List of counties in North Carolina
| Counties of North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 
|
|
| Location | State of North Carolina |
| Number | 100 |
| Populations | 4,364 (Tyrrell) – 1,012,539 (Mecklenburg) |
| Areas | 221 square miles (570 km2) (Clay) – 1,562 square miles (4,050 km2) (Dare) |
| Government | County government |
| Subdivisions | cities, towns, townships, unincorporated communities, census designated place |
The U.S. state of North Carolina is divided into 100 counties. North Carolina ranks 29th in size by area, but has the seventh-highest number of counties in the country.
Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, King Charles II rewarded eight persons on March 24, 1663, for their faithful support of his efforts to regain the throne of England. He gave the eight grantees, called Lords Proprietor, the land called Carolina, in honor of King Charles I, his father. The Province of Carolina, from 1663 to 1729, was a North American English (1663-1707), then British (from 1707 union with Scotland) colony. In 1729, the Province of North Carolina became a separate entity from the Province of South Carolina.
The establishment of North Carolina counties stretches over 240 years, beginning in 1668 with the creation of Albemarle County and ending with the 1911 creation of Avery and Hoke counties. Five counties have been divided or abolished altogether, the last being Dobbs County in 1791.
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify states and counties, is provided with each entry. North Carolina's FIPS code is 37, which when combined with the county code is written as 37XXX.
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