Edgecombe County, North Carolina Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Edgecombe County

U.S. county

Edgecombe County Courthouse

Seal

Logo

Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina

North Carolina's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

North Carolina

Founded

1741

Largest community

Area

• Total

506.87 sq mi (1,312.8 km²)

• Land

505.44 sq mi (1,309.1 km²)

• Water

1.43 sq mi (3.7 km²) 0.28%

Population

(2020)

• Total

48,900

• Estimate

(2023)

48,832

• Density

96.75/sq mi (37.36/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

1st

Edgecombe County (/ˈɛdʒkəm/ EJ-kum or /ˈɛdʒkoʊm/ EJ-kohm) is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,900. Its county seat is Tarboro.

Edgecombe County is part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
Geography
Demographics
- 2020 census
- 2010 census
Education
Communities
Notable people
See also

History

This area was historically home to the Tuscarora, a Native American tribe who were Iroquoian language speakers. Other Iroquoian peoples had historically been concentrated further north around the Great Lakes. The Tuscarora were the most numerous Indigenous people in the Rocky Mount area. They lived along the Roanoke, Neuse, Tar (Torhunta or Narhontes), and Pamlico rivers.

After the 18th-century wars of 1711–1713 (known as the Tuscarora War) against English colonists and their Indigenous allies, most of the surviving Tuscarora left North Carolina and migrated north to Pennsylvania and New York, over a period of 90 years. By 1722 the leaders declared the migration complete and the official tribe based in the North. Descendants of the Tuscarora still live in some parts of Edgecombe County.

The current county was formed by Anglo Europeans in 1741 from Bertie County. It was named for Richard Edgcumbe, a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1701 to 1742 and a lord of the treasury. He became 1st Baron Richard Edgecombe in 1742.

In 1746 part of Edgecombe County became Granville County; in 1758 another portion became Halifax County; and in 1777 yet another part became Nash County. In 1855 the formation of Wilson County from parts of Edgecombe County, Johnston County, Nash County, and Wayne County reduced Edgecombe to its present size, with a minor boundary adjustments.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 506.87 square miles (1,312.8 km²), of which 505.44 square miles (1,309.1 km²) is land and 1.43 square miles (3.7 km²) (0.28%) is water.

State and local protected areas

Lower Fishing Creek Game Land (part)
Tar River Game Land

Major water bodies

Cokey Swamp
Deep Creek
Fishing Creek
Swift Creek
Tar River
Town Creek

Adjacent counties

Halifax County – north
Martin County – east
Pitt County – south-southeast
Wilson County – southwest
Nash County – west

Major highways

Future I-87
US 13
US 64
US 64 Alt. (Princeville)
US 64 Alt. (Rocky Mount)
US 258
US 301
NC 11
NC 33
NC 42
NC 43
NC 43 Bus.
NC 97
NC 111
NC 122
NC 124
NC 142

Major infrastructure

Carolina Connector Intermodal Terminal, owned by CSX Transportation
Rocky Mount Station

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	10,265	—
1800	10,421	1.5%
1810	12,423	19.2%
1820	13,276	6.9%
1830	14,935	12.5%
1840	15,708	5.2%
1850	17,189	9.4%
1860	17,376	1.1%
1870	22,970	32.2%
1880	26,181	14.0%
1890	24,113	−7.9%
1900	26,591	10.3%
1910	32,010	20.4%
1920	37,995	18.7%
1930	47,894	26.1%
1940	49,162	2.6%
1950	51,634	5.0%
1960	54,226	5.0%
1970	52,341	−3.5%
1980	55,988	7.0%
1990	56,558	1.0%
2000	55,606	−1.7%
2010	56,552	1.7%
2020	48,900	−13.5%
2023 (est.)	48,832	−13.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Edgecombe County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	17,340	35.46%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	27,299	55.83%
Native American	128	0.26%
Asian	112	0.23%
Pacific Islander	9	0.02%
Other/Mixed	1,306	2.67%
Hispanic or Latino	2,706	5.53%

As of the 2020 census, there were 48,900 people, 21,151 households, and 14,408 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 56,552 people living in the county. 57.4% were Black or African American, 38.8% White, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 2.3% of some other race and 1.0% of two or more races. 3.7% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

Education

Edgecombe County Public Schools has 14 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to thirteenth grade. These are separated into four high schools, four middle schools, five elementary schools, and one K–8 school. It was formed in 1993 from the merger of the old Edgecombe County Schools and Tarboro City Schools systems.

The county is home to Edgecombe Community College with campuses in Tarboro and Rocky Mount.

Communities

Map of Edgecombe County with municipal and township labels

City

Rocky Mount (largest community; partially located also in Nash County)

Towns

Townships

The county is divided into fourteen townships, which are both numbered and named:

1 (Tarboro)
2 (Lower Conetoe)
3 (Upper Conetoe)
4 (Deep Creek)
5 (Lower Fishing Creek)
6 (Upper Fishing Creek)
7 (Swift Creek)
8 (Sparta)
9 (Otter Creek)
10 (Lower Town Creek)
11 (Walnut Creek)
12 (Rocky Mount)
13 (Cokey)
14 (Upper Town Creek)

Unincorporated communities

Crisp
Mercer

Notable people

Duncan Lamont Clinch (1787–1849) – born at Ard-Lamont in Edgecombe County, American Army officer in the First and Second Seminole Wars
Dorsey Pender (1834–1863) – born at Pender's Crossroads in Edgecombe County, Major General in the Confederate Army.
Josiah Pender (1819-1864) – cousin to Dorsey Pender, who captured Fort Macon from Union soldiers in 1861.
Hugh Shelton (born 1942) – four-star General and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appointed by President Clinton.

Edgecombe County, North Carolina facts for kids

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