Surry County, North Carolina facts for kids

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Surry County

U.S. county

Surry County Courthouse

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina

North Carolina's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

North Carolina

Founded

April 1, 1771

Largest community

Area

• Total

536.66 sq mi (1,389.9 km²)

• Land

532.65 sq mi (1,379.6 km²)

• Water

4.01 sq mi (10.4 km²) 0.75%

Population

(2020)

• Total

71,359

• Estimate

(2023)

71,462

• Density

133.97/sq mi (51.73/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

Congressional district

5th

Surry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,359. Its county seat is Dobson, and its largest community is Mount Airy.

Surry county comprises the Mount Airy, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC Combined Statistical Area.

History

1950 map of Surry County

The county was formed in 1771 from Rowan County as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was named for the county of Surrey in England, birthplace of William Tryon, governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771.

In 1777, parts of Surry County and Washington District (now Washington County, Tennessee) were combined to form Wilkes County. The first permanent courthouse was established at Richmond in 1779, what is now the modern-day Old Richmond Township in Forsyth County near Donnaha. However, in 1789 the eastern half of Surry County became Stokes County, thus making the Richmond site unusable for either county. In 1790, the county seat was moved to Rockford, where it remained for over half a century. In 1850, half of the county's remaining territory south of the Yadkin River became Yadkin County. The town of Dobson was established in 1853 to be the new county seat.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 536.66 square miles (1,389.9 km²), of which 532.65 square miles (1,379.6 km²) are land and 4.01 square miles (10.4 km²) (0.75%) are water.

The whole county is generally considered part of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area. Surry County is located in the Yadkin Valley AVA, an American Viticultural Area. Wines made from grapes grown in Surry County may carry the appellation Yadkin Valley on their label.

Mountains

Surry County is located both within the Piedmont region of central North Carolina and in the Appalachian Mountains region of western North Carolina. Most of the eastern two-thirds of the county lies within the Piedmont, a region of gently rolling hills and valleys. However, the Piedmont of Surry County also contains a small portion of the Sauratown Mountains; Surry County marks the western end of the Sauratown Mountain range. The western third of the county lies within the Blue Ridge Mountains, and they dominate the county's western horizon. The mountain passes (called "gaps" locally) are notorious for their occasional high winds, which can force automobiles and even large Eighteen wheeler trucks off the highways which lead through the passes. As a result, high wind advisories issued by the National Weather Service are not uncommon. The highest point in Surry County is Fisher Peak in the Blue Ridge; it rises to 3,570 feet (1,088 m) above sea level. However, the best-known peak in Surry County is not the highest. That honor goes to Pilot Mountain, an isolated monadnock and a North Carolina landmark. Pilot Mountain sharply rises some 2,421 feet (738 m) above the surrounding countryside, and can be seen for miles.

Major water bodies

Ararat River
Bear Creek
Big Creek
Camp Creek
Fisher River
Flat Shoal Creek
Grassy Creek
Hogan Creek
King Creek
Little Fisher Creek
Mill Creek
Mitchell River
Pauls Creek
Pheasant Creek
Pilot Creek
Ramey Creek
Stewarts Creek
Toms Creek
Yadkin River

While there are many creeks and streams in Surry County, there are three recognized major rivers in the county, the Ararat, the Fisher, and the Mitchell. All three flow southward and are tributaries of the Yadkin River, which forms the southern border of Surry County. The Yadkin River is the northern component of the Pee Dee River which flows to the Atlantic Ocean near Georgetown, South Carolina.

National protected areas

Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
Cumberland Knob Recreation Area (part)

State and local protected areas/sites

Horne Creek Living Historical Farm
Mitchell River Game Land (part)
Pilot Mountain State Park
Raven Knob Scout Reservation (part)

Adjacent counties

Patrick County, Virginia – northeast
Carroll County, Virginia – north
Grayson County, Virginia – northwest
Stokes County – east
Forsyth County – southeast
Yadkin County – south
Wilkes County – southwest
Alleghany County – west

Major highways

I-74 / Future I-74 (route designated from the state border with Virginia to Exit 17)
I-77
US 21
US 21 Bus.
US 52
US 52 Bus.
US 601
US 601 Bus.
NC 18
NC 89
NC 103
NC 104
NC 268
NC 268 Bus.

Major infrastructure

Mount Airy/Surry County Airport
Elkin Municipal Airport

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	7,192	—
1800	9,505	32.2%
1810	10,366	9.1%
1820	12,320	18.9%
1830	14,504	17.7%
1840	15,079	4.0%
1850	18,443	22.3%
1860	10,380	−43.7%
1870	11,252	8.4%
1880	15,302	36.0%
1890	19,281	26.0%
1900	25,515	32.3%
1910	29,705	16.4%
1920	32,464	9.3%
1930	39,749	22.4%
1940	41,783	5.1%
1950	45,593	9.1%
1960	48,205	5.7%
1970	51,415	6.7%
1980	59,449	15.6%
1990	61,704	3.8%
2000	71,219	15.4%
2010	73,673	3.4%
2020	71,359	−3.1%
2023 (est.)	71,462	−3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Surry County racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	57,771	80.96%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,413	3.38%
Native American	130	0.18%
Asian	370	0.52%
Pacific Islander	11	0.02%
Other/Mixed	2,168	3.04%
Hispanic or Latino	8,496	11.91%

As of the 2020 census, there were 71,359 people, 28,408 households, and 19,539 families residing in the county.

Economy

In its 2024 county economic tier ratings, the North Carolina Department of Commerce classified Surry as among the state's 20 least economically distressed counties, or "tier 1", largely owing to a prevailing low median household income in the county.

Education

Surry County is divided into three local school systems: Surry County Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, and Elkin City Schools.

Surry County Schools

High schools

Surry Early College High School of Design (on the Surry Community College campus.)
East Surry High School
North Surry High School
Surry Central High School

Middle schools

Central Middle School
Gentry Middle School
Meadowview Magnet Middle School
Pilot Mountain Middle School

Elementary schools

Cedar Ridge Elementary School
Copeland Elementary School
Dobson Elementary School
Flat Rock Elementary School
Franklin Elementary School
Mountain Park Elementary School
Pilot Mountain Elementary School
Rockford Elementary School
Shoals Elementary School
Westfield Elementary School
White Plains Elementary School

Mount Airy City Schools

Mount Airy High School
Mount Airy Middle School
Jones Intermediate School
Tharington Primary School

Elkin City Schools

The Elkin City Schools system has 3 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade: Elkin Elementary School, Elkin Middle School and Elkin High School.

Colleges and universities

Surry Community College, part of the North Carolina Community College System, is the county's only institution for post-secondary education.

Media

Print

Surry County is home to three local newspapers, The Mount Airy News of Mount Airy, The Pilot in Pilot Mountain and The Tribune of Elkin. Additionally, the larger daily Winston-Salem Journal covers news and events in the county. One local newspaper, The Messenger in Mount Airy, ceased operation in approximately 2011.

Broadcast

WIFM in Elkin is a full-time FM radio station. The county has three AM stations, WYZD in Dobson, as well as WSYD and WPAQ in Mount Airy, both of which operate also on 24-hour FM repeaters that cover most of the county. There are no broadcast television stations in Surry County.

Surry County is part of the Piedmont Triad radio and television market but many broadcasts from the Charlotte market also can be received in Surry County.

Culture

Surry County is apparently home to the fictitious community of Mayberry from "The Andy Griffith Show", which aired from 1960 through 1968. Andy Griffith reportedly used many things from his hometown in his TV town. Now guests can experience what it was like living in Mayberry by visiting the Andy Griffith Museum, stopping by Andy's homeplace, getting a trim at Floyd's barbershop, taking a ride in a replica Mayberry Squad Car, or even grabbing a bite to eat at Snappy Lunch. Every year in September the city holds the "Mayberry Days" celebration, where fans can come and enjoy the town together.

A dish, sonker, is made in Surry County and surrounding areas in North Carolina, and is thought to have originated in the county in the mid-1800s. Similar to cobbler, it is a pie made of dough with a fruit or sweet potato filling and baked. It is traditionally served with "dip", a vanilla cream sauce. Since 1980, Mount Airy has hosted an annual sonker festival, and sonkers are often made to cater to tourism. Ground steak—principally a sandwich consisting of ground beef or chuck, flour, salt, and pepper—is exclusive to the county, maintaining enduring popularity among locals since the Great Depression.

Communities

Map of Surry County with municipal and township labels

City

Mount Airy (largest community)

Towns

Dobson (county seat)
Elkin (also in Wilkes County)
Pilot Mountain

Census-designated places

Townships

Bryan
Dobson
Eldora
Elkin
Franklin
Long Hill
Marsh
Mount Airy
Pilot
Rockford
Shoals
Siloam
South Westfield
Stewarts Creek
Westfield