Alamance

Formed January 29, 1849 (80^th county)

Alamance County (171,429), Graham (17,152), Burlington (57,306)

The masonry Neo-Classical Revival courthouse was built in 1924 and sits in a city square at Elm Street and Main Street.  North Carolina State Highway 87 circles the courthouse.  Harry Barton is the architect.  The courthouse features columns and veteran memorials in front.  A Criminal Courthouse was added in 1993 and a Civil Courthouse in 1967.  The courthouse was renovated in 2011.  There was an 1851 courthouse previously in Graham, the only county seat.  Alamance County was formed on January 29, 1849 from Orange County as the 80^th county.  The county is named for a local creek whose name is Native American for “blue mud.”  The county seat was named for Governor William A. Graham.  He is also the namesake for Graham County.  Alamance County was the birthplace for 3 North Carolina Governors, Thomas M. Holt, W. Kerr Scott, and Robert W. Scott. 

Alamance County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-four Superior Court Judges serve Alamance, Anson, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly, Union, and Wake counties and Fourteen District Court Judges and a court clerk serve Alamance County (judicial.)  The county is situated in north central North Carolina.  Raleigh, North Carolina is southeast and Greensboro, North Carolina is west of the county.  The county center is 5.2 miles Southwest of Graham nearer Bellemont.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Caswell, Orange, Chatham, Randolph, Guilford, and Rockingham counties. 

The area of the county is 434 square miles.  It is 61 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 15 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 395.0 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 100 in the state.  Alamance County has 65.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highways 40/85 are joined across the county east to west from Orange County to Guilford County.  United States Highway 70 parallels Interstate Highway 40 from Orange to Guilford counties.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Graham is located near the center of the county.  Burlington is in the western third of the county and extends into Guilford County.  Graham is the county seat and Burlington is the largest city.  Graham is 10.0% of the county population while Burlington is 33.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Burlington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Mebane