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Polk County, North Carolina facts for kids

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Polk County
Polk County Courthouse
Polk County Courthouse
Flag of Polk County
Flag
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Polk 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 1855
Named for Colonel William Polk
Seat Columbus
Largest municipality Tryon
Area
 • Total 238.45 sq mi (617.6 km2)
 • Land 237.69 sq mi (615.6 km2)
 • Water 0.76 sq mi (2.0 km2)  0.32%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 19,328
 • Estimate 
(2023)
20,060 Increase
 • Density 81.057/sq mi (31.2962/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 11th

Polk County is a place in the state of North Carolina, USA. It's called a county, which is like a smaller area within a state. In 2020, about 19,328 people lived there. The main town, where the county government is, is called Columbus.

History of Polk County

Polk County was created in 1855. It was formed from parts of two other counties: Henderson and Rutherford. The county was named after William Polk. He was a colonel who fought in the American Revolutionary War.

A big event happened here in 2018. The Tryon International Equestrian Center hosted the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games. This is a huge competition for horse riders from all over the world. It took place near the town of Mill Spring.

Geography and Nature in Polk County

Polk County covers about 238.45 square miles (617.6 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 237.69 square miles (615.6 square kilometers). A small part, 0.76 square miles (1.97 square kilometers), is water. This makes it the fifth-smallest county in North Carolina by total area.

The biggest lake in the county is Lake Adger. It's about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of Columbus. Lake Adger is a reservoir, which is a large artificial lake used to store water. It was made by building a dam on the Green River. The Green River flows from west to east across the county.

Polk nc elevation
Polk County Elevation Map

The land in Polk County changes a lot in height. It ranges from less than 800 feet (244 meters) near where the Green River meets the Broad River. It goes up to over 3,200 feet (975 meters) on Tryon Peak and Wildcat Spur. These are the highest points in the county.

Polk County is in a special area where two different land types meet. The western part of the county is in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The eastern two-thirds is in the Piedmont region. Because it's between these two areas, Polk County is often called part of the foothills.

Protected Natural Areas

Polk County has several places that are protected to keep nature safe. These include:

Major Water Bodies

Here are some of the important rivers and creeks in Polk County:

  • Broad River
  • Colt Creek
  • Cove Creek
  • Green River
  • North Pacolet River
  • Hughes Creek
  • Lake Adger
  • Little White Oak Creek
  • Ostin Creek
  • Vaughns Creek
  • Walnut Creek
  • White Oak Creek

Counties Nearby

Polk County shares its borders with these other counties:

Main Roads and Highways

Several important roads pass through Polk County:

  • I-26
  • US 74
  • US 176
  • NC 9
  • NC 108

Interstate 26 (I-26) and U.S. Highway 74 (US 74) meet in Columbus. I-26 helps people travel to bigger cities like Asheville and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

U.S. Highway 176 (US 176) also goes through Polk County. Before I-26 was finished in 1976, US 176 was the main road connecting towns like Saluda and Tryon to Hendersonville and Spartanburg.

Two North Carolina state routes, NC 108 and NC 9, also cross the county. NC 108 starts in Rutherfordton and goes west through Columbus. It ends at US 176 in Tryon. NC 9 runs from north to south. It connects places like Black Mountain and Lake Lure to Spartanburg. NC 108 and NC 9 cross paths in the town of Mill Spring.

Polk County is also known for the Saluda Grade. This was a very steep railway track, the steepest standard-gauge mainline in the United States. Trains used to carry freight here. However, the Norfolk Southern company stopped using this route in 2001. The tracks are still there, but they are no longer connected in some places.

People and Population (Demographics)

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 4,043
1870 4,319 6.8%
1880 5,062 17.2%
1890 5,902 16.6%
1900 7,004 18.7%
1910 7,640 9.1%
1920 8,832 15.6%
1930 10,216 15.7%
1940 11,874 16.2%
1950 11,627 −2.1%
1960 11,395 −2.0%
1970 11,735 3.0%
1980 12,984 10.6%
1990 14,416 11.0%
2000 18,324 27.1%
2010 20,510 11.9%
2020 19,328 −5.8%
2023 (est.) 20,060 −2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 Census Information

The 2020 census counted 19,328 people living in Polk County. There were 9,071 households, which are groups of people living together. About 5,550 of these households were families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Polk County in 2020:

Polk County racial composition
Group Number Percentage
White (not Hispanic) 16,716 86.49%
Black or African American (not Hispanic) 689 3.56%
Native American 51 0.26%
Asian 60 0.31%
Pacific Islander 7 0.04%
Other/Mixed 779 4.03%
Hispanic or Latino 1,026 5.31%

Ancestry and Heritage

In 2000, people in Polk County reported their family backgrounds. The largest groups were:

Ancestry/ethnicity Percent
(2000)
English England 17%
German Germany 13%
Irish Republic of Ireland 13%
Scotch-Irish Ulster 7.0%
African American United States 5.89%
Scottish Scotland 4.0%
Italian Italy 3.0%

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Polk (Carolina del Norte) para niños

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