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Stanly County, North Carolina facts for kids

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Stanly County
Stanly County Courthouse in Albemarle
Stanly County Courthouse in Albemarle
Official seal of Stanly County
Seal
Official logo of Stanly County
Logo
Motto(s): 
"Water, Air, Land, Success"
Map of North Carolina highlighting Stanly 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 1841
Named for John Stanly
Seat Albemarle
Largest municipality Albemarle
Area
 • Total 404.81 sq mi (1,048.5 km2)
 • Land 395.08 sq mi (1,023.3 km2)
 • Water 9.73 sq mi (25.2 km2)  2.40%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 62,504
 • Estimate 
(2023)
65,699
 • Density 158.21/sq mi (61.09/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 8th

Stanly County is a county located in the state of North Carolina in the United States. In 2020, about 62,504 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Albemarle.

Stanly County is part of a larger area called the Albemarle, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area is also connected to the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area.

History of Stanly County

The land where Stanly County is today was first home to small groups of people who hunted and gathered food. There were also "Mound Builders" who created large earth mounds. We know this from artifacts and settlements found that are nearly 10,000 years old!

Later, in the mid-1700s, many European settlers came to this region. Some came from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They were Dutch, Scots-Irish, and German, and they were looking for more freedom to practice their religion and have a say in government. Others came from Virginia and eastern North Carolina. These settlers were mostly of English background.

In the early days of the English colonies, the Stanly County area was part of a larger region called New Hanover Precinct. This area was later divided, and in 1734, Bladen Precinct was created. Bladen County was then divided to create Anson County in 1750. Finally, Montgomery County was formed from Anson County in 1779.

Stanly County was officially created in 1841. It was formed from the western part of Montgomery County, located west of the Pee Dee River. The county was named after John Stanly. He was a politician from New Bern (1774–1834). John Stanly served in the North Carolina House of Commons and also for two terms in the United States House of Representatives.

Geography and Location

The United States Census Bureau says that Stanly County covers about 405 square miles. Most of this (about 395 square miles) is land, and about 9.8 square miles (2.4%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Stanly County shares its borders with several other counties:

Main Roads and Highways

Many important roads pass through Stanly County, connecting it to other areas:

  • US 52
  • NC 8
  • NC 24
  • NC 27
  • NC 73
  • NC 109
  • NC 49
  • NC 138
  • NC 200
  • NC 205
  • NC 731
  • NC 740
  • NC 742

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 6,922
1860 7,801 12.7%
1870 8,315 6.6%
1880 10,505 26.3%
1890 12,136 15.5%
1900 15,220 25.4%
1910 19,909 30.8%
1920 27,429 37.8%
1930 30,216 10.2%
1940 32,834 8.7%
1950 37,130 13.1%
1960 40,873 10.1%
1970 42,822 4.8%
1980 48,517 13.3%
1990 51,765 6.7%
2000 58,100 12.2%
2010 60,600 4.3%
2020 62,504 3.1%
2023 (est.) 65,699 8.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 Census Information

The 2020 United States census counted 62,504 people living in Stanly County. There were 23,332 households and 16,569 families.

Stanly County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 48,645 77.83%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 7,000 11.2%
Native American 210 0.34%
Asian 1,140 1.82%
Pacific Islander 9 0.01%
Other/Mixed 2,414 3.86%
Hispanic or Latino 3,086 4.94%

Education in Stanly County

Stanly County has many schools for students of all ages, from elementary to college.

Elementary Schools

  • Aquadale Elementary "Little Bulls"
  • Badin Elementary "Watts"
  • Carolina Christian School "Lions"
  • Central Elementary "Bulldogs"
  • East Albemarle Elementary "Bullpups"
  • Endy Elementary "Redhawks"
  • Locust Elementary "Colts"
  • Millingport Elementary "Wildcats"
  • Norwood Elementary "Patriots"
  • Oakboro Elementary "Eagles"
  • Richfield Elementary "Tigers"
  • Stanfield Elementary "Wildcats"

Middle Schools

  • Albemarle Middle School "Bulldogs"
  • Carolina Christian School "Lions"
  • North Stanly Middle School "Comets"
  • South Stanly Middle School "Rebels"
  • West Stanly Middle School "Colts"

High Schools

  • Carolina Christian School "Lions"
  • Gray Stone Day School "Knights"
  • North Stanly High School "Comets"
  • South Stanly High School "Bulls"
  • Albemarle High School "Bulldogs"
  • Stanly Early College "Tigers"
  • West Stanly High School "Colts"
  • Stanly Academy Learning Center

Colleges and Universities

PattersonBuildingSunrise
Patterson Building at Stanly Community College
  • Pfeiffer University "Falcons"
  • Stanly Community College "Eagles"

Local News and Media

Stanly County has its own local newspapers and radio stations.

  • The Weekly Post is a newspaper published once a week.
  • The Stanly News and Press is a newspaper published three times a week. It also shares local news on its website.

There are two radio stations owned by Stanly Communications, Inc.:

  • WSPC broadcasts on 1010 AM and 107.3 FM. It mainly plays news and talk radio.
  • WZKY broadcasts on 1580 AM and 103.3 FM. It mostly plays music from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

Towns and Communities

Map of Stanly County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Stanly County, showing cities, towns, and townships

Cities

  • Albemarle (This is the county seat, where the main government offices are)
  • Locust

Towns

Townships

  • Almond
  • Big Lick
  • Center
  • Endy
  • Furr
  • Harris
  • North Albemarle
  • Ridenhour
  • South Albemarle
  • Tyson

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.

Other Small Communities

  • Beetsville
  • Big Lick
  • Cottonville
  • Endy
  • Finger
  • Frog Pond
  • Lambert
  • Palestine
  • Palmerville
  • Plyler
  • Porter
  • Ridgecrest
  • Tuckertown
  • Kingville

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Stanly para niños

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