Lincoln 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, the population was 86,810, making it the most populous "Lincoln County" in the United States. 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 Lincolnton. Lincoln County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The county was formed in 1779 from the eastern part of Tryon County, which had been settled by Europeans in the mid-18th Century. It was named for

Benjamin Lincoln Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 ( O.S. January 13, 1733) – May 9, 1810) was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Lincoln was involved in three major surrender ...

, a general in the

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 ...

." During the American Revolution, the Battle of Ramsour's Mill occurred near a

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

in Lincolnton. In 1782 the southeastern part of Burke County was annexed to Lincoln County. In 1841, parts of Lincoln County and Rutherford County were combined to form Cleveland County. In 1842, the northern third of Lincoln County became Catawba County. In 1846, the southern half of what was left of Lincoln County became

Gaston County Gaston County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 227,943. The county seat is Gastonia. Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911. Gaston County is included in the ...

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 is land and (2.96%) is water.

State and local protected areas

* Mountain Island Educational State Forest (part) * Pee Wee's Mountain Bike Trail * Rock Springs Nature Preserve * South Fork Rail Trail

Major water bodies

* Anderson Creek * Ballard Creek * Buffalo Creek * Catawba River * Crooked Creek * Howard Creek * Hoyle Creek * Indian Creek * Killian Creek *

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 ...

Little Indian Creek Little Indian Creek is a northwest flowing stream in northwest Washington and southeast Franklin counties in Missouri. The stream is a tributary to Indian Creek. The stream headwaters arise southeast of Richwoods at and the confluence with I ...

* South Fork Catawba River * Tanyard Creek

Adjacent counties

* Catawba County – north * Iredell County – northeast * Mecklenburg County – southeast *

– south * Cleveland County – west * Burke County – northwest

Major highways

* * * * * (

business route A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route that branches off a parent numbered highway at its beginning, continues through the central business district of a nearby city or to ...

) * * * ( truck route) * * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Lincoln County Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 86,810 people, 34,418 households, and 24,445 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 78,265 people, 30,343 households, and 22,221 families residing 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 . There were 33,641 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 89.4%

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

, 5.5%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.7% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 6.7% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 30,343 households, out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.97. In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.4 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for a household in the county was $42,456, and the median income for a family was $48,298. Males had a median income of $41,441 versus $30,480 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 $21,861. About 10.4% of families and 15.8% 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 ...

, as well as 25.3% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Lincoln County is heavily Republican and the last Democratic presidential candidate to win it 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 ...

in 1976, who won it by 58.37%.

Law and government

Lincoln County is governed by a five-member county board of commissioners, a seven-member school board, and five supervisors on the water and soil conservation district. The county's judiciary is represented by two superior court judges and six circuit court judges. Other offices include the district attorney, county clerk, sheriff, and register of deeds. Every countywide office is held by a Republican, and the only Democratic official that holds office in the county is Lincolnton Mayor Ed Hatley, who has been the city's mayor since 2015. In 2018, former Lincolnton city council member Mary Frances White became the first African American elected official in the county's history. She served one term on the city council for ward one, and ran for re-election in 2022, but lost to Kevin Demeny by 334 votes. Lincoln County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments.

Office Holders

Board of Education

There are seven members, two of which become chair, and vice-chair of the board. There are five individual districts, and two at-large districts, but all seven board members are elected countywide with four-year terms. On August 5, 2021, The North Carolina General Assembly ratified House Bill 244 / SL 2021-99 which went into effect in the beginning of 2022, changing the election method for the Lincoln County Board of Education from non-partisan to partisan.

County Board of Commissioners

Commissioners serve four-year terms.

Soil and Water Conservation

Members of the water and soil conservation serve a four year term, no term limits. Three are elected and two are appointed by the state commission. This is the only elected office in the county that is

non-partisan Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias. While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...

Other Offices

These officials are elected and serve four year terms.

Judicial

District Court

District Court Judges are elected, and serve four year terms.

Superior Court

Lincoln County is in the 39th Superior Court District. It consists of both Lincoln and

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

County. Judges are elected, and serve eight year terms.

General Assembly

Lincoln County is currently represented by the 97th House District, and 44th Senate District in the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, state government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...

North Carolina House of Representatives

North Carolina's 97th House district is entirely limited to Lincoln County and has been since 2003. The district overlaps with the 44th state senate district. Current representative Heather Rhyne has represented the district since 2024. She is a former member and chairperson of the Lincoln County Board of Education. In 2024, She was selected by the Lincoln County GOP Executive Committee to fill out the remainder of former State House Rep. Jason Saine’s unexpired term. Saine who's served the single county house district since 2011 decided to resign on July 15, 2024, after the

was unable to pass a budget update for the 2024 session despite the GOP having the supermajority at the time. In November 2024, Rhyne ran unopposed and easily won her first election in the district with 43,332 votes.

North Carolina Senate

The 44th district has covered all of Lincoln, and

counties, along with northwest Gaston county since 2019. The district overlaps with the 97th, 110th, and 111th state house districts. Current representative Ted Alexander has represented the district since 2019. Alexander previously served two terms as mayor of

Shelby, North Carolina Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina. It lies near the western edge of the Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina, Concord, North Carolina, NC-South Carolina, SC Charlotte metropolitan a ...

as well as chair of the Cleveland County Republican Party. He won his first election in November 2018 with 68.5% of the vote against Democratic opponent David Lattimore who received 31.15% of the vote. Alexander won his most recent election in 2024 with 72.50% of the vote against Democratic opponent Henry Herzberg who received 27.50% of the vote.

Federal Representatives

United States House of Representatives

All of Lincoln County is represented in congress by the 10th congressional district.

United States Senate

Controversy

In February 2020, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department received media attention when surveillance video was released showing first a pair of

Atrium Health Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (trade name, doing business as Atrium Health, formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) was a hospital network with more than 70,000 employees and, since its merger with Advocate Aurora Health in 2022. It ope ...

security guards assaulting a sixteen-year-old boy brought to the hospital's emergency room. When another pair of sheriff's deputies arrived, video shows one of the deputies hitting the boy, now handcuffed, in the face twice as the boy spit blood pooling in his mouth after being tackled from behind by security guards. The deputy then aggressively approached the mother, yelling at her before being pulled to the ground by a second deputy, In an interview with WBTV, Lincoln County Sheriff Bill Beam defended his deputies saying they did nothing wrong, denying that the officer struck the boy or that the officer was physically restrained by two additional sheriff's deputies. The boy was arrested and charged with felony assault on a police officer.

Education

Post-secondary education

* Gaston College - Community College located in Dallas, North Carolina with a satellite campus in Lincolnton offering associate degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs.

Lincoln County Schools

High schools

* East Lincoln High School * Lincoln County School of Technology * Lincolnton High School * Newbold High School (1952-1968), a segregated school that served African Americans and became G. E. Massey Elementary School in 1968 after desegregation * Oaklawn High School (segregated school serving African Americans), replaced by Newbold High School in 1952 * North Lincoln High School * West Lincoln High School

Middle school

* Asbury Academy * East Lincoln * Lincolnton * North Lincoln * West Lincoln

Intermediate schools

* Pumpkin Center Intermediate School

Elementary schools

* Asbury * Battleground * Catawba Springs * G. E. Massey * Iron Station * Love Memorial * Norris S. Childers * North Brook * Pumpkin Center Primary * Rock Springs * S. Ray Lowder * St. James * Union Charter schools * Lincoln Charter School

Communities

Map of Lincoln County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

City

* Lincolnton (county seat and largest community)

Town

* Boger City (former town) * Maiden (part)

Census-designated places

* Crouse *

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

* Iron Station * Lowesville * Westport

Unincorporated communities

* Flay *

Laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratories are found in a variety of settings such as schools ...

* Laurel Hill * Polkadot * Reepsville *

Toluca Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. Toluca has a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Grea ...

(part) *

Vale A vale is a type of valley. Vale may also refer to: Places Georgia * Vale, Georgia, a town in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region Norway * Våle, a historic municipality Portugal * Vale (Santa Maria da Feira), a former civil parish in the municip ...

Townships

* Catawba Springs * Howards Creek * Ironton * Lincolnton * North Brook

References

External links

* *
NCGenWeb Lincoln County
genealogy resources for the county {{Authority control 1779 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1779