County · code 37035
Catawba CountyNorth Carolina
Catawba County is a county in North Carolina with its seat in Newton. The county was established in 1843 from Lincoln County and was named after the Catawba people.
- Founded1843
- County seatNewton
- Named forCatawba people
- Land area401 sq mi + 15 sq mi water
- Population160,610 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped91,048 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Catawba on the map of North Carolina
North Carolina has 100 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1843 from Lincoln County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Catawba County was created from Lincoln County on January 14, 1843. On December 21, 1846, the county lost territory back to Lincoln County.
- 1843Catawba County created Catawba created from Lincoln. · (N.C. Sess. Laws 1842-1843, pub., ch. 8, secs. 1, 4/pp. 8-9, and ch. 9, sec. 13/p. 13).
- 1846Lost territory Catawba lost to Lincoln. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1846-1847, ch. 24, secs. 1-2/p. 73
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Catawba
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 91,048 parcels from Catawba County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 15 April 2025 · checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 105,381 in all from NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA, NC Dept of Information Technology) for NC OneMap, with the North Carolina 911 Board (AddressNC program).
checked 14 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Catawba by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Records
- Clerk of court: deeds and plats
Contact Us
Permits
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Catawba County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Catawba County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Catawba County
- When was Catawba County founded?
- Catawba County was founded in 1843, formed from Lincoln County, and named after Catawba people.
- What is the county seat of Catawba County?
- The county seat of Catawba County is Newton.
- Is there an online parcel map for Catawba County?
- Yes. Catawba County publishes a parcel map of 91,048 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Catawba County's boundary or name changed?
- Catawba County was created in 1843 from Lincoln County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change, chiefly involving Lincoln County.
- Who issues building permits in Catawba County?
- The county's page on building permits: Gun Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Catawba County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Catawba County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby