Davidson County, North Carolina

Not to be confused with Davidson, North Carolina.

Davidson County
County
Davidson County Courthouse in Lexington
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°48′N80°13′W / 35.80°N 80.21°W / 35.80; -80.21
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1822
Named for	William Lee Davidson
Seat	Lexington
Largest community	Thomasville
Area
• Total	567.70 sq mi (1,470.3 km2)
• Land	553.18 sq mi (1,432.7 km2)
• Water	14.52 sq mi (37.6 km2)  2.56%
Population  (2020)
• Total	168,930
• Estimate  (2023)	174,804
• Density	305.38/sq mi (117.91/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	8th
Website	www.co.davidson.nc.us

Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,930. ^[1] Its county seat is Lexington, ^[2] and its largest community is Thomasville.

Davidson County is included in the Winston-Salem, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC Combined Statistical Area.

Parts of Davidson County are in the Yadkin Valley AVA.

History

Old Davidson County Courthouse in Lexington

The original North Carolina county of this name was created in 1786 what was then the far western portion of North Carolina, with its county seat at Nashville and a territory covering most of what is now Middle Tennessee. When Tennessee was established as a separate state in 1796, this county became Davidson County, Tennessee.

The current North Carolina county was formed in 1822 from Rowan County. It was named after Brigadier General William Lee Davidson, an American Revolutionary War general killed at the Battle of Cowan's Ford on the Catawba River in 1781. ^{[3] [4]}

In 1911, a new county called Piedmont County was proposed, with High Point as its county seat, to be created from Guilford, Davidson and Randolph Counties. Many people appeared at the Guilford County courthouse to oppose the plan, vowing to go to the state legislature to protest. The state legislature voted down the plan in February 1911. ^{[5] [6]}

Geography

Interactive map of Davidson County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 567.70 square miles (1,470.3 km²), of which 553.18 square miles (1,432.7 km²) is land and 14.52 square miles (37.6 km²) (2.56%) is water. ^[7]

Davidson County is located entirely within the Piedmont region of central North Carolina. The Piedmont consists of gently rolling terrain frequently broken by hills or shallow valleys formed by rivers and streams. An exception to this terrain are the Uwharrie Mountains in the county's western and southwestern sections. The Uwharries are the oldest mountain range in North America, ^[8] and at one time they rose to nearly 20,000 feet (6,100 m) above sea level. However, time has worn them down to little more than high hills; yet due to the relative flatness of the surrounding countryside they still rise from 250 to 500 feet (150 m) above their base. The highest point in the Uwharries - and the highest point in Davidson County - is High Rock Mountain in the county's southwestern corner. It has an elevation of 1,119 feet (341 m) above sea level.

National protected area

• Uwharrie National Forest (part)

State and local protected areas

• Boone's Cave Park
• Lake Thom-A-Lex Park ^[9]
• Uwharrie Game Land (part) ^[10]
• Yadkin River Game Land (part) ^[10]

Major water bodies

• Abbotts Creek
• Badin Lake
• High Rock Lake
• Lake Thom-A-Lex ^[9]
• South Potts Creek ^[11]
• Tuckertown Reservoir
• Yadkin River

Adjacent counties

• Forsyth County – north
• Guilford County – northeast
• Randolph County – east
• Montgomery County – south
• Stanly County – southwest
• Rowan County – southwest
• Davie County – west

Major highways

• I-85
• I-285
• US 29
• US 52
• US 64
• US 70
• NC 8
• NC 47
• NC 49
• NC 62
• NC 68
• NC 109
• NC 150

Major infrastructure

• Davidson County Airport
• Lexington Station

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	13,389		—
1840	14,606		9.1%
1850	15,320		4.9%
1860	16,601		8.4%
1870	17,414		4.9%
1880	20,333		16.8%
1890	21,702		6.7%
1900	23,403		7.8%
1910	29,404		25.6%
1920	35,201		19.7%
1930	47,865		36.0%
1940	53,377		11.5%
1950	62,244		16.6%
1960	79,493		27.7%
1970	95,627		20.3%
1980	113,162		18.3%
1990	126,677		11.9%
2000	147,246		16.2%
2010	162,878		10.6%
2020	168,930		3.7%
2023 (est.)	174,804	[1]	3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [12] 1790–1960 [13] 1900–1990 [14] 1990–2000 [15] 2010 [16] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Davidson County racial composition ^[17]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	129,487	76.65%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	15,839	9.38%
Native American	665	0.39%
Asian	2,440	1.44%
Pacific Islander	43	0.03%
Other/Mixed	6,554	3.88%
Hispanic or Latino	13,902	8.23%

As of the 2020 census, there were 168,930 people, 69,938 households, and 49,037 families residing in the county.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, ^[18] there were 149,331 people, 58,156 households, and 42,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 267 people per square mile (103 people/km²). There were 62,432 housing units at an average density of 113 units per square mile (44 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.05% White, 11.14% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.66% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 3.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 58,156 households, out of which 32.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 10.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.30% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,640, and the median income for a family was $46,241. Males had a median income of $31,287 versus $23,622 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,703. About 7.00% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.30% of people under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Davidson County Governmental Center in Lexington

Davidson County was one of the first areas of North Carolina to turn Republican, doing so long before other areas of conservative white voters shifted away from the Democrats. No Democratic presidential nominee has carried the county since Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Thomas E. Dewey by a mere ten votes out of almost 19,000 in 1944. It was one of only 13 counties out of 100 in the state to vote for Barry Goldwater over Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and the last Democrat to garner even one-third of the county's vote was Jimmy Carter in 1980.

United States presidential election results for Davidson County, North Carolina ^{[19] [20]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	64,658	73.05%	22,636	25.57%	1,220	1.38%
2016	54,317	72.56%	18,109	24.19%	2,430	3.25%
2012	49,383	69.62%	20,624	29.07%	928	1.31%
2008	45,419	66.23%	22,433	32.71%	729	1.06%
2004	42,075	70.72%	17,191	28.89%	230	0.39%
2000	35,387	67.99%	16,199	31.12%	461	0.89%
1996	24,797	58.75%	13,593	32.21%	3,817	9.04%
1992	24,869	50.01%	16,462	33.11%	8,394	16.88%
1988	28,374	68.11%	13,215	31.72%	73	0.18%
1984	30,471	72.55%	11,469	27.31%	61	0.15%
1980	22,794	59.56%	14,579	38.10%	896	2.34%
1976	18,813	51.05%	17,859	48.46%	183	0.50%
1972	24,875	74.79%	7,691	23.12%	696	2.09%
1968	16,678	46.57%	7,594	21.20%	11,544	32.23%
1964	17,292	55.73%	13,735	44.27%	0	0.00%
1960	18,797	58.90%	13,118	41.10%	0	0.00%
1956	16,178	61.83%	9,987	38.17%	0	0.00%
1952	14,299	56.67%	10,931	43.33%	0	0.00%
1948	8,539	49.32%	7,991	46.15%	784	4.53%
1944	9,445	49.97%	9,455	50.03%	0	0.00%
1940	6,978	38.63%	11,084	61.37%	0	0.00%
1936	7,656	41.38%	10,844	58.62%	0	0.00%
1932	6,051	39.04%	9,292	59.95%	157	1.01%
1928	8,960	63.19%	5,220	36.81%	0	0.00%
1924	6,227	48.69%	6,507	50.88%	56	0.44%
1920	5,960	55.41%	4,797	44.59%	0	0.00%
1916	2,801	51.04%	2,675	48.74%	12	0.22%
1912	1,509	29.26%	2,484	48.16%	1,165	22.59%
1908	2,340	52.12%	2,126	47.35%	24	0.53%
1904	2,054	50.11%	2,017	49.21%	28	0.68%
1900	2,329	55.49%	1,823	43.44%	45	1.07%
1896	2,375	53.00%	2,072	46.24%	34	0.76%
1892	1,837	42.97%	1,928	45.10%	510	11.93%
1888	2,346	52.53%	2,023	45.30%	97	2.17%
1884	2,097	52.46%	1,900	47.54%	0	0.00%
1880	1,864	51.00%	1,781	48.73%	10	0.27%

Davidson County is a member of the regional Piedmont Triad Council of Governments.

Davidson County gained national attention when Gerald Hege, Sheriff from 1994 to 2003, became a minor celebrity for his unconventional prisoner treatment methods.

County Commissioners

Office [21]	Holder	Party	Term expires
County Commissioner (chair)	Todd Yates	Republican	2024
County Commissioner (vice-chair)	James Shores	Republican	2024
County Commissioner	Chris Elliott	Republican	2026
County Commissioner	Fred McClure	Republican	2024
County Commissioner	Matt Mizell	Republican	2026
County Commissioner	Steve Shell	Republican	2026
County Commissioner	Karen Watford	Republican	2026

Education

Davidson County is served by Davidson County Schools; however, the cities of Thomasville and Lexington have their own school districts. Davidson County Schools is one of the county's largest employers.

Davidson County is also served by Davidson-Davie Community College, a comprehensive community college that is a member school of the North Carolina Community College System. Davidson-Davie Community College was chartered in 1958 as an Industrial Education Center designed to provide adults with the education and skills needed to move from an agricultural to a manufacturing-based economy.

In 1965, the institution was chartered as Davidson County Community College. The Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees were added to the existing Associate in Applied Science degree, Diploma, and Certificate programs. University transfer courses were added in 1966. In 1997, the college participated in the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) that allows college transfer students to move easily to the 16 UNC schools, as well as many independent college and universities. Presently the Davidson Campus has grown to 11 buildings and two emergency services training facilities on approximately 97 acres (390,000 m²).

Attractions

Arts United of Davidson County

Festivals

One of the county's most famous attractions is the yearly Lexington Barbecue Festival, held in the city of Lexington during the month of October, bringing in over 100,000 visitors from all over the southeastern U.S. There is also a yearly Davidson County Agriculture Fair held in September. Thomasville hosts an annual "Everybody's Day Festival", ^[22] the longest running festival in the state. The "Southeastern Old Threshers Reunion" ^[23] is held every year at the Denton Farmpark.

Landmarks

There are many year-long attractions in Davidson County. Some of which include Historic Uptown Lexington, which consists of the Davidson County Historical Museum located in the old courthouse. Alongside the Yadkin River sits Boone's Cave Park where according to legend, a young Daniel Boone and his family once lived. Other attractions include Denton Farm Park, Walter Johnson Camp and Conference Center, and the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The historic Wil-Cox Bridge spanning the Yadkin River has been preserved for pedestrian traffic and is now part of the Yadkin River Park. The Big Chair in Thomasville is also a major landmark.

Art

Pigs on Parade during the Lexington Barbecue Festival

Pigs in the City is an art initiative held each summer in Lexington, and attracts tens of thousands of visitors.

In 2005, Davidson County Community College and the City of Thomasville formed a partnership for the creation of the Thomasville Artisan Center. This art studio allowed the college to reinvigorate its Associate in Fine Arts Degree and offer both university transfer classes as well as adult community interest classes in painting, drawing, and sculpting. The Artisan Center is part of the college's Thomasville Education Center complex which is part of the college's outreach to the community. The college has a second campus in Davie County in the city of Mocksville, as well as the Uptown Lexington Education Center, located within a few blocks of the Arts Center of Davidson County and the historic Court House.

Barbecue

One of the two major styles of North Carolina barbecue originated in Lexington, the county seat and home to the annual Lexington Barbecue Festival. Therefore, many Lexington-style barbecue restaurants are found throughout the county.

Richard Childress

Davidson County is home to many supporting race fans and the famous Richard Childress. It includes his personal Childress Vineyards and Richard Childress Racing Museum.

The Big Chair

Davidson County is also known for its oversized chair, "The Big Chair." This chair is located in central Thomasville and is a symbol of Davidson County's furniture industry.

High Rock Lake

Main article: High Rock Lake

High Rock Lake

High Rock Lake is the northernmost of the Uwharrie Lakes and the second largest lake in North Carolina behind Lake Norman. Its water surface covers 15,180 acres (61.4 km²) and there are 365 miles (587 km) of shoreline. It begins at the confluence of the Yadkin River and the South Yadkin River. It has been the host of the Bassmaster Classic in 1994, 1995 and 1998. ^[24] and is the site of frequent other local angling competitions. Lexington is just north of the Abbotts Creek section of the lake.

Communities

Map of Davidson County with municipal and township labels

Cities

• High Point (part)
• Lexington (county seat)
• Thomasville (largest community)

Towns

• Denton
• Midway
• Wallburg

Townships

• Abbotts Creek
• Alleghany
• Arcadia
• Boone
• Conrad Hill
• Cotton Grove
• Emmons
• Hampton
• Healing Spring
• Jackson Hill
• Lexington
• Midway
• Reedy Creek
• Silver Hill
• Thomasville
• Tyro
• Yadkin College

Census-designated places

• Southmont
• Tyro
• Welcome
• Yadkin College

Unincorporated communities

• Arcadia
• Churchland
• Gordontown
• Holly Grove
• Reeds
• Silver Hill
• Silver Valley

Notable people

• Nia Franklin, Miss America 2019
• Wilmer "Vinegar Bend" Mizell, Professional Baseball player for the Pirates and Cardinals, and a Congressman who served three terms. (1930–1999)
• Max Lanier and son Hal Lanier, both Major League Baseball players are from Denton. ^[25]
• Eddie Mathews, Hall of Fame baseball player, played for Thomasville in 1949 before going
• Perry Tuttle, Former NFL & CFL wide receiver.
• Shy Tuttle, Defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Davidson County, North Carolina

References

1. "QuickFacts: Davidson County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Davidson County Genealogy". North Carolina Genealogy. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  101.
5. Jack Scism, "Remember When?", Greensboro News & Record, January 23, 2011.
6. Jack Scism, "Remember When?", Greensboro News & Record, February 6, 2011.
7. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
8. Hunter, Earl. "Uwharrie National Forest - North Carolina". Black Folks Camp Too. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
9. "Lake Thom-A-Lex Park". Davidson County, NC. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
10. "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
11. "South Potts Creek (in Davidson County, NC)". northcarolina.hometownlocator.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
14. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
15. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
16. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
17. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
18. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
20. "Géographie électorale". geoelections.free.fr. Archived from the original on November 18, 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
21. "County Commissioners". www.co.davidson.nc.us. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
22. "Everybody's Day | Thomasville, North Carolina Chamber of Commerce". www.everybodysday.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
23. "Farmpark".
24. Camping in Piedmont, North Carolina Archived February 14, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
25. "Max Lanier History and Photos".

External links

• Geographic data related to Davidson County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website