Randolph County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 144,171. 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 st ...

is Asheboro. Randolph County is included in the

Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

- High Point, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, which is also included in the Greensboro-

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 ...

-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 (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

. In 2010, the center of population of North Carolina was located in Randolph County, near the town of Seagrove.

History

Some of the first European settlers in this area of the Piedmont and what would become the county were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Quakers, who settled along the Haw, Deep, and Eno rivers The county was formed in 1779 from

Guilford County Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population is 541,299, making it the third-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat, and largest municipality, is Greensboro. S ...

. It was named for

Peyton Randolph Peyton Randolph (September 10, 1721 – October 22, 1775) was an American politician and planter who was a Founding Father of the United States. Born into Virginia's wealthiest and most powerful family, Randolph served as speaker of Virginia' ...

, first president of the Continental Congress.

County formation

The Legislature of 1779, then sitting at Halifax, passed an act providing for the formation of a new county from parts of Guilford and Rowan, to be called Randolph. Randolph County was the original location of the school that developed as Duke University. The county is home to one of the last remaining covered bridges in the state. The Pisgah Covered Bridge, in Union Township in the southwestern part of the county, was destroyed by a flood in 2003, but has been rebuilt. In 1911, a new county called Piedmont County was proposed, with High Point as its county seat, to be created from Guilford, Davidson, and Randolph counties. Many people appeared at the Guilford County courthouse to oppose the plan, vowing to go to the state legislature to protest. The state legislature voted down the plan in February 1911.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is covered by water. Randolph County is located in the center of North Carolina, and the city of Asheboro (in the county) is the center point of North Carolina. Randolph 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 ...

section of central North Carolina, generally a region of gently rolling hills and woodlands. The central and western parts of the county contain the Uwharrie Mountains and the Caraway Mountains. These two ranges are the remnants of a much-higher range of ancient peaks. Today, they rarely top above sea level, yet due to the relative low terrain around them, they still rise above their base. The highest point in Randolph County is Shepherd Mountain, a peak in the Caraways. The North Carolina Zoo is located atop Purgatory Mountain, one of the peaks of the Uwharries.

National protected area

* Birkhead Mountains Wilderness *

Uwharrie National Forest Uwharrie National Forest ( ) Talk Like A Tarheel
from the North Car ...

State and local protected areas/sites

* Liberty Raceway Park * North Carolina Zoo * Pisgah Covered Bridge

Major water bodies

Back Creek (Caraway Creek tributary) Back Creek is a long 4th order tributary to Caraway Creek, in Randolph County, North Carolina. Course Back Creek rises on the Deep River divide about 3 miles south of Randleman in Randolph County, North Carolina. Back Creek then flows south-s ...

* Bush Creek (Deep River tributary) *

Caraway Creek (Uwharrie River tributary) Caraway Creek is a long 5th order tributary to the Uwharrie River, in Randolph County, North Carolina. Course Caraway Creek rises on the Deep River divide about east of Progress in Randolph County, North Carolina. Caraway Creek then flows so ...

* Deep River * Little Caraway Creek (Caraway Creek tributary) *

Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...

* Little Uwharrie River * Randleman Lake * Reed Creek (Deep River tributary) * Rocky River * Toms Creek (Uwharrie River tributary) *

Uwharrie River The Uwharrie River () is a long river, in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. Course The Uwharrie River rises in northwestern Randolph ...

Adjacent counties

- north *

Alamance County Alamance County (), from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 18, 2012. is a county in North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,415. Its county seat ...

- northeast * Chatham County - east * Moore County - southeast * Montgomery County - southwest * Davidson County - west

Major highways

* * * * * (Concurrency with US 421) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ( Spur Route) *

Major infrastructure

* Asheboro Regional Airport

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 of ...

, there were 144,171 people, 56,117 households, and 37,795 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 in ...

of 2000, 130,454 people, 50,659 households, and 37,335 families resided in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 166 people per square mile (64/km²). The 54,422 housing units averaged 69 per square mile (27/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 89.20% White, 5.63% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.01% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. About 6.63% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. As with much of North Carolina, the Latino population of Randolph County continued to grow into the 21st century. In 2005, figures placed the Latino population as 9.3% of the county's total. In 2000, of the 50,659 households, 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were not families. About 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.97. In the county, the population was distributed as 25.00% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,348, and for a family was $44,369. Males had a median income of $30,575 versus $22,503 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 $18,236. About 6.80% of families and 9.10% 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 t ...

, including 11.60% of those under age 18 and 11.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Randolph County is a member of the regional Piedmont Triad Council of Governments. The county is one of the most

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

-dominated counties in the state. It has supported the Republican presidential candidate in all but three elections since 1916. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the county since

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

in 1940, and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

is the last Democrat to even tally 40 percent of the county's vote. In 1964, it was one of only 13 counties in the state to vote for Barry Goldwater, and the easternmost county in the state to do so. Republican dominance at the local level is so absolute that in some cases, Republican candidates and incumbents run unopposed.

Education

* Randolph County School System serves most of the county. Asheboro City Schools serves Asheboro. * Fayetteville Street Christian School, located in Asheboro, is the largest private school in Randolph County.

Communities

Cities

* Archdale (part) * Asheboro (county seat and largest city) * High Point (part) * Randleman * Thomasville (part) *

Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God th ...

Towns

* Franklinville *

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

* Ramseur * Seagrove * Staley

Townships

* Asheboro * Archdale * Back Creek * Brower * Cedar Grove * Coleridge * Columbia * Concord * Farmer * Franklinville * Grant * Level Cross * Liberty * New Hope * New Market * Pleasant Grove * Providence * Randleman * Richland * Tabernacle * Trinity * Union

Unincorporated communities

* Cedar Grove * Climax *

Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake ...

* Erect *

Farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer m ...

* Level Cross * Pisgah * Sophia * Ulah * Whynot

Notable people

Sam Ard Samuel Julian Ard (February 14, 1939April 2, 2017) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He won two NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series championships, in 1983 and 1984. Ard also made one NASCAR Winston Cup start. He reti ...

- NASCAR driver; 1983 and 1984 Busch Series champion *

Adam Petty Adam Kyler Petty (July 10, 1980 – May 12, 2000) was an American professional stock car racing driver. He was the fourth generation from the Petty family to drive in races in the highest division of NASCAR racing, mostly in what was then kno ...

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...

driver. Son of Kyle Petty. Killed in

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

. * Braxton Craven - educator and second president of Trinity College, which later moved to

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

and became Duke University. * Henderson Luelling, Quaker abolitionist, horticulturist (born here) *

Gideon Morris Gideon Morris (c. 1756 – April 1798) was an early American settler and trans-Appalachian pioneer. He was a part of the Watauga Association and is most known for founding the city of Morristown, Tennessee. Biography Gideon Morris was born in R ...

- trans-Appalachian pioneer and founder of Morristown, Tennessee * Heaven Fitch - wrestler * Heidi N. Closet -

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 ensl ...

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...

& contestant of

RuPaul's Drag Race ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...

, season 12. * Jerry Bledsoe - author * Jonathan Worth - North Carolina Governor *

Kyle Petty Kyle Eugene Petty (born June 2, 1960) is an American former stock car racing driver, and current racing commentator. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of racer Adam Petty, who was killed in a crash d ...

- NASCAR driver. Son of Richard Petty *

Lee Petty Lee Arnold Petty (March 14, 1914 – April 5, 2000) was an American stock car racing driver who competed during the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR and one of its first superstars. He was NASCAR's first three-time Cup ch ...

- NASCAR pioneer. Father of Richard Petty * Rufus Hussey - The Beanshooter Man who appeared on

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

. * Richard Petty - NASCAR driver. Son of Lee Petty. * Naomi Wise - murder victim

References

External links

*
NCGenWeb Randolph County
- free genealogy resources for the county
Official Visitor Information

North Carolina Architects & Builders
{{authority control 1779 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1779