yadkin Valley wine region

All of Yadkin County is included in the

Yadkin Valley AVA The Yadkin Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area that includes land in seven counties of northwestern North Carolina. The AVA encompasses an area of approximately in the Yadkin River valley. The Yadkin Valley AVA includes all of Wilkes, ...

, an American Viticultural Area recognized by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

government as a unique

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

-growing region. Wines made from grapes grown in this area may use the

appellation An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bo ...

"Yadkin Valley" on the label. Yadkin County is also home to the second North Carolina AVA, the Swan Creek Wine Region.

Communities

Towns

* Boonville * East Bend * Jonesville * Yadkinville (county seat and largest town)

Townships

* Boonville * Deep Creek * East Bend * Forbush * North Buck Shoals * North Fall Creek * North Knobs * North Liberty * South Buck Shoals * South Fall Creek * South Knobs * South Liberty

Unincorporated communities

Barney Hill Barney and Betty Hill were an American couple who claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials in a rural portion of the state of New Hampshire from September 19 to 20, 1961. The incident came to be called the "Hill Abduction" and the "Zeta ...

* Branon * Buck Shoals * Center * Brooks' Crossroads * Courtney * Enon * Flint Hill * Footville * Forbush * Hamptonville *

Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...

* Lone Hickory * Longtown * Marler * Richmond Hill * Swan Creek * Union Hill * Windsor's Crossroads * Wyo

Former towns

These towns were incorporated at one time: * Arlington, merged with Jonesville in 2001. * Hamptonville, chartered in 1818. *

, incorporated in 1792. * Shore, incorporated from 1903 to 1911. * Smithtown, incorporated in 1924.

Former township

* Little Yadkin (formerly the only part of Yadkin County east of the Yadkin River), annexed by Forsyth County in 1911 and 1927 to become part of Lewisville Township

Notable people

* Leo Arnaud, French-born film composer *

Thomas Lanier Clingman Thomas Lanier Clingman (July 27, 1812November 3, 1897), known as the "Prince of Politicians," was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1845 and from 1847 to 1858, and U.S. senator from the state of North ...

, U.S. senator and representative and Confederate brigadier general * William "Mo" Cowan, U.S. senator for Massachusetts in 2013 * Mamrie Hart, YouTube celebrity *

Dickie Hemric Ned Dixon "Dickie" Hemric (August 29, 1933 – August 3, 2017) was an American collegiate and professional basketball player for Wake Forest University (1952–1955) and the NBA's Boston Celtics (1955–1957). Hemric played the first two coll ...

, basketball star for Wake Forest and the Boston Celtics *

Richmond Mumford Pearson Richmond Mumford Pearson (1805–1878) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1858 to 1878. He was the father of Congressman Richmond Pearson and the father-in-law of North Carolina Governor ...

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

chief justice, and his son,

Richmond Pearson Richmond Mumford Pearson, Jr. (January 26, 1852 – September 12, 1923) was an American diplomat and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina. Biography Richmond Mumford Pearson, Jr. was born 26 January 1852 at Richmond H ...

, a diplomat and U.S. representative * Richard Clauselle Puryear, U.S. congressman * Ernie Shore, a

Major League baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

pitcher and former Forsyth County sheriff * Robert Glenn Junior Johnson, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and champion team owner

References

External links

*
Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce, based in Elkin

Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce, based in Yadkinville

Yadkin County government official website

Yadkin County Schools

Yadkin Valley Wineries and Vineyards
{{authority control Counties of Appalachia 1850 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1850