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County · code 37193

Wilkes CountyNorth Carolina

Wilkes County, North Carolina is a county of 753.7 square miles with its seat in Wilkesboro. It was created on February 15, 1778, from Surry County and named after John Wilkes.

  • Founded1778
  • County seatWilkesboro
  • Named forJohn Wilkes
  • Land area754 sq mi + 2.7 sq mi water
  • Population65,969 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped9,460 checked 15 October 2026
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Updated

AlexanderAlleghanyAsheCaldwellIredellYadkinSurryWatauga Wilkesboro Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Wilkes 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 CountyRowan CountyRutherford CountySampson CountyScotland CountyStanly CountyStokes CountySurry CountySwain CountyTransylvania CountyTyrrell CountyUnion CountyVance CountyWake CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWatauga CountyWayne CountyWilson CountyYadkin CountyYancey CountyWilkes County Wilkes
Counties of North Carolina · Wilkes highlighted

History

Formed in 1778 from Surry County

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

Wilkes County was formed from Surry County and unorganized territory in 1778. Over the following decades, the county gained and lost territory through boundary adjustments with neighboring counties including Burke, Iredell, Surry, Ashe, Caldwell, Alexander, and Watauga.

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

  1. 1778
    Wilkes County created Wilkes created from Surry and unorganized territory.
    from Surry
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 32, secs. 1-2/24:142-144
  2. c. 1785
    Wilkes County created The First General Assembly of the State of Franklin convened in Jonesborough, Tenn., and recognized the three existing North Carolina counties located in eastern Tennessee and created four new counties; the text of the acts is not extant and the precise boundaries of the counties are unknown. North Carolina did not recognize the legitimacy of these counties and sought to regain control of the area. Wayne (State of Franklin) created from Washington (Tennessee) and Wilkes in the vicinity of present Carter (Tennessee) and Johnson (Tennessee)
    from Waynefrom Washington (Tenn.)from Carter (Tenn.)from Johnson (Tenn.)
    · Jordan, "Evolution . . . Hawkins and Sumner," 4-5, 8; Ramsey, 293-295; Williams, Lost State of Franklin, 55-58
  3. 1789
    Gained territory Wilkes gained from Burke.
    from Burke
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 43, sec. 1/25:43
  4. 1792
    Gained territory Wilkes gained Non-County Area 5, the remnant of Washington (Tennessee) remaining in present North Carolina after North Carolina's cession of western lands to Congress in 1790; Wilkes lost to Surry.
    from Washington (Tenn.)from Surry
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1792, ch. 32, sec. 1/p. 33; ch. 43, sec. 3/p. 33
  5. 1794
    Lost territory Wilkes lost to Iredell.
    to Iredell
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1793, ch. 31, sec. 1/p. 49
Show all 44 changes (39 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1778
    Wilkes County created Wilkes created from Surry and unorganized territory.
    from Surry
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 32, secs. 1-2/24:142-144
  2. c. 1785
    Wilkes County created The First General Assembly of the State of Franklin convened in Jonesborough, Tenn., and recognized the three existing North Carolina counties located in eastern Tennessee and created four new counties; the text of the acts is not extant and the precise boundaries of the counties are unknown. North Carolina did not recognize the legitimacy of these counties and sought to regain control of the area. Wayne (State of Franklin) created from Washington (Tennessee) and Wilkes in the vicinity of present Carter (Tennessee) and Johnson (Tennessee)
    from Waynefrom Washington (Tenn.)from Carter (Tenn.)from Johnson (Tenn.)
    · Jordan, "Evolution . . . Hawkins and Sumner," 4-5, 8; Ramsey, 293-295; Williams, Lost State of Franklin, 55-58
  3. 1789
    Gained territory Wilkes gained from Burke.
    from Burke
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 43, sec. 1/25:43
  4. 1792
    Gained territory Wilkes gained Non-County Area 5, the remnant of Washington (Tennessee) remaining in present North Carolina after North Carolina's cession of western lands to Congress in 1790; Wilkes lost to Surry.
    from Washington (Tenn.)from Surry
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1792, ch. 32, sec. 1/p. 33; ch. 43, sec. 3/p. 33
  5. 1794
    Lost territory Wilkes lost to Iredell.
    to Iredell
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1793, ch. 31, sec. 1/p. 49
  6. 1799
    Lost territory Wilkes lost to creation of Ashe.
    to Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1799, ch. 36, secs. 1, 9-10/p. 146, and ch.37, sec. 1/p. 146
  7. 1815
    Gained territory Wilkes gained from Iredell.
    from Iredell
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1815, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 19-20
  8. 1818
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Burke defined (no change).
    Burke
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1818, ch. 139, sec. 1/p. 110
  9. 1835
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Ashe.
    to Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1835, ch. 81, secs. 1-2/p. 82
  10. 1841
    Gained territory Wilkes gained small area from Iredell, lost to creation of Caldwell.
    from Iredellfrom Caldwell
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1840-1841, priv., ch. 41, sec. 1/p. 158; pub., ch. 11, secs. 1-2/pp. 31-32
  11. 1847
    Lost territory Wilkes lost to creation of Alexander.
    to Alexander
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1846-1847, ch. 22, secs. 1,6/pp. 62-66, and ch. 23, sec. 18/ p. 72
  12. 1849
    Lost territory Wilkes lost to creation of Watauga.
    to Watauga
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1848-1849, ch. 25, sec. 1/pp. 66-67
  13. 1852
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Alexander to accommodate local property owners.
    to Alexander
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1852-1853, ch. 33, sec. 1/pp. 84-85
  14. 1857
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Caldwell.
    to Caldwell
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1856-1857, priv., ch. 48, sec. 1/pp. 19-20
  15. 1869
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Watauga.
    to Watauga
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1868-1869, pub., ch. 218, sec. 1/p. 565
  16. 1869
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Alleghany.
    to Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1869-1870, pub., ch. 6, sec. 1/p. 48
  17. 1871
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Alleghany.
    to Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1870-1871, pub., ch. 125, sec. 1/p. 193
  18. 1877
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Ashe to accommodate local property owners.
    to Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1876-1877, pub., ch. 153, sec. 1/p. 249
  19. 1877
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small areas to Ashe and Watauga to accommodate local property owners.
    to Asheto Watauga
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1876-1877, pub., ch. 167, secs. 1-2/pp. 341-342
  20. 1879
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Ashe.
    to Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1879, pub., ch. 295, sec. 1/p. 472; N.C. Sess. Laws 1895, pub., ch. 24, sec. 1/p. 47
  21. 1883
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Caldwell.
    to Caldwell
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1883, pub., ch. 244, secs. 1-4/pp.403-404
  22. 1885
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Ashe (between Mulberry and Phillips Gaps) adjusted to accommodate local property owners.
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1885, pub., ch. 109, sec. 1/p. 160
  23. 1887
    Changed Act of 21 February 1885, adjusting boundary between Wilkes and Ashe, repealed.
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1887, pub., ch. 177, sec. 1/pp. 401-402
  24. 1891
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Alleghany.
    to Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1891, pub., ch. 166, sec. 1/p. 153; N.C. Sess. Laws 1911, pub., ch. 30, sec. 1/p. 61
  25. 1891
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Ashe to accommodate local property owners.
    to Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1891, pub., ch. 572, sec. 1/pp. 622-623
  26. 1895
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Ashe defined (no change).
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1895, pub., ch. 341, sec. 1/p. 398
  27. 1899
    Gained territory Wilkes gained small area from Alleghany.
    from Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1899, pub., ch. 567, sec. 1/p. 763
  28. 1901
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Ashe "restored" to the "old boundary line" along main ridge of Blue Ridge Mountains (no change).
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1901, pub., ch. 714, sec. 1/p. 938
  29. 1903
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Alleghany to accommodate local property owner.
    to Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1903, pub., ch. 389, sec. 1/pp. 657-658
  30. 1905
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Alleghany to accommodate local property owners.
    to Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1905, pub., ch. 668, sec. 1/p. 819
  31. 1907
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Ashe (in vicinity of Cross and Rattlesnake Mountains) adjusted to accommodate local property owners.
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1907, pub., ch. 987, sec. 1/pp. 1387-1388
  32. 1909
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Alleghany defined (no change).
    Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1909, pub., ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 83-84
  33. 1909
    Changed Act of 11 March 1907, adjusting boundary between Wilkes and Ashe, amended to accommodate local property owners.
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1909, pub., ch. 222, sec. 1/p. 249
  34. 1909
    Gained territory Wilkes gained small area from Alleghany (repealed act of 4 March 1903).
    from Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1909, pub., ch. 821, sec. 1/p. 1205
  35. 1911
    Gained territory Wilkes gained small area from Ashe to accommodate local property owner.
    from Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1911, pub., ch. 77, sec. 1/p. 239
  36. 1911
    Changed Act of 20 Feb 1909, adjusting boundary between Wilkes and Ashe, amended to accommodate local property owner.
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1911, ch. 132, sec. 1/p. 298
  37. 1913
    Changed Acts of 20 February 1909 and 6 March 1911, adjusting boundary between Wilkes and Ashe, repealed.
    Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1913, pub., ch. 16, sec. 1/p. 47
  38. 1913
    Gained territory Wilkes gained small area from Ashe to accommodate local property owners.
    from Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1913, pub., ch. 82, sec. 1/p. 127
  39. 1929
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Alleghany (in vicinity of Bryans Knob) adjusted to accommodate local property owners.
    Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1929, pub.-loc., ch. 211, secs. 1-2/pp. 178-179
  40. 1931
    Gained territory Wilkes gained small area from Ashe to accommodate local property owner.
    from Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1931, pub.-loc., ch. 425, sec. 1/p. 380
  41. 1933
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Ashe (repealed act of 27 April 1931).
    to Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1933, pub.-loc., ch. 122, sec. 1/p. 125
  42. 1933
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Alleghany to accommodate local property owner.
    to Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1933, pub.-loc., ch. 341, sec. 1/p. 331
  43. 1939
    Changed Boundary between Wilkes and Alleghany defined (no change).
    Alleghany
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1939, pub.-loc., ch. 464, sec. 1/pp. 512-513
  44. 1957
    Lost territory Wilkes lost small area to Ashe (repealed act of 8 March 1913).
    to Ashe
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1957, ch. 876, sec. 1/pp. 802-803

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Wilkes

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

Wilkes by the Census

Population
65,969 2020 Census count
Housing units
31,545 2020 Census count
Land area
754 square miles
Water area
2.7 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

County government

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Wilkes County

When was Wilkes County founded?
Wilkes County was founded in 1778, formed from Surry County, and named after John Wilkes.
What is the county seat of Wilkes County?
The county seat of Wilkes County is Wilkesboro.
Is there an online parcel map for Wilkes County?
Yes. Wilkes County publishes a parcel map of 9,460 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Wilkes County's boundary or name changed?
Wilkes County was created in 1778 from Surry County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 38 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Ashe County, Alleghany County and Caldwell County.
Who issues building permits in Wilkes County?
The county's page on building permits: Tattoo Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Wilkes 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