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County · code 37159

Rowan CountyNorth Carolina

Rowan County is in North Carolina with its seat in Salisbury. The county was created on March 27, 1753, from Anson and Orange counties and named after Matthew Rowan.

  • Founded1753
  • County seatSalisbury
  • Named forMatthew Rowan
  • Land area512 sq mi + 12 sq mi water
  • Population146,875 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped83,856 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Rowan County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

CabarrusDavieDavidsonIredellStanlyMontgomery Salisbury Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Rowan 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.

Alamance CountyAlexander CountyAlleghany CountyAnson CountyAshe CountyAvery CountyBeaufort CountyBertie CountyBladen CountyBrunswick CountyBuncombe CountyBurke CountyCabarrus CountyCaldwell CountyCamden CountyCarteret CountyCaswell CountyCatawba CountyChatham CountyCherokee CountyChowan CountyClay CountyCleveland CountyColumbus CountyCraven CountyCumberland CountyCurrituck CountyDare CountyDavidson CountyDavie CountyDuplin CountyDurham CountyEdgecombe CountyForsyth CountyFranklin CountyGaston CountyGates CountyGraham CountyGranville CountyGreene CountyGuilford CountyHalifax CountyHarnett CountyHaywood CountyHenderson CountyHertford CountyHoke CountyHyde CountyIredell CountyJackson CountyJohnston CountyJones CountyLee CountyLenoir CountyLincoln CountyMcDowell CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMartin CountyMecklenburg CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyNash CountyNew Hanover CountyNorthampton CountyOnslow CountyOrange CountyPamlico CountyPasquotank CountyPender CountyPerquimans CountyPerson CountyPitt CountyPolk CountyRandolph CountyRichmond CountyRobeson CountyRockingham CountyRutherford CountySampson CountyScotland CountyStanly CountyStokes CountySurry CountySwain CountyTransylvania CountyTyrrell CountyUnion CountyVance CountyWake CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWatauga CountyWayne CountyWilkes CountyWilson CountyYadkin CountyYancey CountyRowan County Rowan
Counties of North Carolina · Rowan highlighted

History

Formed in 1753 from Anson County and Orange County

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

When Rowan County was created in 1753, its western boundary was indefinite, but the legislature repeated the order later that year because it conflicted with Crown Instructions. Over the following decades, Rowan County lost territory to the creation of Guilford, Surry, Burke, Iredell, Davidson, and Davie counties, and exchanged land with Surry.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1753
    Rowan County created Rowan created from Anson, Orange and unorganized territory; western boundary limit was indefinite.
    from Ansonfrom Orange
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 7, secs. 1-2/23:390
  2. c. 1756
    Rowan County created Rowan re-created by the legislature with the boundaries it had at repeal earlier in the month. · N.C. Recs., ch. 22, secs. 1-2/23:470-471
  3. 1771
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Surry; western boundary limit remained indefinite.
    to Surry
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 42, secs. 1-2/23:844-846
  4. 1773
    Lost territory Rowan lost to Surry; western boundary limit remained indefinite.
    to Surry
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 6, secs. 1-2/23:906-907
  5. 1777
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Burke.
    to Burke
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 19, secs. 1-2/24:28-30
Show all 11 changes (6 more)
  1. 1753
    Rowan County created Rowan created from Anson, Orange and unorganized territory; western boundary limit was indefinite.
    from Ansonfrom Orange
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 7, secs. 1-2/23:390
  2. c. 1756
    Changed Creation of Rowan repealed by legislature as being inconsistent with the Crown Instructions of 1 July 1755. · N.C. Recs., ch. 9, sec. 5/23:446-447
  3. c. 1756
    Rowan County created Rowan re-created by the legislature with the boundaries it had at repeal earlier in the month. · N.C. Recs., ch. 22, secs. 1-2/23:470-471
  4. 1771
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Guilford; Rowan's boundaries with Mecklenburg and Tryon (extinct) clarified (no change).
    to Guilfordto Mecklenburgto Tryon
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 24, secs. 1-2/23:823-826; ch. 39, secs. 1-2/23:841-842
  5. 1771
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Surry; western boundary limit remained indefinite.
    to Surry
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 42, secs. 1-2/23:844-846
  6. 1773
    Lost territory Rowan lost to Surry; western boundary limit remained indefinite.
    to Surry
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 6, secs. 1-2/23:906-907
  7. 1777
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Burke.
    to Burke
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 19, secs. 1-2/24:28-30
  8. 1788
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Iredell.
    to Iredell
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 36, sec. 1/24:980-982
  9. 1822
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Davidson.
    to Davidson
    · Corbitt, 87; Sink and Matthews, 34-35, 399-400
  10. 1835
    Lost territory Rowan lost to Davidson, exchanged with Surry.
    to Davidsonto Surry
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1834, ch. 60, sec. 1/p. 50; N.C. Sess. Laws 1835, ch. 82, sec. 1/pp. 82-83
  11. 1836
    Lost territory Rowan lost to creation of Davie.
    to Davie
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1836-1837, ch. 4, secs. 1, 13/pp.22-25

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Rowan

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

Rowan by the Census

Population
146,875 2020 Census count
Housing units
63,200 2020 Census count
Land area
512 square miles
Water area
12 square miles
People per sq mi
287 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 Rowan 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 Rowan County

When was Rowan County founded?
Rowan County was founded in 1753, formed from Anson County and Orange County, and named after Matthew Rowan.
What is the county seat of Rowan County?
The county seat of Rowan County is Salisbury.
Is there an online parcel map for Rowan County?
Yes. Rowan County publishes a parcel map of 83,856 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Rowan County's boundary or name changed?
Rowan County was created in 1753 from Anson County and Orange County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 9 later changes, chiefly involving Surry County, Davidson County and Burke County.
Who issues building permits in Rowan County?
The county's page on building permits: Sheriff&#39s Office - Handgun Permit Information. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Rowan County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Contact Environmental Management.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Rowan 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