Mount Airy, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mount Airy
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Downtown Mount Airy (2011)
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| Nicknames:
Mayberry, The Granite City
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 Mount Airy
Location in North Carolina
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | North Carolina | ||
| County | Surry | ||
| Settled | 1750s | ||
| Incorporated | 1885 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 11.86 sq mi (30.73 km2) | ||
| • Land | 11.72 sq mi (30.35 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.38 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 1,063 ft (324 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,676 | ||
| • Density | 911.15/sq mi (351.81/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP Codes |
27030–27031
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| Area code(s) | 336 | ||
| FIPS code | 37-44800 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2404317 | ||
Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, in the United States. In 2020, about 10,676 people lived there. This was a small increase from 2010. Mount Airy is one of the biggest towns in Surry County. It is part of the Piedmont Triad area.
Contents
History of Mount Airy
The area where Mount Airy is now was first settled in the 1750s. Most of the early settlers were from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany. Before them, the native Cheraw people lived in the area. As more people moved west, Mount Airy grew. It became a stop for stagecoaches traveling between Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Galax, Virginia. The city got its name from a nearby plantation.
Growth and Industries
Mount Airy officially became a town in 1885. It grew quickly because of its natural resources. These included a lot of granite and tobacco. The North Carolina Granite Corporation was started here. It has the world's largest open-face granite quarry. Granite from Mount Airy has been used in famous buildings. These include the Wright Brothers National Memorial and the Arlington Memorial Bridge.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Mount Airy became important for making textiles and furniture. Companies like Spencer's Incorporated and Renfro Corporation built factories in the city. Later in the 20th century, these industries faced challenges. This was due to more competition from other countries and new machines.
In 1977, Mount Airy created its official seal. This seal shows the main industries that were important to the town. These were furniture, textiles, tobacco, and granite quarrying.
Mayberry Connection
Mount Airy is famous as the hometown of actor Andy Griffith. Many people believe it was the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry. This town was the setting for The Andy Griffith Show. Mount Airy has used this connection to attract visitors. It holds yearly events like Mayberry Days. There are also tourist spots like Floyd's Barber Shop and the Andy Griffith Museum.
In 1994, Mount Airy was named an All American City. This award recognized its strong community and achievements.
Geography and Climate
Mount Airy is located next to the Ararat River. It is about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the Virginia state line. The city covers about 8.4 square miles (21.8 km2) of land. Mount Airy is at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is about 14 miles (23 km) from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The city has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Mount Airy, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
82 (28) |
89 (32) |
94 (34) |
98 (37) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
96 (36) |
86 (30) |
80 (27) |
105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 66.7 (19.3) |
70.2 (21.2) |
77.8 (25.4) |
84.4 (29.1) |
88.6 (31.4) |
92.7 (33.7) |
94.2 (34.6) |
93 (34) |
90.2 (32.3) |
84.2 (29.0) |
75.6 (24.2) |
68.3 (20.2) |
95.3 (35.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.0 (8.3) |
50.7 (10.4) |
58.4 (14.7) |
68.5 (20.3) |
76.0 (24.4) |
83.1 (28.4) |
86.3 (30.2) |
85.0 (29.4) |
79.3 (26.3) |
69.9 (21.1) |
59.3 (15.2) |
49.9 (9.9) |
67.8 (19.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 35.9 (2.2) |
38.7 (3.7) |
45.5 (7.5) |
54.6 (12.6) |
63.2 (17.3) |
71.0 (21.7) |
74.8 (23.8) |
73.5 (23.1) |
67.5 (19.7) |
56.5 (13.6) |
45.9 (7.7) |
38.7 (3.7) |
55.5 (13.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.8 (−4.0) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
32.6 (0.3) |
40.7 (4.8) |
50.4 (10.2) |
58.9 (14.9) |
63.3 (17.4) |
62.1 (16.7) |
55.7 (13.2) |
43.1 (6.2) |
32.5 (0.3) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
43.2 (6.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 9.6 (−12.4) |
13.6 (−10.2) |
18.5 (−7.5) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
35.8 (2.1) |
48.1 (8.9) |
55.0 (12.8) |
53.5 (11.9) |
42.3 (5.7) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
14.7 (−9.6) |
7.2 (−13.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −10 (−23) |
−3 (−19) |
2 (−17) |
18 (−8) |
27 (−3) |
32 (0) |
43 (6) |
41 (5) |
32 (0) |
20 (−7) |
3 (−16) |
−1 (−18) |
−10 (−23) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.99 (101) |
3.14 (80) |
4.19 (106) |
4.29 (109) |
4.53 (115) |
4.95 (126) |
5.24 (133) |
4.69 (119) |
4.26 (108) |
3.54 (90) |
3.44 (87) |
4.20 (107) |
50.46 (1,282) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.1 (7.9) |
2.2 (5.6) |
1.2 (3.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.7 (4.3) |
8.2 (21) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.0 | 10.3 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 13.0 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 12.8 | 10.8 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 11.5 | 137.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 3.9 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Mount Airy
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 519 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,768 | 240.7% | |
| 1900 | 2,680 | 51.6% | |
| 1910 | 3,844 | 43.4% | |
| 1920 | 4,752 | 23.6% | |
| 1930 | 6,045 | 27.2% | |
| 1940 | 6,286 | 4.0% | |
| 1950 | 7,192 | 14.4% | |
| 1960 | 7,055 | −1.9% | |
| 1970 | 7,325 | 3.8% | |
| 1980 | 6,862 | −6.3% | |
| 1990 | 7,156 | 4.3% | |
| 2000 | 8,484 | 18.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,388 | 22.4% | |
| 2020 | 10,676 | 2.8% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 10,617 | 2.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Mount Airy had 10,676 people living in 4,571 households. About 2,530 of these were families.
Population Makeup (2020)
| Group | Number of People | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 8,125 | 76.11% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 806 | 7.55% |
| Native American | 14 | 0.13% |
| Asian | 148 | 1.39% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 347 | 3.25% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,233 | 11.55% |
Arts and Culture
Mayberry Celebrations
Mount Airy is the birthplace of actor Andy Griffith. Many people think the town was the inspiration for Mayberry, the town in The Andy Griffith Show. The community celebrates this connection every year. They hold an event called "Mayberry Days" in late September. In 2010, 90,000 people came for the show's 50th anniversary. This event brings a lot of money to the town each year.
You can even take rides in Ford Galaxie police cars that look like the ones from the show. There's also a barber shop named "Floyd's," just like in the show.
The Andy Griffith Museum opened in 2009. It gets about 200 visitors every day. The museum has the largest collection of Andy Griffith items in the world. It is located near where Andy Griffith grew up.
Autumn Leaves Festival
Another big event is the Autumn Leaves Festival. It happens on the second weekend of October. Over 200,000 people visit the city during this festival. There are many vendors selling food and other items. Musicians also perform on a stage.
Music Heritage
Mount Airy has a rich history with regional music. It is the home of old-time music legend Tommy Jarrell. Bluegrass gospel group The Easter Brothers and country singer Donna Fargo are also from here.
The local radio station, WPAQ, is one of the few stations that still plays live Bluegrass and Old-Time music. They have been airing the "Merry-Go-Round" show since 1948. There are also weekly bluegrass jam sessions at The Andy Griffith Playhouse. The yearly Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention brings musicians from all over. This convention started in 1972 and happens in June. The Blue Ridge Music Center is also nearby. It has an amphitheater and a museum about old-time music.
Education
Mount Airy has its own school district with four schools.
Mount Airy City Schools
- Mount Airy High School
- Mount Airy Middle School
- Jones Intermediate School
- BH Tharrington Elementary School
Surry County Schools
Other schools in Mount Airy are part of the Surry County Schools district.
- North Surry High School
- Gentry Middle School
- Meadowview Magnet Middle School
- Cedar Ridge Elementary School
- Flat Rock Elementary School
- Franklin Elementary School
- White Plains Elementary School
Other Schools
- Millennium Charter Academy (a public-funded charter school for grades K-12)
- White Plains Christian School (a private school)
The Mount Airy Public Library also serves the community. It won an award for its design.
Notable People
Many interesting people have connections to Mount Airy:
- Frank Beamer (born 1946), a famous retired football coach for Virginia Tech.
- Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–1874), famous conjoined twins who settled in Mount Airy after they stopped performing.
- Donna Fargo (born 1945), a country music singer known for "The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA."
- Andy Griffith (1926–2012), the American actor who starred in The Andy Griffith Show.
- Tommy Jarrell (1901–1985), a well-known old-time fiddler and banjo player.
- Betty Lynn (1926–2021), an actress who also appeared on The Andy Griffith Show.
Sister City
Mount Airy has one sister city:
Samut Songkhram, Thailand
Images for kids
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World's largest open faced granite quarry, near Mount Airy.
See also
In Spanish: Mount Airy (Carolina del Norte) para niños
