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Alexander County, North Carolina facts for kids

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Alexander County
The Brushy Mountains in Alexander County
The Brushy Mountains in Alexander County
Official seal of Alexander County
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Alexander County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  North Carolina
Founded 1847
Named for William Julius Alexander
Seat Taylorsville
Largest town Taylorsville
Area
 • Total 264 sq mi (680 km2)
 • Land 260 sq mi (700 km2)
 • Water 3.7 sq mi (10 km2)  1.4%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2020)
37,441
 • Density 144.00/sq mi (55.60/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 5th

Alexander County is a county established in the U.S. state of North Carolina in 1847. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,198. Its county seat is Taylorsville. Alexander County is part of the HickoryLenoirMorganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Alexander County was chartered in 1847 by the North Carolina General Assembly. It was formed from portions of what were then Iredell, Caldwell, Wilkes counties. The county was named for William Julius Alexander who was a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Commons. This Piedmont area was settled primarily by farmers, many of Scots-Irish descent.

Alexander County was established in 1847, the year of the first sale of land in the county seat (Taylorsville). With the proceeds from the sale, the county built the first courthouse on the present site. When the Civil War began, Alexander County was 14 years old. The 1860 population was 5,837; yet Alexander County ranked high per capita in the number of Confederate soldiers it sent to the war. Taylorsville is the namesake of either John Louis Taylor, Carolina agriculturist and political philosopher, or General Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 264 square miles (680 km2), of which 260 square miles (670 km2) is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km2) (1.4%) is water.

Alexander County is located within the Piedmont region of western North Carolina. The county's main geographic feature is the Brushy Mountains, a deeply eroded spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. The "Brushies," as they are called locally, rise from 300 to 1,000 feet (300 m) above the surrounding countryside, and dominate the county's northern horizon. The highest point in Alexander County is Hickory Knob in the Brushies; it has an elevation of 2,560 feet (780 m) above sea level. Barrett Mountain, an isolated mountain ridge, is in the western part of the county. The remainder of Alexander County's terrain consists of gently rolling countryside. The county's largest river, the Catawba, forms its southern border.

Within Alexander County is the unincorporated town of Hiddenite, the location of a mine that yields emeralds, sapphires, and its namesake stone "hiddenite," a variety of spodumene.

The county is served by US Highway 64, a controlled-access roadway connecting Taylorsville with Lenoir and Statesville. NC Highways 90, 16, and 127 also serve the county. Interstate 40 and 77 are 30 minutes from the majority of county residents. The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is an hour's drive from most parts of the county. The area is also served by the Hickory Regional Airport (30 minutes) and the Statesville Airport (20 minutes). The Alexander Railroad Company is an active short-line rail system operating between Taylorsville and Statesville, and connecting with Norfolk Southern.

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 5,220
1860 6,022 15.4%
1870 6,868 14.0%
1880 8,355 21.7%
1890 9,430 12.9%
1900 10,960 16.2%
1910 11,592 5.8%
1920 12,212 5.3%
1930 12,922 5.8%
1940 13,454 4.1%
1950 14,554 8.2%
1960 15,625 7.4%
1970 19,466 24.6%
1980 24,999 28.4%
1990 27,544 10.2%
2000 33,603 22.0%
2010 37,198 10.7%
2020 36,444 −2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2014

2020 census

Alexander County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 30,893 84.77%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,919 5.27%
Native American 111 0.3%
Asian 390 1.07%
Pacific Islander 1 0.0%
Other/Mixed 1,294 3.55%
Hispanic or Latino 1,836 5.04%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 36,444 people, 14,169 households, and 10,232 families residing in the county.

Transportation

Major highways

  • US 64
  • NC 16
  • NC 90
  • NC 127

Railroads

The county is served by one railroad, the Alexander Railroad Company.

Communities

Map of Alexander County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Alexander County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Town

Townships

The county is divided into eight townships: Bethelehem, Ellendale, Gwaltney, Little River, Sugar Loaf, Taylorsville, Wittenburg, and Stony Point.

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

  • Drumstand
  • Vashti
  • Ellendale
  • Wittenburg
  • Sugar Loaf
  • Little River
  • Millersville

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Alexander County.

county seat

Rank City/Town/etc. Municipal type Population (2010 Census)
1 Bethlehem CDP 4,214
2 Taylorsville Town 2,098
3 Stony Point (partially in Iredell County) CDP 1,317
4 Hiddenite CDP 536

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Alexander (Carolina del Norte) para niños

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