County · code 37191
Wayne CountyNorth Carolina
Wayne County is a county in North Carolina with its seat in Goldsboro. It was created in 1779 and named after Anthony Wayne.
- Founded1779
- County seatGoldsboro
- Named forAnthony Wayne
- Land area554 sq mi + 3.8 sq mi water
- Population117,333 2020 Census
Where it is
Wayne 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 1779 from Dobbs County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Wayne County was created from Dobbs County in 1779. In 1794, Wayne gained territory from Glasgow, which later became Greene County. The county lost land in 1855 when Wilson County was created, but gained a small area back from Wilson in 1859.
- 1779Wayne County created Wayne created from Dobbs (extinct).from Dobbs· N.C. Recs., ch. 17, secs. 1-2/24:290-292
- 1794Gained territory Wayne gained from Glasgow (now Greene).from Glasgowfrom Greene· N.C. Sess. Laws 1793, ch. 30, sec. 1/p. 49
- 1832Changed Boundary between Wayne and Duplin defined (no change). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1831, ch. 101, secs. 1-2/p. 87; N.C. Sess. Laws 1833, ch. 86, secs. 1-3/pp. 147-148
- 1855Lost territory Wayne lost to creation of Wilson. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1854-1855, pub., ch. 12, sec. 1/pp. 30-31
- 1859Gained territory Wayne gained small area from Wilson. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1858-1859, priv., ch. 102, sec. 1/p. 94
Show all 8 changes
- 1779Wayne County created Wayne created from Dobbs (extinct).from Dobbs· N.C. Recs., ch. 17, secs. 1-2/24:290-292
- 1794Gained territory Wayne gained from Glasgow (now Greene).from Glasgowfrom Greene· N.C. Sess. Laws 1793, ch. 30, sec. 1/p. 49
- 1832Changed Boundary between Wayne and Duplin defined (no change). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1831, ch. 101, secs. 1-2/p. 87; N.C. Sess. Laws 1833, ch. 86, secs. 1-3/pp. 147-148
- 1855Lost territory Wayne lost to creation of Wilson. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1854-1855, pub., ch. 12, sec. 1/pp. 30-31
- 1859Gained territory Wayne gained small area from Wilson. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1858-1859, priv., ch. 102, sec. 1/p. 94
- 1861Changed Boundary between Wayne and Greene defined (no change). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1860-1861, priv., ch. 76, sec. 1/pp. 48-49
- 1872Changed Boundary between Wayne and Greene defined (no change). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1871-1872, pub., ch. 84, sec. 1/pp. 134-135
- 1883Changed Boundary between Wayne and Duplin defined (no change). · N.C. Sess. Laws 1883, pub., ch. 335, sec. 1/pp. 506-507
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Wayne
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Missing
No public parcel map found for Wayne County yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the assessor's office.
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Address points Official
One point per address, 71,079 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
Wayne 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
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Wayne County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Wayne 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 Wayne County
- When was Wayne County founded?
- Wayne County was founded in 1779, formed from Dobbs County, and named after Anthony Wayne.
- What is the county seat of Wayne County?
- The county seat of Wayne County is Goldsboro.
- Is there an online parcel map for Wayne County?
- Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
- Has Wayne County's boundary or name changed?
- Wayne County was created in 1779 from Dobbs County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Wilson County, Glasgow County and Greene County.
- Who issues building permits in Wayne County?
- The county's page on building permits: Permit Application Forms. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Wayne County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby