Whiteville, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whiteville, North Carolina
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Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville
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| Motto(s):
"Citizens First"
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 Whiteville, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | North Carolina | ||
| County | Columbus | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 5.56 sq mi (14.40 km2) | ||
| • Land | 5.56 sq mi (14.40 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 79 ft (30 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,766 | ||
| • Density | 857.50/sq mi (331.06/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
28472
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| Area codes | 910, 472 | ||
| FIPS code | 37-73660 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2405738 | ||
Whiteville is a city in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,394 at the 2010 census. It is the most populous city in Columbus County and is the county seat.
Contents
History
Columbus County was created in 1808. In 1810, a community was platted on land owned by James B. White for the purpose of creating a county seat and establishing government buildings. It was originally known as White's Crossing before being incorporated under its present name in 1832. A post office called Whiteville has been in operation since 1821. The town was sacked by Union forces during the latter stages of the American Civil War.
In 1950, Whiteville fielded a professional minor league baseball team in the Class D Tobacco State League. The Whiteville Tobs club lasted only one season before disbanding with the entire league.
The Columbus County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Geography
Whiteville is located in north-central Columbus County within the Carolina Border Belt, a regional network of tobacco markets and warehouses along both sides of the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Combined U.S. Routes 74 and 76 bypass the city on its north side and lead east 46 miles (74 km) to Wilmington. US 74 leads northwest 32 miles (51 km) to Lumberton, and US 76 leads west 67 miles (108 km) to Florence, South Carolina. U.S. Route 701 passes through the western side of Whiteville, leading north 23 miles (37 km) to Elizabethtown and southwest 44 miles (71 km) to Conway, South Carolina.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Whiteville has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14.1 km2), all land.
Climate
| Climate data for WHITEVILLE 7 NW, NC, 1991-2020 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 54.8 (12.7) |
57.8 (14.3) |
65.4 (18.6) |
73.9 (23.3) |
80.6 (27.0) |
86.8 (30.4) |
90.1 (32.3) |
88.2 (31.2) |
83.5 (28.6) |
74.8 (23.8) |
65.3 (18.5) |
57.7 (14.3) |
73.2 (22.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.4 (6.3) |
45.8 (7.7) |
52.8 (11.6) |
61.1 (16.2) |
69.1 (20.6) |
76.4 (24.7) |
79.8 (26.6) |
78.2 (25.7) |
73.0 (22.8) |
62.8 (17.1) |
52.6 (11.4) |
46.1 (7.8) |
61.8 (16.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 31.9 (−0.1) |
33.8 (1.0) |
40.2 (4.6) |
48.3 (9.1) |
57.6 (14.2) |
66.1 (18.9) |
69.5 (20.8) |
68.2 (20.1) |
62.6 (17.0) |
50.7 (10.4) |
39.9 (4.4) |
34.6 (1.4) |
50.3 (10.2) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.47 (88) |
3.31 (84) |
3.73 (95) |
3.53 (90) |
4.21 (107) |
4.61 (117) |
5.27 (134) |
5.91 (150) |
6.64 (169) |
3.51 (89) |
3.22 (82) |
3.47 (88) |
50.88 (1,292) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.5 (1.3) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.3 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 9.8 | 10.4 | 11.5 | 9.1 | 7.0 | 7.7 | 9.3 | 109.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 372 | — | |
| 1900 | 634 | 70.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,368 | 115.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,604 | 17.3% | |
| 1930 | 2,203 | 37.3% | |
| 1940 | 3,011 | 36.7% | |
| 1950 | 4,238 | 40.8% | |
| 1960 | 4,683 | 10.5% | |
| 1970 | 4,195 | −10.4% | |
| 1980 | 5,565 | 32.7% | |
| 1990 | 5,078 | −8.8% | |
| 2000 | 5,148 | 1.4% | |
| 2010 | 5,394 | 4.8% | |
| 2020 | 4,766 | −11.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,253 | 47.27% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,963 | 41.19% |
| Native American | 63 | 1.32% |
| Asian | 39 | 0.82% |
| Other/Mixed | 209 | 4.39% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 239 | 5.01% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,766 people, 2,153 households, and 1,337 families residing in the city. Between 2010 and 2020, the town lost 11.64 percent of its population.
Education
The Whiteville City School system includes the following schools:
- Whiteville High School
- Southeastern Early College High School
- Columbus Christian Academy
- North Whiteville Academy
- Central Middle School
- Edgewood Elementary School
- Whiteville Primary School
Whiteville High School, home of the Wolfpack, competes in the NCHSAA 2A sports division and has won 19 state championships: nine in baseball (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018), four individual track championships, one in team golf (1986), two in football (1965 and 1987), and three in basketball (1969, 1999, and 2000).
Waccamaw Academy, which opened in 1968, closed in 2012.
Southeastern Community College is located a few miles to the west of Whiteville.
Arts and culture
The city is the site of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences at Whiteville, a satellite museum of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Annual events include the North Carolina Pecan Harvest Festival. In addition, the state-recognized Waccamaw Siouan tribe holds an annual powwow in October with numerous public events.
The News Reporter, the official newspaper that serves Columbus County, is based in Whiteville. It has been published since 1896.
The stretch of U.S. Route 701 through Columbus County is named for Whiteville's founder, James B. White, who was elected as Columbus County's first state senator.
Representation in other media
- Whiteville was the site of filming for the courthouse-burning scene in the 1996 Bastard out of Carolina, adapted from Dorothy Allison's novel of the same name.
Transportation
Although the railroad tracks leading from west of town toward Lake Waccamaw have long been disconnected, Whiteville is served by the Columbus County Municipal Airport and several highways, which include U.S. Route 74, U.S. Route 76, U.S. Route 701, North Carolina Highway 130, and North Carolina Highway 131.
Notable people
- A. R. Ammons, American poet who won the National Book Award for Poetry in 1973 and 1993
- Ulysses Currie, American politician who represented Maryland
- Dax Harwood, professional wrestler for AEW
- Dewey L. Hill, politician
- MacKenzie Gore, professional baseball player and third overall selection in 2017 MLB Draft
- Tommy Greene, MLB pitcher
- Pat Lennon, MLB outfielder
- Chester McGlockton, three-time All-Pro NFL defensive tackle
- Millie and Christine McKoy, conjoined twins
- Jane McNeill, stage, film, and television actress
- Ida Stephens Owens, first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in physiology from Duke University, in 1967
- Charlie Ripple, MLB pitcher
- Reggie Royals, professional basketball player
- Ralph E. Suggs, retired Real admiral in the United States Navy
- Chris Wilcox, NBA player
- Maggie Will, professional golfer and three-time winner on the LPGA Tour
- Harvey D. Williams, African-American U.S. Army major general
- Mike Wright, MLB pitcher
See also
In Spanish: Whiteville (Carolina del Norte) para niños
