Catawba County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catawba County
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Old Catawba County Courthouse
|
|||||
|
|||||
| Motto(s):
"Making. Living. Better."
|
|||||
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
|
|||||
 North Carolina's location within the U.S. |
|||||
| Country |  United States |
||||
| State |  North Carolina |
||||
| Founded | 1842 | ||||
| Named for | Catawba Tribe | ||||
| Seat | Newton | ||||
| Largest community | Hickory | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 416.02 sq mi (1,077.5 km2) | ||||
| • Land | 401.37 sq mi (1,039.5 km2) | ||||
| • Water | 14.65 sq mi (37.9 km2) 3.52% | ||||
| Population
(2020)
|
|||||
| • Total | 160,610 | ||||
| • Estimate
(2023)
|
164,645 | ||||
| • Density | 400.15/sq mi (154.50/km2) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||||
| Congressional district | 10th | ||||
Catawba County (/kəˈtɔːbə/ kuh-TAW-buh) is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2020, about 160,610 people lived here. Its main town, called the county seat, is Newton. The biggest community in the county is Hickory.
Catawba County is part of the larger Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's connected to nearby cities for jobs and daily life.
Contents
History of Catawba County
Catawba County was created in 1842. It was formed from a part of Lincoln County. The county got its name from the Catawba River. The river itself was named after the Catawba people.
The Catawba People
The Catawba people were a strong Native American tribe. They lived in the Carolina Piedmont area. Today, many of them live near Rock Hill, South Carolina. This is close to the North Carolina border.
Early Settlers
In the mid-1700s, settlers from Scotland, Ireland, and Germany moved to the Catawba River valley. They were among the first European families to live in this region. Their stories have been written down in books about the area's history.
Geography of Catawba County
Catawba County covers about 416 square miles. Most of this area, around 401 square miles, is land. The rest, about 14.65 square miles, is water.
Important Waterways
The county has many rivers and creeks. The most famous is the Catawba River. Other important water bodies include:
- Balls Creek
- Betts Creek
- Clark Creek
- Henry Fork
- Jacob Fork
- Lake Hickory
- Lake Norman
- Lookout Shoals Lake
- Lyle Creek
- McLin Creek
- Muddy Creek
- Pinch Gut Creek
- Pott Creek
- Snow Creek
- South Fork Catawba River
Nearby Counties
Catawba County shares its borders with several other counties:
- Alexander County to the north
- Iredell County to the east
- Lincoln County to the south
- Caldwell County to the northwest
- Burke County to the west
Protected Places
Catawba County has several special sites that are protected. These include:
- Houck's Chapel
- Mountain Creek Park
- Murray's Mill Historic Site
- Old Hickory Tavern Birthplace of Hickory
- Old Piedmont Wagon
People of Catawba County
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 8,862 | — | |
| 1860 | 10,729 | 21.1% | |
| 1870 | 10,984 | 2.4% | |
| 1880 | 14,946 | 36.1% | |
| 1890 | 18,689 | 25.0% | |
| 1900 | 22,133 | 18.4% | |
| 1910 | 27,918 | 26.1% | |
| 1920 | 33,839 | 21.2% | |
| 1930 | 43,991 | 30.0% | |
| 1940 | 54,653 | 24.2% | |
| 1950 | 61,794 | 13.1% | |
| 1960 | 73,191 | 18.4% | |
| 1970 | 90,873 | 24.2% | |
| 1980 | 105,208 | 15.8% | |
| 1990 | 118,412 | 12.6% | |
| 2000 | 141,685 | 19.7% | |
| 2010 | 154,358 | 8.9% | |
| 2020 | 160,610 | 4.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 164,645 | 6.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
|||
The population of Catawba County has grown a lot over the years. In 1850, there were less than 9,000 people. By 2020, the population was over 160,000.
Who Lives Here?
According to the 2020 census, about 160,610 people lived in Catawba County. There were over 62,000 households. Most people identified as White (about 72%). Other groups included Black or African American, Asian, and people of Hispanic or Latino background. Many different cultures make up the community here.
Getting Around Catawba County
Main Roads
Several major highways run through Catawba County. These roads help people travel easily to other parts of North Carolina.
I-40
US 70
US 321
US 321 Bus.
NC 10
NC 16
NC 16 Bus. (Lowesville–Denver business route)
NC 16 Bus. (Newton–Conover business route)
NC 16 Truck (truck route)
NC 18
NC 127
NC 150
Air and Rail Travel
The Hickory Regional Airport serves the area. It's partly located in Burke County.
Catawba County is also a busy place for freight trains. Many trains pass through daily. This is because the area has a strong manufacturing economy. There are plans for a passenger train stop in Conover. This train would connect to cities like Salisbury and Asheville.
For local travel, the Greenway Public Transportation bus service helps people get around Conover, Hickory, and Newton.
Economy of Catawba County
Catawba County is known as part of the "North Carolina Data Center Corridor." This means it's a key location for large computer data centers. For example, the town of Maiden is home to a big Apple iCloud data center. This center also has the largest privately owned solar farm in the United States.
Companies like CommScope and Corning, which make fiber optic cables, are major employers here. The city of Hickory is home to Lenoir–Rhyne University, the Hickory Motor Speedway, and the Hickory Crawdads baseball team.
Education in Catawba County
Most students in the county attend schools run by Catawba County Schools. The towns of Newton and Conover have their own school system, Newton-Conover City Schools. Most of Hickory is served by the Hickory City School System.
Colleges and Universities
For higher education, students can attend:
- Lenoir–Rhyne University
- Catawba Valley Community College
- Appalachian State University, Hickory campus
- NC Center for Engineering Technologies
Libraries
The Catawba County Library System has 7 libraries across the county. The Hickory Public Library System has two libraries: The Patrick Beaver Memorial Library and the Ridgeview Library.
Fun Places to Visit
Museums and History
- Catawba County Firefighters Museum
- Catawba County Museum of History
- Hickory Aviation Museum
- Hickory Museum of Art
- Catawba Science Center
- Murrays Mill
- Bunker Hill Covered Bridge
- Piedmont Wagon Company
Sports and Entertainment
- Hickory Crawdads (a minor league baseball team)
- Hickory Motor Speedway (for car racing fans)
Music and Arts
- Newton-Conover Auditorium
- The Green-Room Theatre
- Western Piedmont Symphony
- Hickory Community Theatre
Other Attractions
- Valley Hills Mall (for shopping)
- Lake Norman
- Lake Hickory
- Lake Lookout
Communities of Catawba County
Catawba County has several cities, towns, and smaller communities.
Cities
Towns
Census-Designated Places (CDPs)
These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated.
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities without their own local government.
- Banoak
- Blackburn
- Drums Crossroads
- Long Island
- Monbo
- Olivers Crossroads
- Propst Crossroads
- Sherrills Ford
- Terrell
Townships
Townships are smaller divisions of the county, often used for administrative purposes.
- Bandy's
- Caldwell
- Catawba
- Clines
- Hickory
- Jacobs Fork
- Mountain Creek
- Newton
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Catawba para niños
