North Wilkesboro is famous for a few things. It's where Lowe's Home Improvement started, and the company still has a big presence in the town. It's also known as one of the places where stock-car racing began. The North Wilkesboro Speedway was even the first track approved by NASCAR. Because the town is close to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and has many places for tourists to visit, it's often called the "Key to the Blue Ridge."

History of North Wilkesboro
- North Wilkesboro Speedway: A Racing Legend
Healthcare in North Wilkesboro
Fun Local Events
- Annual Festivals and Concerts
- Light Up Downtown for the Holidays
Attractions to Visit
Education in North Wilkesboro
Geography of North Wilkesboro
Transportation in North Wilkesboro
- Surrounding Transportation Routes
- Public Transportation Services
Climate and Weather
Population and Demographics
- 2020 Census Information
Famous People from North Wilkesboro
See also

History of North Wilkesboro

North Wilkesboro was founded in 1891. This happened when the Norfolk and Southern Railroad built a train line into Wilkes County. The train tracks ended on the north side of the Yadkin River. This was right across from Wilkesboro, which is the county seat.

A town quickly grew up around these new railroad tracks. For many years, North Wilkesboro was home to the Carolina Mirror Company. This was once the largest mirror factory in the United States. Lowe's Foods, a big supermarket chain in the Southeast, also started here in 1954. Even bigger, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, the second-largest home improvement store chain in the country, began in North Wilkesboro in 1946.

Like many small towns in rural North Carolina, North Wilkesboro has faced challenges since 2000. Many textile and furniture factories, which were a big part of the town's economy, have closed. These factories moved to other countries where labor costs are lower.

North Wilkesboro Speedway: A Racing Legend

The North Wilkesboro Speedway is just outside the town. It was built even before NASCAR officially started. The first race at the speedway was held on May 18, 1947. It quickly became very popular.

On October 16, 1949, the speedway hosted the final race of the first-ever NASCAR Strictly Stock Division season. After that race, Robert "Red" Byron became the first NASCAR champion. The North Wilkesboro Speedway held NASCAR races for 50 years! The last NASCAR race there was on September 29, 1996, and Jeff Gordon won it.

In 1995, after the original owner, Enoch Staley, passed away, two new owners bought the speedway. They decided to close the track and move its two NASCAR race dates to their new tracks in Texas and New Hampshire. Many race fans were very upset by this decision.

For many years, from 1996 to 2021, news stories talked about how the track was falling apart. They also highlighted its rich history and the efforts to fix it up and reopen it. In November 2021, the North Carolina state government gave $18 million to the speedway for big repairs. This was a major step to get the track ready for racing again.

After the renovations, the speedway held its first races in over a decade in August 2022. A huge crowd came to watch the CARS Tours Window's World 125. Then, in September 2022, it was announced that the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race would be held at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in May 2023. This was the first NASCAR race at the track since it closed in 1996!

Several historic places in North Wilkesboro are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Downtown Main Street Historic District, the Thomas B. Finley House, the Southern Railway Depot, and the Wilkes Hosiery Mills.

Healthcare in North Wilkesboro

Wilkes Medical Center

Wilkes Medical Center is located in North Wilkesboro. It started in 1951 as Wilkes General Hospital. Today, it is the biggest hospital in northwestern North Carolina and the town's largest employer.

West Park, which used to be a big shopping center, has been turned into a large medical park. It now has many offices for doctors, specialists, pharmacies, and other health services. In 2017, the hospital joined the Wake Forest Baptist Health system. Later, in 2020, it became part of the Atrium Health network.

Fun Local Events

Historic Downtown North Wilkesboro Banner

North Wilkesboro's downtown area became a recognized "Main Street Town" in 2000. The Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership, a non-profit group, helped make this happen. This group works to make the downtown area lively and attractive. They also organize events to bring people to the downtown.

Annual Festivals and Concerts

The Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership also started the yearly 'Shine to Wine Festival. Many local farmers have started making wine in the last 20 years. This festival lets local wineries show off their wines. It also tells the story of how Wilkes County's liquor history changed from moonshine to wine. The 'Shine to Wine festival happens on the first Saturday in May. Other downtown North Wilkesboro events include the Downtown Concert Series and Light Up Downtown.

North Wilkesboro also hosts the annual Brushy Mountain Apple Festival. This festival celebrates the apple harvest from the nearby Brushy Mountains. Over 160,000 people usually attend this festival. It's one of the biggest one-day arts and crafts fairs in the Southern United States.

The festival has music, dancing, artwork, crafts, and traditional food from the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The streets of downtown North Wilkesboro are filled with over 425 arts and crafts booths. There are also 100 food stands and four different music stages. You can hear Blue Grass, Country, Folk, Gospel, and Appalachian Heritage music. Cloggers, folk dancers, rope skippers, and square dancers also perform.

You can see Appalachian Heritage crafts like woodcarving, chair making, soap making, pottery, and quilting. Local apple growers sell their fresh apples, apple cider, and dried apples throughout the festival.

Light Up Downtown for the Holidays

Light Up Downtown is a yearly event that marks the start of the Christmas season. It's the first day the decorative lights are turned on in downtown North Wilkesboro. Santa Claus always visits to hear children's Christmas wishes. You can even get free pictures with Santa! Hayrides are also available to ride around downtown and enjoy the Christmas lights. Many food, craft, and merchandise vendors line Main Street. Downtown stores also stay open late for Christmas shopping.

Attractions to Visit

Wilkes Art Gallery

The Wilkes Playmakers are an active local theater group based in North Wilkesboro. Each year, they put on 4-5 shows. Most of their plays attract people from all over the county. They also hold events throughout the year.

Wilkes Art Gallery Mural Project

The Wilkes Art Gallery started in 1962 in the home of an art lover named Annie Winkler. In 2004, it moved into the renovated North Wilkesboro Post Office building. This building is right in the heart of downtown North Wilkesboro. The gallery has 10,000 square feet (929 m²) of space. This includes over 3,500 square feet (325 m²) for exhibitions. It also has an education center with a ceramics studio, painting and drawing studios, two classrooms, and a gift shop.

Yadkin River Greenway

North Wilkesboro recently welcomed the Yadkin River Greenway. This greenway was created by volunteers, landowners, and the governments of Wilkes County, North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, and North Carolina. The idea for it began in 1994, and the first part opened on May 18, 2002.

The Yadkin River Greenway Council, a non-profit group, led the project. The Greenway is a natural area between towns where wildlife, plants, and streams are protected. People can enjoy them there. The Greenway has paved trails for biking, jogging, and walking. These trails follow the Yadkin River and Reddies River for several miles between North Wilkesboro and Wilkesboro. The Yadkin River Greenway offers over 1.7 miles (2.7 km) of paved trails. This makes up over 5.1 miles (8.2 km) of trails currently, with more planned for the future.

Education in North Wilkesboro

North Wilkesboro is part of the Wilkes County Schools system.

Elementary schools that serve the town are Mulberry Elementary, North Wilkesboro Elementary, and CC Wright Elementary.
Middle school students attend Central Wilkes Middle School in Moravian Falls.
High school students go to Wilkes Central High School in Moravian Falls, West Wilkes High School in Millers Creek, or Wilkes Early College High School. Wilkes Early College High School is located on the campus of Wilkes Community College.

Several private schools also serve the town. Most of these are connected to larger Protestant churches in the area. Wilkes Community College, located in nearby Wilkesboro, offers college classes for North Wilkesboro residents.

Geography of North Wilkesboro

North Wilkesboro is located along the Yadkin River, where the Reddies River flows into it. The town has long been known as the "Key to the Blue Ridge." It is next to the Brushy Mountains, Stone Mountain State Park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A few miles away, the W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir offers a beautiful wilderness area. Visitors can go mountain biking, boating, swimming, camping, picnicking, hunting, and fishing along its 55-mile (89 km) shoreline.

North Wilkesboro is in the center of Wilkes County, in the northwestern part of North Carolina. Wilkes County shares borders with eight other counties: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Iredell, Surry, Watauga, and Yadkin. This means North Wilkesboro is close to eight county seats and economic centers, all within a 45-minute drive.

The town's main area covers about 7.5 square miles (19.4 km²). It also has about 300 acres (1.2 km²) in smaller, separate areas. The Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), which is an area outside the town limits where the town has some control, is about 16 square miles (41.4 km²). The Yadkin River and the town of Wilkesboro border North Wilkesboro to the south. The Reddies River flows through the eastern part of the town from north to south and joins the Yadkin. Hoopers Branch, a small stream that flows into the Reddies River, starts on the north side of North Wilkesboro.

Transportation in North Wilkesboro

US-421	NC-268	NC-115	NC-18

The town is where NC State Highways 18 and 268 meet. It is also less than one mile (1.6 km) north of US Highway 421. However, US 421 Business goes through the town. This road connects North Wilkesboro to nearby cities like Winston-Salem and Boone, where Appalachian State University is located. North Wilkesboro is also the northern end of NC Highway 115, which goes south to Charlotte.

Surrounding Transportation Routes

I-77	NC-16

North Wilkesboro is about 20 minutes west of Interstate 77. Interstate 77 runs north to south, which helps with shipping and travel along the East Coast. I-77 is the closest major interstate highway to both Wilkes County and North Wilkesboro. The town is also close to NC Highway 16, which passes through Wilkesboro.

Public Transportation Services

North Wilkesboro and Wilkes County have public transportation provided by the Wilkes Transportation Authority, also known as the WTA. The WTA offers the only scheduled public transportation service in Wilkes County. It also provides transportation to rural communities if you book in advance.

Climate and Weather

North Wilkesboro is in the foothills east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town's location near the mountains means it has mild, but wet, winters and summers. The average highest temperature each year is about 68.7 degrees Fahrenheit (20.4°C). The average lowest temperature is about 45.7 degrees Fahrenheit (7.6°C).

The average yearly rainfall is 49.6 inches (126 cm). This is a bit less than the typical average for the Southern Appalachian region, which gets over 60 inches (152 cm). When winter clouds come from the west and pass over the Blue Ridge, they drop a lot of snow in the high mountains. This leaves less snow for central and eastern Wilkes County. As a result, North Wilkesboro usually gets more sleet and freezing rain. The average total snowfall is only 5.9 inches (15 cm), and snow doesn't usually stay on the ground for long. North Wilkesboro has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa).

Climate data for North Wilkesboro, North Carolina (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1955–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	79 (26)	83 (28)	88 (31)	94 (34)	96 (36)	102 (39)	101 (38)	102 (39)	96 (36)	94 (34)	85 (29)	81 (27)	102 (39)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	47.9 (8.8)	51.8 (11.0)	60.0 (15.6)	69.4 (20.8)	77.0 (25.0)	84.5 (29.2)	87.3 (30.7)	85.9 (29.9)	79.6 (26.4)	70.3 (21.3)	60.8 (16.0)	50.3 (10.2)	68.7 (20.4)
Daily mean °F (°C)	37.4 (3.0)	40.2 (4.6)	47.4 (8.6)	56.9 (13.8)	65.2 (18.4)	72.9 (22.7)	75.7 (24.3)	74.8 (23.8)	69.1 (20.6)	58.6 (14.8)	48.0 (8.9)	40.7 (4.8)	57.2 (14.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	26.8 (−2.9)	29.2 (−1.6)	35.7 (2.1)	43.5 (6.4)	52.7 (11.5)	62.1 (16.7)	65.7 (18.7)	64.9 (18.3)	57.3 (14.1)	45.4 (7.4)	36.5 (2.5)	28.9 (−1.7)	45.8 (7.7)
Record low °F (°C)	−9 (−23)	−6 (−21)	2 (−17)	18 (−8)	28 (−2)	37 (3)	44 (7)	42 (6)	30 (−1)	16 (−9)	7 (−14)	−3 (−19)	−9 (−23)
Average precipitation inches (cm)	4 (10)	3.7 (9.4)	4.6 (12)	4.1 (10)	4.3 (11)	4.4 (11)	4.6 (12)	4.9 (12)	4.1 (10)	3.5 (8.9)	3.5 (8.9)	3.9 (9.9)	49.6 (126)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	2.2 (5.6)	2 (5.1)	0.8 (2.0)	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)	0.9 (2.3)	5.9 (15)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	10.3	9.7	11.5	11.2	12.3	12.8	13.7	12.8	11.1	8.8	9.1	10.8	134.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	1.0	0.7	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	2.2
Source: NOAA

Population and Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1900	918	—
1910	1,902	107.2%
1920	2,363	24.2%
1930	3,668	55.2%
1940	4,478	22.1%
1950	4,379	−2.2%
1960	4,197	−4.2%
1970	3,357	−20.0%
1980	3,275	−2.4%
1990	3,384	3.3%
2000	4,116	21.6%
2010	4,245	3.1%
2020	4,131	−2.7%
2022 (est.)	4,280	0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

2020 Census Information

North Wilkesboro racial composition
Race	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	63.9%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	14.1%
Native American	0.07%
Asian	0.4%
Other/Mixed	2.7%
Hispanic or Latino	20.8%

According to the 2020 United States census, North Wilkesboro had 4,131 people living there. There were 1,862 households and 962 families. The population density was about 622 people per square mile (240 people per km²). The average household had 2.05 people, and the average family had 2.93 people. The average household income in the town was $30,114. About 29.3% of the residents lived at or below the poverty line.

Famous People from North Wilkesboro

Daniel Boone – a famous explorer and pioneer, lived in the North Wilkesboro area before moving to Kentucky.
Robert Byrd – a U.S. Senator from West Virginia for many years.
Dean Combs – a former NASCAR driver.
Zach Galifianakis – an American actor and comedian, was born in North Wilkesboro.
Deneen Graham – the first African-American to win the Miss North Carolina beauty pageant.
Gladys Gunzer – a well-known American medalist and sculptor.
Jimmy Pardue – a former NASCAR driver.
Harry Pearson – a journalist and publisher who started The Absolute Sound magazine.
Shirrel Rhoades – a writer, publisher, film critic, and former college professor.
John Swofford – a commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
William Swofford – a singer known as Oliver, who had two popular songs in 1969: "Good Morning Starshine" and "Jean".

North Wilkesboro, North Carolina facts for kids

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