HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Rockingham is a city in
Richmond County, North Carolina Richmond County is a County (United States), county located on the central southern border of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its county seat is Rockingham, North Carolina, Rockingham. The county was formed in 1779 from a portion of Anson Cou ...
, United States, named after the
Marquess of Rockingham Marquess of Rockingham, in the County of Northampton, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1746 for Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham, Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Earl of Malton. The Watson family ...
. The population was 9,243 at the 2020 census. It is the
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 ...
of Richmond County. Downtown Rockingham is currently being revitalized as a part of a ten-year plan named "Shaping Our Future: 2023". The city is currently experiencing an economic boom, with new businesses opening in the downtown area.


History

The city was named for
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (13 May 1730 – 1 July 1782), styled The Honourable Charles Watson-Wentworth before 1739, Viscount Higham between 1739 and 1746, Earl of Malton between 1746 and 1750, and the Marquess of R ...
,
British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pri ...
from 1765 to 1766 and again in 1782. Rockingham's administration was dominated by the issue of the Thirteen Colonies. Rockingham wanted to repeal the
Stamp Act 1765 The Stamp Act 1765, also known as the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765 (5 Geo. 3. c. 12), was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of Great Britain which imposed a direct tax on the British America, British coloni ...
and won a Commons vote in 1766 on the repeal resolution by 275 to 167. As a result, he was a popular figure among British colonists in America (who would later become known simply as "Americans"). People in North Carolina were still sympathetic toward him in the years following the United States gaining independence. During the early 19th century, numerous families from here migrated to
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 ...
, settling in what is now Nolensville. They quickly established their new community. In 1950, the town fielded a professional minor league baseball team in the Class D Tobacco State League, the Rockingham Eagles. The club won the playoff title in their only season before disbanding with the entire league. Rockingham has a number of historic buildings which have been listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
since the late 1970s: the Bank of Pee Dee Building, Covington Plantation House, Alfred Dockery House, Hannah Pickett Mill No. 1, Manufacturers Building, Richmond County Courthouse, Roberdel Mill No. 1 Company Store, Rockingham Historic District, U.S. Post Office and Federal Building, and H. C. Watson House.


Geography

Rockingham is situated in the south-central North Carolina Piedmont. It is located west of Lumberton, north of
Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...
, east of Charlotte, and south of
Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...
. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which 7.64 square miles (19.8 km2) is land and (0.13%) is water. Rockingham's unincorporated suburbs within Richmond County that reside just outside the Rockingham-Hamlet statistical area: Cordova, East Rockingham, Dobbins Heights, Hoffman.


Urban

The Midtown business district is densely populated with stores, boutiques, clothing stores and several apartment complexes just outside the area. While not as urban as many cities in North Carolina, it is considered by the census as the urbanized area for Rockingham and Richmond County.


Neighborhoods

The Rockingham area is divided into various neighborhoods and suburbs; many include different socioeconomic classes. These include Cordova, Philadelphia, Ledbetter, Roberdell, East Rockingham, West Rockingham, Glenwood, Maplewood, East Side Park, and Knob Hill.


Demographics

As of the 2018 estimates, the area is a part of the Hamlet-Rockingham micropolitan statistical area and has a population of 22,579. The area will eventually be served by I-73/I-74, which will go west of the city. The area has many hotels, in part because beach traffic comes through this city.


2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,243 people, 3,602 households, and 2,211 families residing in the city.


2010 census

As of the 2010
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
, there were 9,553 people, 3,966 households, and 2,573 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,375 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 65.57%
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 ...
, 29.90%
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 ...
, 1.10% Native American, 1.34% Asian, 0.06%
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 ...
, 0.81% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races.
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 were 2.10% of the population. There were 3,966 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% 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, 19.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, 25.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,574, and the median income for a family was $33,534. Males had a median income of $27,923 versus $20,313 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 city was $15,426. About 18.0% of families and 20.4% 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 32.4% of those under age 18 and 15.0% of those age 65 or over.


Arts and culture


Museums

* Discovery Place Kids-Rockingham


Events

Rockingham hosts "The Smokeout" (an annual motorcycle weekend), and has also hosted the Carolina Rebellion rock festival. The city is the home of
Rockingham Speedway Rockingham Speedway and Entertainment Complex (formerly known as North Carolina Speedway from 1998 to 2007 and North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1965 to 1996) is a D-shaped oval track in Rockingham, North Carolina, United States. The track h ...
, formerly the North Carolina Speedway. It was a staple of the
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. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
schedule for nearly 40 years before the race was discontinued in 2004. In the Spring of 2025, NASCAR returned to Rockingham Speedway with its Xfinity and Truck series.


Education

Rockingham operated its own school system until 1968, when it was absorbed by the Richmond County School System. The Leon Levine School of Business and Information Technology, part of Richmond Community College, is planned to be completed in downtown Rockingham, to offer post-graduate education to Rockingham. The building will be three stories tall, and is scheduled to be open for the 2020 fall semester. The school will offer programs including Accounting Specialist, IT Support — Healthcare, Healthcare Manager, Government Support Specialist, Cyber Security, Software and Web Developer, and Mobile Application Developer. The school will also provide classroom space for the college's Workforce and Economic Development division and Small Business Center. Richmond Senior High School serves as the high school for Richmond County residents. Rockingham also offers other education centers such as the Richmond Community College Main Campus. A new three-story downtown Richmond Community College campus is being constructed and is expected to be open for the 2020 fall semester; it was originally planned to open in January, but got pushed back. It is expected to draw new businesses and retailers.


Media

* WAYN, 900 AM, adult contemporary and easy listening music; sports * WLWL, 770 AM, oldies with an emphasis on beach music


Transportation


Air

Richmond County Airport (ICAO: KRCZ, FAA LID: RCZ), formerly known as Rockingham-Hamlet Airport, is located approximately 3 miles southeast of Rockingham. The airport serves local and transient general aviation flights. Interstates and major highways *
Interstate 73 Interstate 73 (I-73) is a north–south Interstate Highway, currently located entirely within the US state of North Carolina. It travels , from northwest of Rockingham, North Carolina to northeast of Stokesdale, North Carolina, Stokesdale, ...
— Runs two miles north of Rockingham, will go west of Rockingham micropolitan area, when bypass is complete in 2023. *
Interstate 74 Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange with I-75 in ...
— Runs two miles north of Rockingham, and exists as Future I-74, along a 13-mile freeway south of Rockingham, named the G.R. Kindley Freeway. It is expected to be signed as I-74 when the 7.2 mile Rockingham Bypass is completed in 2023, and is planned to be routed to Myrtle Beach in the future. * U.S. Route 220 — Runs north-south and goes through downtown Rockingham. A four-lane divided highway, it ends just south of Rockingham after merging with US 1. * U.S. Route 1 — Runs north-south and goes through Rockingham in the heart of downtown. It then upgrades to a four-lane expressway when leaving Rockingham. * U.S. Route 74 — Runs east-west and goes through Rockingham as US 74 Business; businesses are located on this stretch. US 74 upgrades to a four-lane freeway and bypasses Rockingham. It will become I-74, when the route is signed as such.


Notable people

*
Dante Bowe Dante Bowe (born May 10, 1993) is an American contemporary music singer, and songwriter. He is known as a member of Maverick City Music and a former member of the Bethel Music collective. In 2017, Bowe released his debut single, "Potter and F ...
, singer and songwriter(April 4, 2022)
Rockingham’s Dante Bowe wins Grammy
''richmondobserver.com''. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
* Bucky Covington, country singer and finalist on the fifth season of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' *
Charles B. Deane Charles Bennett Deane (November 1, 1898 – November 24, 1969) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina. Career Deane was born in Ansonville Township, Anson County, North Carolina, Ansonville Township, A ...
, member of the United States House of Representatives * Charles B. Deane Jr., North Carolina state senator and lawyer * Alfred Dockery, congressman and brigadier general of the Tennessee State Militia * Dannell Ellerbe, NFL
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...
, two-time
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
champion with the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
and the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
* Blind Boy Fuller, early blues artist; recorded some 120 works using the Piedmont blues finger-picking style * Viola Gentry,
aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...
, best known for setting the first non-refueling endurance record for women * Wayne Goodwin, current commissioner of NC Division of Motor Vehicles; former chair of the North Carolina Democratic party *
Melanie Wade Goodwin Melanie Wade Goodwin (July 22, 1970 – September 1, 2020) was an American politician who served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 66th district as a member of the Democratic Party. She was the first member of the North ...
, former Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly; also represented the state's 66th House district for three terms * Melvin Ingram, NFL linebacker, three-time
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
selection * Leon Levine, founder of
Family Dollar Family Dollar Stores, Inc. is an American variety store chain founded in 1959 by Leon Levine in Charlotte, North Carolina. With over 8,000 locations in all states except Alaska and Hawaii, it was once the second largest retailer of its type in th ...
* Brian Moehler, former
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher * Alvin Morman, former MLB pitcher * Cameron A. Morrison, 55th
Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...
; also formerly a
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
, a
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
, and Mayor of Rockingham * Effie Wilder, writer *
The-Dream Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant ('' né'' Youngdell Nash; born September 20, 1977), known professionally as The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in ...
, singer, producer and songwriter


References


External links


Official website of Rockingham, NC
{{Authority control Cities in North Carolina Cities in Richmond County, North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham