Rowan

Formed January 1, 1753 (21^st county)

Rowan County (146,878), Salisbury (35,548)

The masonry 1914 Classical Revival courthouse is augmented by a new Justice Center.  It is on Main Street between Council and Liberty streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 70 in the town.  The building’s designer was Anthony Ten Eyck Brown.  The courthouse was renovated in 1970.  It features columns and veteran memorials on the grounds.  There was also an 1855 version in Salisbury, the only county seat.  The county was formed from Anson County on January 1, 1753 as the 21^st county.  It is named for Governor Matthew Rowan.  Salisbury is named for Salisbury, England.  Rowan County was the birthplace for 1 North Carolina Governors, John W. Ellis. 

Rowan County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Twenty-one Superior Court Judges serve Rowan, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Cabarrus, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell, Orange, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties and Thirteen District Court Judges and a court clerk serve Rowan County (judicial.)  The county is in the west central part of the state.  Charlotte, North Carolina is southwest and Greensboro, North Carolina is northeast of the county.  The center of the county is in Salisbury 6 miles Southwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Davie, Davidson, Stanly, Cabarrus, and Iredell counties. 

The area of the county is 524 square miles.  It is 44 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 20 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 280.3 persons per square mile making it 19 out of 100 in the state.  Rowan County has 44.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 85 travels through the county from northeast to southwest from Davidson County to Cabarrus County.  United States Highway 29 parallels Interstate Highway 85 from Davidson to Cabarrus counties.  United States Highway 52 is joined with United States Highway 29 from Davidson County, splits and heads southeast into Cabarrus County.  United States Highway 70 is joined with United States Highway 29 from Davidson County, splits and goes west into Iredell County.  United States Highway 601 comes from the north, Davie County, and joins Interstate Highway 85 into Cabarrus County.  The county is an overall triangle.  Salisbury is located near the center of the county.  Salisbury is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 24.2% of the county population.  The county is pronounced ROE-AN.  This county is in the Salisbury Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Kannapolis