Yadkin County is located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,214. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Yadkinville Yadkinville is a town in Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,995 at the 2020 census. Located in the Piedmont Triad, it is the county seat and largest city of Yadkin County. History The area was chosen as the county s ...

. Yadkin County is included in the Winston-Salem, NC

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, which is also included in the

Greensboro Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

- Winston-Salem- High Point, NC

Combined Statistical Area Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...

History

The county was formed in 1850 from the part of Surry County south of the

Yadkin River The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, p ...

, for which it was named.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.8%) is water. Yadkin County is located in the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region of central North Carolina. The Piedmont consists of rolling farmlands frequently broken by hills or valleys formed by streams. The extreme western section of the county contains the Brushy Mountains, a deeply eroded spur of the much higher Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Yadkin County marks the eastern end of the Brushy Mountains range; none of the peaks rise more than 400–500 feet above the surrounding countryside. The highest point in the county is Star Peak near Jonesville, at 1,590 feet above sea level. The

forms the county's northern and eastern borders. The county takes its name from the river.

State and local protected areas

Historic Richmond Hill Nature Park History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

* Yadkinville Community Park

Major water bodies

* Beaverdam Creek * Deep Creek * Dobbins Creek * Forbush Creek * Harmon Creek * Little Forbush Creek * Logan Creek * Miller Creek * North Deep Creek * South Deep Creek * South Yadkin River * Turner Creek *

Adjacent counties

* Surry County – north * Forsyth County – east * Davie County – south-southeast * Iredell County – south-southwest * Wilkes County – west

Major highways

* * (Concurrency with US 421) * * * * * Two major four-lane highways serve Yadkin County. Interstate 77 runs north to south in the western part of the county and

U.S. Highway 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Caro ...

runs east to west. The two highways intersect near Hamptonville. The county also is served by

U.S. Highway 21 U.S. Route 21 or U.S. Highway 21 (US 21) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway in the Southeastern United States that travels . The southern terminus is in Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, south of the ...

, which runs mostly parallel with I-77, and U.S. Highway 601, which runs through

and Boonville.

North Carolina Highway 67 North Carolina Highway 67 (NC 67) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The highway travels through Yadkin and Forsyth Counties between its western terminus at U.S. Route 21 Business (US 21 Business) ...

is another popular artery that links the northern part of the county with Jonesville-Elkin and Winston-Salem.

Airports

Commercial flights are available through

Piedmont Triad International Airport Piedmont Triad International Airport (commonly referred to locally as "PTI") is an airport located in unincorporated Guilford County, North Carolina, west of Greensboro, serving the Piedmont Triad region of Greensboro, High Point and Winsto ...

and Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Two private airports are located in the county, Swan Creek near Jonesville and Lone Hickory near Yadkinville. One additional airport is located in Boonville on Baptist Church Road. It recently housed NC Baptist Hospital's AirCare II during a transitional period.

Public transportation

Beginning in 2006, the Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) began offering limited bus service between

Boone, North Carolina Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters for the disaster a ...

and

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

as part of its US 421 Mountaineer Express. The buses make stops east and west in Yadkinville. Yadkin Valley Economic Development District Inc. (YVEDDI), a community action agency based in Boonville, operates a multi-county rural public transportation system.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 37,214 people, 15,425 households, and 10,789 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 36,348 people, 14,505 households, and 10,588 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 108 people per square mile (42/km²). There were 15,821 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 92.54%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 3.43%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.16% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.91% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.77% from two or more races. 6.48% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race. There were 14,505 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.00% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $36,660, and the median income for a family was $43,758. Males had a median income of $29,589 versus $22,599 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $18,576. About 7.10% of families and 10.00% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 10.90% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Owing to its Quaker past and consequent historical Unionist sympathies, Yadkin County became and has always remained solidly Republican. The county has voted for the Republican presidential nominee in every election since the party first contested North Carolina in the 1868 election. Alongside Stokes County and Surry County, it was one of only three North Carolina counties to remain loyal to

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

in 1912, and one of seven to vote for

Alf Landon Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887October 12, 1987) was an American oilman and politician who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 1936 presidential el ...

in 1936. Even before the Republican Party contested the South, Yadkin County never voted Democratic: it would vote for Constitutional Union candidate John Bell in 1860, for

Know-Nothing The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...

candidate Millard Fillmore in 1856, and for the Whig Party in its first election of 1852. Yadkin County is a member of the regional Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments. It is governed by a five-member board of commissioners who are elected every two years. In the North Carolina Senate, Yadkin County is located in the 31st Senate district represented by Republican Joyce Krawiec. In the North Carolina House of Representatives, Yadkin County is in the 73rd District represented by Republican Lee Zachary.

Education

Yadkin County has three high schools, Forbush, Starmount, and the Yadkin Early College. The Yadkin Early College is a five-year program where high school and college courses are offered on the Yadkin campus of Surry Community College. Students get the opportunity to earn their high school diploma and an associate degree in nursing, criminal justice, or a transfer degree to a four-year university. The high schools are fed by eight elementary schools, which teach kindergarten through sixth grades. The eight elementary schools are Boonville, Courtney, East Bend, Fall Creek, Forbush, Jonesville, West Yadkin and Yadkinville. The school system also operates Yadkin Success Academy, an alternative learning center on Old U.S. 421 in Yadkinville. Yadkin County opened two new middle schools in 2009. Starmount Middle School opened in August and serves seventh and eighth grade students from Jonesville, Boonville, and West Yadkin Elementary Schools. Forbush Middle opened in November and serves East Bend, Forbush Elementary, Fall Creek, Courtney, and Yadkinville Schools. Both campuses are adjacent to the high schools. Surry Community College offers courses through its Yadkin Campus at 4649 U.S. Highway 601 North near Yadkinville.

Media

Print

Yadkin County is covered by two community newspapers, ''

The Yadkin Ripple ''The Yadkin Ripple'' is a weekly newspaper based in Yadkinville, North Carolina. It was first published in East Bend, North Carolina, on October 18, 1892. ''The Ripple'', published on Thursdays, was purchased in June 2007 by Heartland Publication ...

'' and ''

The Tribune ''The Tribune'' or ''Tribune'' is the name of various newspapers: United States Daily California *'' Oakland Tribune'' * ''The Tribune'' (San Luis Obispo) *''San Gabriel Valley Tribune'' Indiana *'' Kokomo Tribune'' *'' Peru Tribune'' * ''The Tri ...

'' of Elkin. The ''

Winston-Salem Journal The ''Winston-Salem Journal'' is an American, English language daily newspaper primarily serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also covers Northwestern North Carolina. The paper is owned by Lee Enterprises. ''The Journa ...

'', a larger daily paper, also covers the county. Yadkin Valley Living, a bimonthly lifestyles publication, is based in East Bend.

Broadcast

WSGH, an AM Spanish contemporary station, broadcasts from eastern Yadkin County. Yadkin County is part of the Piedmont Triad radio and television market but many broadcasts from the Charlotte market also can be received.

Yadkin Valley wine region

All of Yadkin County is included in the Yadkin Valley AVA, an American Viticultural Area recognized by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

government as a unique

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

-growing region.

Wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

s made from grapes grown in this area may use the appellation "Yadkin Valley" on the label. Yadkin County is also home to the second North Carolina AVA, the Swan Creek Wine Region.

Communities

Towns

* Boonville * East Bend * Jonesville *

(county seat and largest town)

Townships

* Boonville * Deep Creek * East Bend * Forbush * North Buck Shoals * North Fall Creek * North Knobs * North Liberty * South Buck Shoals * South Fall Creek * South Knobs * South Liberty

Unincorporated communities

* Barney Hill * Branon * Buck Shoals *

Center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

* Brooks' Crossroads * Courtney * Enon * Flint Hill * Footville * Forbush * Hamptonville * Huntsville * Lone Hickory * Longtown * Marler * Richmond Hill * Swan Creek * Union Hill * Windsor's Crossroads * Wyo

Former towns

These towns were incorporated at one time: * Arlington, merged with Jonesville in 2001. * Hamptonville, chartered in 1818. * Huntsville, incorporated in 1792. *

Shore A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

, incorporated from 1903 to 1911. * Smithtown, incorporated in 1924.

Former township

* Little Yadkin (formerly the only part of Yadkin County east of the Yadkin River), annexed by Forsyth County in 1911 and 1927 to become part of Lewisville Township

Notable people

* Leo Arnaud, French-born film composer * Thomas Lanier Clingman, U.S. senator and representative and Confederate brigadier general * William "Mo" Cowan, U.S. senator for Massachusetts in 2013 *

Mamrie Hart Mamrie Lillian Hart (; born September 22, 1983) is an American comedian, actress, writer, and performer. She gained popularity in 2011 through her YouTube show ''You Deserve A Drink,'' for which she has won two Streamy Awards: in 2014 for Actress ...

, YouTube celebrity * Dickie Hemric, basketball star for Wake Forest and the Boston Celtics * Richmond Mumford Pearson,

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

chief justice, and his son, Richmond Pearson, a diplomat and U.S. representative * Richard Clauselle Puryear, U.S. congressman *

Ernie Shore Ernest Grady Shore (March 24, 1891 – September 24, 1980) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox during some of their best years in the 1910s. He was born near East Bend, North Carolina. Shore grad ...

, a

Major League baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher and former Forsyth County sheriff * Robert Glenn

Junior Johnson Robert Glenn Johnson Jr. (June 28, 1931 – December 20, 2019), better known as Junior Johnson, was an American NASCAR driver of the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966. In the 1970s and 1980s, he became ...

, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and champion team owner

References

External links

*
Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce, based in Elkin

Yadkin County Chamber of Commerce, based in Yadkinville

Yadkin County government official website

Yadkin County Schools

Yadkin Valley Wineries and Vineyards
{{authority control Counties of Appalachia 1850 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1850