Rowan County, North Carolina
| Rowan County, North Carolina | ||
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Rowan County courthouse
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 Location in the U.S. state of North Carolina |
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 North Carolina's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1753 | |
| Named for | Matthew Rowan | |
| Seat | Salisbury | |
| Largest city | Salisbury | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 524 sq mi (1,357 km2) | |
| • Land | 511 sq mi (1,323 km2) | |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (31 km2), 2.4% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 139,142 | |
| • Density | 271/sq mi (105/km²) | |
| Congressional districts | 8th, 13th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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Rowan County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 138,428. Its county seat is Salisbury. Rowan County is included in the Charlotte metropolitan area.
The first Europeans to enter what is now Rowan County came with the Spanish expedition of Juan Pardo in 1567. They established a fort and a mission in the native village of Guatari, believed to be located near the Yadkin River and inhabited by the Wateree. At the time, the area was ruled by a female chief the Spaniards called Guatari Mico. The Spaniards called the village Salamanca in honor of the city of Salamanca in western Spain, and established a mission, headed by a secular priest named Sebastián Montero. The Spaniards abandoned the area at some point before 1572.
The county was formed in 1753 from the northern part of Anson County. It was named for Matthew Rowan, acting governor of North Carolina from 1753 to 1754. It was intended to incorporate all of the lands of the Granville District that had heretofore been included in Anson County.
Originally, Rowan County was a vast territory with an indefinite western boundary. Reductions in its extent began in 1770, when the eastern part of it was combined with the western part of Orange County to become Guilford County, North Carolina. In 1771 the northeastern part of what remained of Rowan County became Surry County. In 1777 the western part of Rowan County became Burke County. In 1788 the western part of the now much smaller Rowan County became Iredell County. In 1822 the eastern part of the still shrinking county became Davidson County. Finally, in 1836 the part of Rowan County north of the South Yadkin River became Davie County.
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