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Iredell County, North Carolina facts for kids

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Iredell County
Iredell County Courthouse in Statesville
Iredell County Courthouse in Statesville
Official seal of Iredell County
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Iredell 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 1788
Named for James Iredell
Seat Statesville
Largest town Mooresville
Area
 • Total 597 sq mi (1,550 km2)
 • Land 574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Water 23 sq mi (60 km2)  3.9%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2020)
185,770
 • Density 323.64/sq mi (124.96/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 10th

Iredell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to US Census projections in 2018, the population was 178,435. Its county seat is Statesville, and its largest town is Mooresville. The county was formed in 1788, subtracted from Rowan County. It is named for James Iredell, one of the first justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. Iredell County is included in the CharlotteConcordGastonia, NC–SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined in 2013 by the Office of Management and Budget with data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 597 square miles (1,550 km2), of which 574 square miles (1,490 km2) is land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (3.9%) is water.

Iredell County is located within the Piedmont Region of central North Carolina. The northwestern section of the county contains the Brushy Mountains, a deeply eroded spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains far to the west. The highest point in Iredell County, Fox Mountain, is in the Brushies; it rises to 1,760 feet. Although the "Brushies", as they are often called locally, are not high in the normal sense, they do rise prominently above the surrounding countryside. The remainder of Iredell County consists of gently rolling countryside occasionally broken by low hills and small river valleys. The county's largest river, the Catawba, forms much of its western border. Lake Norman, North Carolina's largest manmade lake, is the most prominent geographic feature of southern Iredell County; it is often called North Carolina's "inland sea".

Iredell County is an important transportation center for the state, as Interstate 77 and Interstate 40 cross in northeast Statesville. This has given birth to the county's slogan "Crossroads for the Future." Residents have easy access going south on I-77 to Charlotte; north on I-77 to Elkin, North Carolina and Roanoke, Virginia; east on I-40 to Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Raleigh; and west along I-40 to Hickory, North Carolina and Asheville.

The northern third of Iredell county is highly rural and contains no large towns. Due to the thinly populated nature of this portion of the state, it is one of the select places in North Carolina where the speed limit on Interstate Highways exceeds 65 mph, as Interstate 77 north of Statesville has a speed limit of 70 mph.

Iredell County is one of the longest counties in the state and stretches for nearly fifty miles north to south from Yadkin County in the north to Mecklenburg in the south. The county is divided into seventeen townships: Barringer, Bethany, Chambersburg, Concord, Coddle Creek, Cool Springs, Davidson, Eagle Mills, Fallstown, New Hope, Olin, Sharpesburg, Shiloh, Statesville, Turnersburg, Union Grove Harmony

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 5,430
1800 8,856 63.1%
1810 10,972 23.9%
1820 13,071 19.1%
1830 14,918 14.1%
1840 15,685 5.1%
1850 14,719 −6.2%
1860 15,347 4.3%
1870 16,931 10.3%
1880 22,675 33.9%
1890 25,462 12.3%
1900 29,064 14.1%
1910 34,315 18.1%
1920 37,956 10.6%
1930 46,693 23.0%
1940 50,424 8.0%
1950 56,303 11.7%
1960 62,526 11.1%
1970 72,197 15.5%
1980 82,538 14.3%
1990 92,931 12.6%
2000 122,660 32.0%
2010 159,437 30.0%
2020 186,693 17.1%

2020 census

Iredell County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 136,393 73.06%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 21,255 11.39%
Native American 437 0.23%
Asian 4,718 2.53%
Pacific Islander 58 0.03%
Other/Mixed 8,055 4.31%
Hispanic or Latino 15,777 8.45%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 186,693 people, 68,145 households, and 49,635 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 159,437 people, and 59,593 households in the county. The population density was 277.8 people per square mile (82/km2). As of 2013 there were 69,325 housing units at an average density of 90 per square mile (35/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83.3% White, 12.3% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.68% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. 7.0% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the 2000 census data, there were 47,360 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 22.7% 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 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

As of 2013, the median income for a household in the county was $50,058. Males had a median income of $34,590 versus $24,031 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,348. About 6.2% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Major highways

  • I-40
  • I-77
  • US 21
  • US 64
  • US 70
  • NC 3
  • NC 90
  • NC 115
  • NC 150
  • NC 152
  • NC 801
  • NC 901

Railroads

Iredell County is served by two railroads, Alexander Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway.

Communities

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

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

  • Barium Springs
  • Barringer
  • Bells Crossroads
  • Bethany
  • Chambersburg
  • Coddle Creek
  • Concord
  • Cool Springs
  • Doolie
  • Eagle Mills
  • Fallstown
  • New Hope
  • Olin
  • Sharpesburg
  • Sheperd/Shepherds
  • Shiloh
  • Stony Point
  • Turnersburg

Economy

Farming is still a major source of income for many Iredell County residents. Dairy farming has been particularly popular in Iredell County since the early 1800s, in both the northern and southern sections of the county. However, the rapid population growth and development in southern Iredell County is putting increasing pressure on farmlands, and many farms in this section are giving way to shopping centers, housing developments, and large corporate office parks.

Iredell County is a major hub of NASCAR racing, with many race shops located in the county (mostly around Mooresville). Universal Technical Institute operates NASCAR Technical Institute under licensing agreements. The school offers racing-related instruction to prepare the student for their job search in the racing industry. Many NASCAR drivers live around Mooresville and Lake Norman. Although northern Iredell County has retained much of its rural character, the southern half of the county is experiencing rapid suburbanization and population growth, largely due to the immense popularity of the Lake Norman area for residents of nearby Charlotte, North Carolina's largest city.

Lowe's has its corporate headquarters in Mooresville.

Education

The county is served by two traditional public school districts: Iredell-Statesville Schools (ISS) and Mooresville Graded School District (MGSD). The county is also served by several public charter schools

Iredell Statesville School District

The following schools were in the Iredell—Statesville School District as of 2018:

  • High Schools: Collaborative College for Technology and Leadership at Mitchell Community College, Career Academy and Technical School, Lake Norman High School, Monticello (combined elementary, middle, and high school, 4–12), North Iredell High School, Pressly (combined elementary, middle, and high school, K–12), South Iredell High School, Statesville Senior High School, Visual and Performing Arts Center at Statesville High at Statesville High School, West Iredell High School, Mount Mourne IB (combined middle and high schools, 6–8, 9–12 is at South Iredell High School), Northview IB (combined middle and high schools, 6–8, 9–12 is at South Iredell High School)
  • Middle Schools: Woodland Heights, East Iredell, Lakeshore, North Iredell, Statesville, Troutman, West Iredell
  • Elementary Schools: Celeste Henkel, Central, Cloverleaf, Coddle Creek, Cool Spring, East Iredell, Harmony, Lake Norman, Lakeshore, N. B. Mills, Scotts, Sharon, Shepherd, Third Creek, Troutman, Union Grove, Woodland Heights

Mooresville Graded School District

The following schools were in the Mooresville Graded School District, as of 2018:

  • High Schools: Mooresville Senior High, N.F. Woods Advanced Technology and Arts Center
  • Middle Schools: Mooresville Intermediate, East Mooresville Intermediate, Mooresville Middle
  • Elementary Schools: Park View Elementary, South Elementary, Rocky River Elementary

Public charter schools

The following public charter schools existed in 2018:

  • Pine Lake Preparatory
  • Langtree Charter Academy
  • American Renaissance School
  • Iredell Charter Academy

Private schools

  • Statesville Christian School
  • Woodlawn School

Higher education

The following current and historical institutions of higher education were located in Iredell County:

  • Clio's Nursery of Arts and Sciences (1778)
  • Concord Female Seminary, Female Seminary in Statesville (1832)
  • Crowfield Academy (operated from 1760–1788)
  • Ebenezer Academy (1821)
  • Mitchell College, Statesville: Mitchell Community College was originally founded in 1856 in Statesville, North Carolina, as Concord Female College. The school was purchased by Robert and Roxanna Simonton around 1872 and renamed Simonton Female College. It became Mitchell College in 1917.
  • Olin High School (1857)
  • Snow Creek Academy (1849)
  • Statesville/Clio Academy, Muschat's Academy (1814)

Notable people

  • Jeter Andrew Barker, Jr. (1924–2011), military veteran, contractor, philanthropist, and founder of the old-west town Love Valley
  • Hutchins Gordon Burton (aft. 1774–1836), 22nd Governor of North Carolina, died while visiting relatives in Iredell County
  • Bobby Dale Earnhardt (b. 1987), NASCAR racing driver
  • Rev. James Hall, D.D. (1744–1826), Presbyterian minister
  • Edward Harris (1763–1813), lawyer, politician and judge
  • Daisy Hendley Gold (1893–1975), author and journalist
  • James Iredell, Sr. (1750–1799), County namesake
  • Mildred Maxine (Jenkins) Miller (1932–2011), local historian, author, and President of the Genealogical Society of Iredell County
  • Homer Maxwell Keever (1905–1979), local teacher, historian and author
  • Rev. Mussenden Ebenezer Matthews (abt. 1751–1830), revolutionary Lieutenant, Presbyterian minister, and politician
  • Anderson Mitchell (1800–1876), US Congressman from North Carolina
  • Col Adlai Osborne (1744–1814), lawyer, public official, plantation owner, educational leader, Revolutionary War officer of the 2nd Rowan County Regiment
  • Rufus Reid (planter) (1797–1854), planter and builder of Mount Mourne plantation, politician
  • William Sharpe (1742–1818), Revolutionary War patriot, lawyer, politician, author of the Fourth Creek Congregation map in 1773
  • Adam Torrence, Sr. (1732–1780), Revolutionary War patriot killed at the Battle of Ramsour's Mill, owner of Torrence Tavern where the Battle of Torrence's Tavern took place
  • Wilfred D. Turner (1855–1933), ninth Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
  • Zebulon Baird Vance (1830–1894), Governor of North Carolina, lived and owned a home in Statesville (currently, a museum run by the DAR)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Iredell para niños

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