Davidson County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 168,930. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Lexington, and its largest community is Thomasville. Davidson County is included in the

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...

, NC metropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC combined statistical area. Parts of Davidson County are in the Yadkin Valley AVA.

History

The original North Carolina county of this name was created in 1786 in what was then the far western portion of North Carolina, with its county seat at

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

and a territory covering most of what is now

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...

. When Tennessee was established as a separate state in 1796, this county became

Davidson County, Tennessee Davidson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is located in the heart of Middle Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 715,884, making it the 2nd most populous county in Tennessee. Its county seat is Nashville, ...

. The current North Carolina county was formed in 1822 from Rowan County. It was named after Brigadier General William Lee Davidson, an

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

general killed at the

Battle of Cowan's Ford The Battle of Cowan's Ford took place in the Southern Theater of Cornwallis's 1780–1782 Campaign during the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on February 1, 1781, at Cowan's Ford on the Catawba River in northwestern Mecklenburg ...

on the Catawba River in 1781. The Silver Hill Mine, the first silver mine in the United States, opened in Davidson County in 1839. 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 United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which (2.56%) are covered by water. Davidson County is located entirely within the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

region of central North Carolina. The Piedmont consists of gently rolling terrain frequently broken by hills or shallow valleys formed by rivers and streams. Exceptions to this terrain are the

Uwharrie Mountains The Uwharrie Mountains ()
from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

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

(part)

State and local protected areas

* Boone's Cave Park * Lake Thom-A-Lex Park * Uwharrie Game Land (part) * Yadkin River Game Land (part)

Major water bodies

* Abbotts Creek * Badin Lake * High Rock Lake * Lake Thom-A-Lex * South Potts Creek * Tuckertown Reservoir *

Yadkin River The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in the US state of North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river a ...

Adjacent counties

* Forsyth County – north * Guilford County – northeast * Randolph County – east * Montgomery County – south * Stanly County – southwest * Rowan County – southwest * Davie County – west

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Davidson County Airport * Lexington Station

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, 168,930 people, 69,938 households, and 49,037 families were residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, 149,331 people, 58,156 households, and 42,512 families were living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . The 62,432 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.05% White, 11.14% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 1.67% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. About 3.24% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race. Of the 58,156 households, 32.7% had children under 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were not families. About 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the age distribution was 24.3% under 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.7 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,640, and for a family was $46,241. Males had a median income of $31,287 versus $23,622 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $18,703. About 7.00% of families and 10.10% 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 ...

, including 13.3% of people under 18 and 12.1% of those 65 or over.

Government and politics

Davidson County was one of the first areas of North Carolina to turn Republican, doing so long before other areas of conservative White voters shifted away from the Democrats. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the county since

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

defeated Thomas E. Dewey by a mere 10 votes out of almost 19,000 in

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...

. It was one of only 13 counties of 100 in the state to vote for

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

over

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

, and the last Democrat to garner even one-third of the county's vote was

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

. Davidson County is a member of the regional Piedmont Triad Council of Governments. Davidson County gained national attention when Gerald Hege, sheriff from 1994 to 2003, became a minor celebrity for his unconventional prisoner treatment methods.

County commissioners

Education

Davidson County is served by Davidson County Schools, but the cities of Thomasville and Lexington have their own

school district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public Primary school, primary or Secondary school, secondary schools or both in various countries. It is not to be confused with an attendance zone, which is within a school dis ...

s. The Davidson County Schools district is one of the county's largest employers. Davidson County is also served by Davidson-Davie Community College, a comprehensive community college that is a member school of the North Carolina Community College System. Davidson-Davie Community College was chartered in 1958 as an Industrial Education Center designed to provide adults with the education and skills needed to move from an agricultural to a manufacturing-based economy. In 1965, the institution was chartered as Davidson County Community College. The associate in arts and associate in science degrees were added to the existing associate in applied science degree, diploma, and certificate programs. University transfer courses were added in 1966. In 1997, the college participated in the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement that allows college transfer students to move easily to the 16 UNC schools, as well as many independent college and universities. Presently, the Davidson Campus has grown to 11 buildings and two emergency-services training facilities on about .

Attractions

Lexington NC Arts United of Davidson County

Festivals

One of the county's most famous attractions is the yearly Lexington Barbecue Festival, held in the city of Lexington during October, bringing in over 100,000 visitors from all over the Southeastern U.S. Also, an annual Davidson County Agriculture Fair is held in September. Thomasville hosts an annual Everybody's Day Festival, the longest-running festival in the state. The Southeastern Old Threshers Reunion is held every year at the Denton Farmpark.

Landmarks

Many year-long attractions are available in Davidson County, some of which include Historic Uptown Lexington, which consists of the Davidson County Historical Museum located in the old

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

. Alongside the Yadkin River sits Boone's Cave Park, where according to legend, a young

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

and his family once lived. Other attractions include Denton Farm Park, Walter Johnson Camp and Conference Center, and the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The historic

Wil-Cox Bridge The Wil-Cox Bridge is a historic concrete arch bridge, arch pedestrian bridge spanning the Yadkin River between Rowan County, North Carolina, Rowan and Davidson County, North Carolina, Davidson counties in North Carolina. The bridge formerly car ...

spanning the Yadkin River has been preserved for pedestrian traffic and is now part of the Yadkin River Park. The Big Chair in Thomasville is also a major landmark.

Art

Pigs in the City, an art initiative held each summer in Lexington, attracts tens of thousands of visitors. In 2005, Davidson County Community College and the City of Thomasville formed a partnership for the creation of the Thomasville Artisan Center. This art studio allowed the college to reinvigorate its associate in fine arts degree, and offered both university transfer classes and adult community-interest classes in painting, drawing, and sculpting. The Artisan Center is part of the college's Thomasville Education Center complex, which is part of the college's outreach to the community. The college has a second campus in Davie County in the city of Mocksville, as well as the Uptown Lexington Education Center, located within a few blocks of the Arts Center of Davidson County and the historic Courthouse.

Barbecue

One of the two major styles of North Carolina barbecue originated in Lexington, the county seat and home to the annual Lexington Barbecue Festival. Therefore, many Lexington-style barbecue restaurants are found throughout the county.

Richard Childress

Davidson County is home to many supporting race fans and the famous

Richard Childress Richard Reed Childress (born September 21, 1945) is an American former race car driver in NASCAR. Childress is the owner of Richard Childress Racing (RCR). In 2004, he opened a vineyard in the Yadkin Valley AVA near Lexington, North Carolina, Le ...

. It includes his personal Childress Vineyards and Richard Childress Racing Museum.

The Big Chair

Davidson County is also known for its oversized chair, the "Big Chair", located in central Thomasville; it is a symbol of Davidson County's

furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...

industry.

High Rock Lake

High Rock Lake is the northernmost of the Uwharrie Lakes and the second-largest lake in North Carolina behind

Lake Norman Lake Norman is an man-made lake, artificial fresh water lake in southwest North Carolina. The largest lake in the state, it was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station, Cowans Ford Dam by ...

. Its water surface covers , with of shoreline. It begins at the confluence of the

and the South Yadkin River. It has been the host of the Bassmaster Classic in 1994, 1995 and 1998. and is the site of frequent other local angling competitions. Lexington is just north of the Abbotts Creek section of the lake.

Communities

Map of Davidson County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

* High Point (part) * Lexington (county seat) * Thomasville (largest community)

Towns

* Denton * Midway * Wallburg

Townships

* Abbotts Creek * Alleghany * Arcadia * Boone * Conrad Hill * Cotton Grove * Emmons * Hampton * Healing Spring * Jackson Hill * Lexington * Midway * Reedy Creek * Silver Hill * Thomasville *

Tyro In Greek mythology, Tyro () was an Elean princess who later became Queen of Iolcus. Tyro was the daughter of King Salmoneus of Elis and Alcidice. She married her uncle, King Cretheus of Iolcus, and had three sons with him, and also bore twin s ...

Yadkin College Yadkin College was a college founded in 1857 by the Methodist Protestant Church. It was located in rural Davidson County, North Carolina, Davidson County, North Carolina and named for the nearby Yadkin River. High Point University serves as the ...

Census-designated places

* Southmont *

Welcome A welcome is a kind of greeting designed to introduce a person to a new place or situation, and to make them feel at ease. The term can similarly be used to describe the feeling of being accepted on the part of the new person. Overview In ...

Unincorporated communities

* Arcadia * Churchland * Gordontown * Holly Grove * Reeds * Silver Hill * Silver Valley

Notable people

* Nia Franklin, Miss America 2019, graduated from North Davidson High School in Welcome, North Carolina. * Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell, professional baseball player for the Pirates and Cardinals, and a US congressman who served three terms (1930–1999) from the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina. *

Max Lanier Hubert Max Lanier (August 18, 1915 – January 30, 2007) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He spent most of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the St. Louis Cardinals, but also played for the New York Giants and St. Louis ...

and son

Hal Lanier Harold Clifton Lanier (born July 4, 1942) is an American former infielder, coach and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Known as a brainy, defense-first player, he won National League Manager of the Year as a rookie manager for leading the ...

, both Major League Baseball players, are from Denton. *

Eddie Mathews Edwin Lee Mathews (October 13, 1931 – February 18, 2001) was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 17 seasons for the Boston / Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves (1952–1966); Houston Astros (19 ...

, Hall of Fame baseball player, played for Thomasville in 1949 before going professional. * Perry Tuttle, former NFL and

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division and five in the West Division. The CFL is the highest pr ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

, was born in Lexington. * Shy Tuttle, defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, grew up in Midway, North Carolina.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1822 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1822