County · code 37189
Watauga CountyNorth Carolina
Watauga County is a county in North Carolina with its seat in Boone, formed on January 27, 1849. The county was named after the Watauga River.
- Founded1849
- County seatBoone
- Named forWatauga River, North Carolina and Tennessee
- Land area312 sq mi + 0.9 sq mi water
- Population54,086 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped50,791 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Watauga 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 1849 from Ashe County, Caldwell County, Wilkes County and Yancey County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Watauga County was created from Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Yancey counties on January 27, 1849. In 1861, Watauga County lost territory to the creation of Mitchell County, and in 1911, it lost more territory to the creation of Avery County. Over time, Watauga County gained small areas from neighboring counties including Wilkes, Caldwell, and Ashe.
- 1849Watauga County created Watauga created from Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Yancey. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1848-1849, ch. 25, sec. 1/pp. 66-67
- 1861Lost territory Watauga lost to creation of Mitchell. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1860-1861, pub., ch. 8, sec. 1/p. 14
- 1869Gained territory Watauga gained small area from Wilkes. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1868-1869, pub., ch. 218, sec. 1/p. 565
- 1871Gained territory Watauga gained small area from Caldwell. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1870-1871, pub., ch. 202, sec. 1/p. 319
- 1911Lost territory Watauga lost to creation of Avery. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1911, pub., ch. 33, secs. 1, 15/pp. 62-69
Show all 9 changes
- 1849Watauga County created Watauga created from Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Yancey. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1848-1849, ch. 25, sec. 1/pp. 66-67
- 1861Lost territory Watauga lost to creation of Mitchell. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1860-1861, pub., ch. 8, sec. 1/p. 14
- 1869Gained territory Watauga gained small area from Wilkes. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1868-1869, pub., ch. 218, sec. 1/p. 565
- 1871Gained territory Watauga gained small area from Caldwell. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1870-1871, pub., ch. 202, sec. 1/p. 319
- 1877Gained territory Watauga gained small area from Ashe and Wilkes. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1876-1877, pub., ch. 167, secs. 1-2/pp. 341-342
- 1911Lost territory Watauga lost to creation of Avery. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1911, pub., ch. 33, secs. 1, 15/pp. 62-69
- 1915Gained territory Watauga gained small area from Ashe. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1915, pub., ch. 34, sec. 1/p. 58
- 1924Changed Boundary between Watauga and Caldwell defined (no change). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1924, ext. sess., pub., ch. 36, sec. 1/pp. 81-82
- 1925Changed Boundary between Watauga and Caldwell defined (no change). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1925, pub.-loc., ch. 520, sec. 1/pp. 627-629
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Watauga
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 50,791 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 29,009 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
Watauga 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
- Assessor and property records
Contact Info
- Clerk of court: deeds and plats
Contact Info
Zoning and code
- Planning and zoning
Contact Info
County government
- County government
The official website of Watauga County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Watauga 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 Watauga County
- When was Watauga County founded?
- Watauga County was founded in 1849, formed from Ashe County, Caldwell County, Wilkes County and Yancey County, and named after Watauga River, North Carolina and Tennessee.
- What is the county seat of Watauga County?
- The county seat of Watauga County is Boone.
- Is there an online parcel map for Watauga County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 50,791 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Watauga County's boundary or name changed?
- Watauga County was created in 1849 from Ashe County, Caldwell County, Wilkes County and Yancey County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Ashe County, Wilkes County and Avery County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Watauga County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby