Moore County, North Carolina Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Moore County
U.S. county
Moore County Courthouse, in Carthage
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1784
Named for	Alfred Moore
Seat	Carthage
Largest village	Pinehurst
Area
• Total	706 sq mi (1,830 km²)
• Land	698 sq mi (1,810 km²)
• Water	8.0 sq mi (21 km²) 1.1%%
Population
• Estimate (2021)	102,763
• Density	147.2/sq mi (56.8/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	9th

Moore County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 99,727.

Its county seat is Carthage and its largest town is Pinehurst. It is a border county between the Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

In the early years, the economy was dependent on agriculture and lumber. The lumber business expanded after railroads reached the area, improving access to markets. It lies at the northern edge of the area known as the Sandhills region, and developed resorts in the late 19th century, aided by railroads.

Since the early 21st century, Moore County comprises the Aberdeen-Pinehurst-Southern Pines, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area. Moore County is a part of the Fayetteville Combined Statistical Area, which as of 2019 had an estimated population of 854,826, making it the 65th largest CSA in the United States.

History
Geography
- Adjacent counties
- Major highways
Demographics
- 2020 census
Communities
Attractions and places of interest
Notable people
See also

History

The county was formed in 1785 from Cumberland County. It was named after Alfred Moore, an officer in the American Revolutionary War and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

In 1907 parts of Moore County and Chatham County were combined to form Lee County.

Moore County has many golf resorts in the Southern Pines/Pinehurst area, and hosted the 1996 and 2001 Women's U.S. Opens as well as the 1999 and 2005 Men's U.S. Opens. The Women's Open returned to Southern Pines in 2007. In 2014, they consecutively hosted both the Women's and Men's Opens in the same year, a first in U.S. Open history.

Celebrities who frequent or have private homes in the area are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Sean Connery. Past residents of the area include Annie Oakley, Harvey Firestone, and John D. Rockefeller.

John Edwards, Charles Brady, Shannon Moore, Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy, were raised in Moore County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 706 square miles (1,830 km²), of which 698 square miles (1,810 km²) is land and 8.0 square miles (21 km²) (1.1%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Chatham County - north
Lee County - northeast
Harnett County - east
Cumberland County - southeast
Hoke County - southeast
Scotland County - south
Richmond County - southwest
Montgomery County - west
Randolph County - north

Major highways

US 1
US 15
US 501
NC 2
NC 5
NC 22
NC 24
NC 27
NC 73
NC 211
NC 705

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	3,870	—
1800	4,767	23.2%
1810	6,367	33.6%
1820	7,128	12.0%
1830	7,745	8.7%
1840	7,988	3.1%
1850	9,342	17.0%
1860	11,427	22.3%
1870	12,040	5.4%
1880	16,821	39.7%
1890	20,479	21.7%
1900	23,622	15.3%
1910	17,010	−28.0%
1920	21,388	25.7%
1930	28,215	31.9%
1940	30,969	9.8%
1950	33,129	7.0%
1960	36,733	10.9%
1970	39,048	6.3%
1980	50,505	29.3%
1990	59,013	16.8%
2000	74,769	26.7%
2010	88,247	18.0%
2020	99,727	13.0%
2021 (est.)	102,763	16.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 census

Moore County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	75,391	75.6%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	10,545	10.57%
Native American	688	0.69%
Asian	1,237	1.24%
Pacific Islander	59	0.06%
Other/Mixed	4,442	4.45%
Hispanic or Latino	7,365	7.39%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 99,727 people, 41,530 households, and 27,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 107 people per square mile (41/km²). There were 48,237 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile (19/km²).

Communities

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

City

Towns

Villages

Census-designated places

Seven Lakes

Unincorporated communities

Townships

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

1 (Carthage)
2 (Bensalem)
3 (Sheffields)
4 (Ritter)
5 (Deep River)
6 (Greenwood)
7 (McNeill)
8 (Sandhill)
9 (Mineral Springs)
10 (Little River)

Attractions and places of interest

Fort Bragg, a large military installation centered in neighboring Cumberland County, also has portions in Moore County.
Occoneechee Scout Reservation, site of Camp Durant (with facilities) and Camp Reeves (primitive) campgrounds. Located 9 miles west of Carthage.
Pinehurst Race Track, a horse racing track located in Pinehurst.
Pinehurst Resort, historic golf resort located in Pinehurst.
Moore County Courthouse, historic Renaissance Revival courthouse building located in Carthage
Pottery Road, extending from the neighboring Randolph County, known for a large number of potteries.
Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, located near Southern Pines.

Randolph County	Chatham County	Lee County
Montgomery County		Harnett County
	Moore County, North Carolina

Richmond County	Hoke County and Scotland County	Cumberland County

Notable people

Charles Brady (1951- 2006), was raised here. He became a physician, career Navy officer, and NASA astronaut.
John Edwards, politician, US Senator and former presidential candidate was raised here
Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy, brothers, were raised here; they are wrestlers currently working in the WWE -The Hardy Boyz
Shannon Moore, was raised here; he is a wrestler currently working in the Independent Circuit.

Moore County, North Carolina facts for kids

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