Polk County, North Carolina

Polk County, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse
Location in the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location in the U.S.
Founded	1855
Named for	Colonel William Polk
Seat	Columbus
Largest town	Tryon
Area
• Total	239 sq mi (619 km2)
• Land	238 sq mi (616 km2)
• Water	0.7 sq mi (2 km2), 0.3%
Population
• (2010)	20,510
• Density	86/sq mi (33/km²)
Congressional district	10th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.polknc.org

Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,510. Its county seat is Columbus. The county was formed in 1855 from parts of Henderson County and Rutherford County. It was named for William Polk, a colonel in the American Revolutionary War. The Tryon International Equestrian Center, close to the community of Mill Spring will be the location of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 239 square miles (620 km²), of which 238 square miles (620 km²) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²) (0.3%) is water. It is the fifth-smallest county in North Carolina by total area.

The county's largest body of water is Lake Adger, located about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Columbus. Lake Adger is a reservoir formed by the damming of the Green River, which flows from west to east across the county. The northern extent of the river's watershed forms the northern border of the county.

The elevation in the county ranges from just under 800 feet (240 m) near the confluence of the Green River and Broad River to over 3,200 feet (980 m) on Tryon Peak and Wildcat Spur, the highest peak in the county. Polk County is divided into two physiographic regions; the Blue Ridge Mountains in the western third of the county and Piedmont for the eastern two-thirds. Since it is in a transition zone between the two regions, Polk County is often referred to as being in the foothills.