Smithfield, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Smithfield, North Carolina
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Downtown Smithfield Historic District
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Location in Johnston County and the state of North Carolina
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 Smithfield, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
Smithfield, North Carolina
Location in the United States
Smithfield, North Carolina
Location in North America
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  North Carolina |
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| County | Johnston | |
| Townships | Selma, Smithfield, Wilson Mills | |
| Chartered | May 9, 1777 | |
| Named for | John Smith | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Council–Manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 12.39 sq mi (32.08 km2) | |
| • Land | 12.37 sq mi (32.05 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2) | |
| Elevation | 125 ft (38 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,292 | |
| • Density | 912.56/sq mi (352.34/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP code |
27577
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| Area code | 919 | |
| FIPS code | 37-62520 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 2407352 | |
| Major airport | RDU | |
Smithfield is a town in and the county seat of Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,966, and in 2019 the estimated population was 12,985. Smithfield is home to the Ava Gardner Museum and is situated along the Neuse River, where visitors enjoy the annual Smithfield Ham and Yam Festival, walks along the Buffalo Creek Greenway, and the historic downtown district. The town is located near North Carolina's Research Triangle and is about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of downtown Raleigh. The Raleigh-Durham-Cary combined statistical area has a population over 2 million residents.
Contents
History
Smithfield was founded near Smith's ferry on the Neuse River, Johnston County's first town and second county seat. The county courthouse was moved from Hinton's Quarter to Smithfield in 1771. The settlement was first known as Johnston County Court House and was incorporated as Smithfield in 1777. The third North Carolina state legislature met in Smithfield in 1779 and 1780.
Geography
Smithfield is in central Johnston County and is bordered to the northeast by Selma. Interstate 95 runs along the southeastern edge of the town, with access from Exits 93, 95, and 97. I-95 leads northeast 46 miles (74 km) to Rocky Mount and southwest the same distance to Fayetteville. U.S. Route 301 passes through Selma on Brightleaf Boulevard, leading northeast 4 miles (6 km) to the center of Selma and southwest 15 miles (24 km) to Benson. U.S. Route 70 passes just northeast of Smithfield, leading northwest 30 miles (48 km) to Raleigh, and southeast 22 miles (35 km) to Goldsboro. U.S. Route 70 Business passes through the center of Smithfield as Market Street.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.4 km2), of which 0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2), or 0.11%, is covered by water. The Neuse River runs through the town west of the downtown area, separating it from the neighborhood of West Smithfield.
Climate
Smithfield has a humid subtropical climate(Cfa), with cool winters and hot summers. Its climate is famous for the growth of pine forests with laurel understory as well as live oaks.
| Climate data for Smithfield, North Carolina(1991-2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.6 (12.0) |
57.0 (13.9) |
64.5 (18.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
81.0 (27.2) |
88.9 (31.6) |
91.7 (33.2) |
89.3 (31.8) |
83.6 (28.7) |
74.3 (23.5) |
64.4 (18.0) |
56.7 (13.7) |
73.3 (22.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.5 (5.8) |
45.2 (7.3) |
51.9 (11.1) |
60.8 (16.0) |
69.2 (20.7) |
77.1 (25.1) |
81.2 (27.3) |
78.9 (26.1) |
73.3 (22.9) |
62.2 (16.8) |
51.7 (10.9) |
45.2 (7.3) |
61.6 (16.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.4 (−0.3) |
33.3 (0.7) |
39.3 (4.1) |
47.5 (8.6) |
57.4 (14.1) |
65.9 (18.8) |
70.8 (21.6) |
68.6 (20.3) |
62.9 (17.2) |
50.1 (10.1) |
39.0 (3.9) |
33.8 (1.0) |
50.0 (10.0) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.45 (88) |
3.31 (84) |
4.01 (102) |
3.69 (94) |
4.20 (107) |
4.67 (119) |
5.54 (141) |
5.28 (134) |
5.51 (140) |
3.21 (82) |
3.25 (83) |
3.25 (83) |
49.37 (1,257) |
| Source: https://w2.weather.gov/climate/ | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 329 | — | |
| 1870 | 415 | — | |
| 1880 | 485 | 16.9% | |
| 1890 | 550 | 13.4% | |
| 1900 | 764 | 38.9% | |
| 1910 | 1,347 | 76.3% | |
| 1920 | 1,895 | 40.7% | |
| 1930 | 2,543 | 34.2% | |
| 1940 | 3,678 | 44.6% | |
| 1950 | 5,574 | 51.5% | |
| 1960 | 6,117 | 9.7% | |
| 1970 | 6,677 | 9.2% | |
| 1980 | 7,288 | 9.2% | |
| 1990 | 7,540 | 3.5% | |
| 2000 | 11,510 | 52.7% | |
| 2010 | 10,966 | −4.7% | |
| 2020 | 11,292 | 3.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 5,011 | 44.38% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 3,101 | 27.46% |
| Native American | 40 | 0.35% |
| Asian | 105 | 0.93% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.05% |
| Other/mixed | 363 | 3.21% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,666 | 23.61% |
As of the 2020 United States census, 11,292 people, 4,951 households, and 2,919 families resided in the town.
Education
All of the county is in the Johnston County Schools school district.
- South Smithfield Elementary School
- West Smithfield Elementary School
- Smithfield Middle School
- South Campus Community School
- Johnston County Middle College High School
- Johnston County Early College Academy
- Smithfield-Selma High School
Other institutions:
- Neuse Charter School
- Johnston Community College
Healthcare
- UNC Health Care - Johnston Health
Notable people
- Gary Clark, NBA player
- Harmeet Dhillon, lawyer and Republican Party official
- Barry Foote, former Major League Baseball catcher
- Ava Gardner, actress, born in Grabtown southeast of Smithfield
- Shane Helms, professional wrestler
- Neal Lancaster, professional golfer
- Amber O'Neal, professional wrestler
- Edward W. Pou, U.S. congressman, 1901–1934
- William Cary Renfrow, third governor of Oklahoma Territory
- Jerry Sands, professional baseball player
- Ray Tanner, South Carolina Gamecocks athletic director and former head baseball coach
- John Townsend, author
- Curtis Whitley, NFL offensive lineman
- Jonathan Williams, professional football running back
See also
In Spanish: Smithfield (Carolina del Norte) para niños
