County · code 37149
Polk CountyNorth Carolina
Polk County is a county in North Carolina with its seat in Columbus. The county was formed in 1847 and named after William Polk.
- Founded1847
- County seatColumbus
- Named forWilliam Polk
- Land area238 sq mi + 0.8 sq mi water
- Population19,328 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped3,309 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Polk 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 1847 from Henderson County and Rutherford County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Polk County was created on January 18, 1847, from Henderson and Rutherford counties. The state legislature repealed the county's creation in 1849, and all its territory returned to Henderson and Rutherford. Polk County was re-created on January 20, 1855, from the same two counties with the same boundaries as the original 1847 creation. In 1911, Polk County gained additional territory from Henderson County.
- 1847Polk County created Polk created from Henderson and Rutherford. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1846-1847, ch. 26, sec. 1/pp. 80-81
- 1849Changed Creation of Polk repealed by state legislature. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1848-1849, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 50-51
- 1849Eliminated Polk eliminated when it lost all territory to Henderson and Rutherford following repeal of Polk's creation by state legislature. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1848-1849, ch. 19, secs. 1-2/pp. 51-55
- 1855Polk County created Polk re-created from Henderson and Rutherford (with same boundaries as 1847). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1854-1855, pub., ch. 10, sec. 1/pp. 26-27
- 1911Gained territory Polk gained from Henderson. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1911, pub., ch. 27, sec. 1/p. 59
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Polk
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 3,309 parcels from Polk County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 28 April 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 14,837 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
Polk 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.
Permits
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Polk County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Polk 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 Polk County
- When was Polk County founded?
- Polk County was founded in 1847, formed from Henderson County and Rutherford County, and named after William Polk.
- What is the county seat of Polk County?
- The county seat of Polk County is Columbus.
- Is there an online parcel map for Polk County?
- Yes. Polk County publishes a parcel map of 3,309 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Polk County's boundary or name changed?
- Polk County was created in 1847 from Henderson County and Rutherford County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Henderson County and Rutherford County.
- Who issues building permits in Polk County?
- The county's page on building permits: Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Polk County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby