Pender County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pender County
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Pender County Courthouse in Burgaw
|
|||
|
|||
| Motto(s):
"Find Your Treasure"
|
|||
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
|
|||
 North Carolina's location within the U.S. |
|||
| Country |  United States |
||
| State |  North Carolina |
||
| Founded | 1875 | ||
| Named for | William Dorsey Pender | ||
| Seat | Burgaw | ||
| Largest community | Hampstead | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 934.17 sq mi (2,419.5 km2) | ||
| • Land | 871.30 sq mi (2,256.7 km2) | ||
| • Water | 62.87 sq mi (162.8 km2) 6.73% | ||
| Population
(2020)
|
|||
| • Total | 60,203 | ||
| • Estimate
(2023)
|
68,521 | ||
| • Density | 69.10/sq mi (26.68/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 7th | ||
Pender County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,203. Its county seat is Burgaw. Pender County is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
The county was formed in 1875 from New Hanover County. It was named for William Dorsey Pender of Edgecombe County, a Confederate general mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. It is in the southeastern section of the state and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and New Hanover, Brunswick, Columbus, Bladen, Sampson, Duplin, and Onslow counties. The present land area is 870.76 square miles (2,255.3 km2) and the 2010 population was 52,196, which has nearly doubled since 1990. The estimated county population in 2019 had increased to 63,060. The county commissioners were ordered to hold their first meeting at Rocky Point. The act provided for the establishment of the town of Cowan as the county seat. In 1877, an act was passed repealing that section of the law relative to the town, and another law was enacted, whereby the qualified voters were to vote on the question of moving the county seat to South Washington or any other place which the majority of the voters designated. Whatever place was selected, the town should be called Stanford. In 1879, Stanford was changed to Burgaw, which was by that law incorporated. It is the county seat. A slave cemetery that was used by the community of Cardinal Acres up until c. 1950 was disturbed by a developer grading a site in 2021.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 934.17 square miles (2,419.5 km2), of which 871.30 square miles (2,256.7 km2) is land and 62.87 square miles (162.8 km2) (6.73%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by land area.
National protected area
State and local protected areas
- Angola Bay Game Land (part)
- Cape Fear River Wetlands Game Land (part)
- Holly Shelter Game Land
- Lea-Hutaff Island State Natural Area
- Sandy Run Savannas State Natural Area (part)
- Whitehall Plantation Game Land (part)
Major water bodies
- Atlantic Ocean (North Atlantic Ocean)
- Black River, home of the oldest documented Taxodium distichum (bald cypress) at 2,649 years old; located in Bladen County
- Cape Fear River
- Doctor's Creek
- Intracoastal Waterway
- Island Creek
- Northeast Cape Fear River
- Onslow Bay
Adjacent counties
- Duplin County – north
- Onslow County – northeast
- New Hanover County – south
- Brunswick County – south
- Columbus County – southwest
- Bladen County – west
- Sampson County – northwest
Major highways
I-40
US 17
US 17 Byp. (future Hampstead Bypass)
US 117
US 421
NC 11
NC 50
NC 53
NC 133
NC 210
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 12,468 | — | |
| 1890 | 12,514 | 0.4% | |
| 1900 | 13,381 | 6.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,471 | 15.6% | |
| 1920 | 14,788 | −4.4% | |
| 1930 | 15,686 | 6.1% | |
| 1940 | 17,710 | 12.9% | |
| 1950 | 18,423 | 4.0% | |
| 1960 | 18,508 | 0.5% | |
| 1970 | 18,149 | −1.9% | |
| 1980 | 22,215 | 22.4% | |
| 1990 | 28,855 | 29.9% | |
| 2000 | 41,082 | 42.4% | |
| 2010 | 52,217 | 27.1% | |
| 2020 | 60,203 | 15.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 68,521 | 31.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
|||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 44,418 | 73.78% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 7,544 | 12.53% |
| Native American | 195 | 0.32% |
| Asian | 319 | 0.53% |
| Pacific Islander | 23 | 0.04% |
| Other/Mixed | 2,722 | 4.52% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,982 | 8.28% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 60,203 people, 21,740 households, and 14,676 families residing in the county.
Education
The county is served by Pender County Schools.
Communities
Towns
Village
Townships
- Burgaw
- Canetuck
- Caswell
- Columbia
- Grady
- Holly
- Long Creek
- Rocky Point
- Topsail
- Union
Census-designated places
- Hampstead (largest community)
- Long Creek
- Rocky Point
Other unincorporated communities
- Charity
- Currie
- Montague
- Register
- Scotts Hill
- Sloop Point
- Willard
- Yamacraw
Notable people
- John Baptista Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, delegate to the Continental Congress
- John Baptista Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, nephew of the above, United States Congressman from North Carolina
- William Shepperd Ashe, born in Rocky Point township, United States Congressman from North Carolina
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Pender para niños
