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County · code 37099

Jackson CountyNorth Carolina

Jackson County is a county in western North Carolina with its seat in Sylva. It was formed in 1851 from parts of Haywood and Macon counties and named after Andrew Jackson.

  • Founded1851
  • County seatSylva
  • Named forAndrew Jackson
  • Land area491 sq mi + 3.8 sq mi water
  • Population43,109 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped41,288 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Jackson County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

HaywoodMaconTransylvaniaSwainRabun, GAOconee, SC Sylva Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Jackson 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.

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Counties of North Carolina · Jackson highlighted

History

Formed in 1851 from Haywood County and Macon County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Jackson County was created on January 29, 1851, from Haywood and Macon counties. Over the following decades, parts of Jackson County were lost to the creation of other counties: Transylvania in 1861, Swain in 1871, and additional area to Swain in 1887.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1851
    Jackson County created Jackson created from Haywood and Macon.
    from Haywoodfrom Macon
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1850-1851, ch. 38, sec. 1/pp. 97-98
  2. 1861
    Lost territory Jackson lost to creation of Transylvania.
    to Transylvania
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1860-1861, pub., ch. 10, sec. 1/p. 19
  3. 1861
    Lost territory Jackson lost to Macon.
    to Macon
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1861, 2d ext. sess., priv., ch. 72, sec. 1/p. 118
  4. 1863
    Lost territory Jackson lost to Transylvania.
    to Transylvania
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1862-1863, priv., ch. 4, secs. 1, 5/pp. 6-7
  5. 1871
    Lost territory Jackson lost to creation of Swain.
    to Swain
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1870-1871, pub., ch. 94, sec. 1/pp. 155-156
  6. 1887
    Lost territory Jackson lost small area to Swain.
    to Swain
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1887, pub., ch. 180, sec. 1/ pp. 405-406

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Jackson

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

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

Jackson by the Census

Population
43,109 2020 Census count
Housing units
26,649 2020 Census count
Land area
491 square miles
Water area
3.8 square miles
People per sq mi
88 population ÷ land area

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

Permits

Zoning and code

GIS and maps

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Jackson 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.

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Questions

Common questions about Jackson County

When was Jackson County founded?
Jackson County was founded in 1851, formed from Haywood County and Macon County, and named after Andrew Jackson.
What is the county seat of Jackson County?
The county seat of Jackson County is Sylva.
Is there an online parcel map for Jackson County?
Yes. Jackson County publishes a parcel map of 41,288 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Jackson County's boundary or name changed?
Jackson County was created in 1851 from Haywood County and Macon County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 later changes, chiefly involving Swain County, Transylvania County and Macon County.
Who issues building permits in Jackson County?
The county's page on building permits: Food Service Plan Reviews & Permits page. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Jackson County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Board of Health.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Jackson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door