Sampson

Formed April 1, 1784 (49^th county)

Sampson County (59,040), Clinton (8,376)

The 1904 red brick Federalist courthouse was remodeled in 1937 and under renovation in 2021.  It is on the square at Main, Sampson, Vance, and McKoy streets.  United States Highway 701 is seven blocks to the west of the site.  B. F. Smith Construction provided the building designs.  It features columns, a tower, and rot iron on the roof line.  The county was formed from Duplin County on April 1, 1784 as the 49^th county with Clinton as the only county seat.  The county is named for John Sampson, the first deed recorder of Duplin County.  Clinton was named for settler Richard Clinton.  Sampson County was the birthplace for 1 North Carolina Governor, Gabriel Holmes. 

Sampson County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Fourteen Superior Court Judges serve Sampson, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson, and Wayne counties, Four District Court Judges serve Sampson, Duplin, Jones, and Onslow counties and a court clerk serves Sampson County (judicial.)  The county is in the southeastern part of the state.  Fayetteville, North Carolina is directly west and Raleigh, North Carolina is northwest of the county.  The center of the county is 6 miles West-Northwest of Clinton nearer Kitty Fork.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Johnston, Wayne, Duplin, Pender, Bladen, Cumberland, and Harnett counties. 

The area of the county is 948 square miles.  It is 8 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 47 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 62.3 persons per square mile making it 68 out of 100 in the state.  Sampson County has 19.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 40 enters the county from the north, Johnston County, and exits to the east, Duplin County.  United States Highway 13 comes from the northeast, Wayne County, and goes to the west, Cumberland County.  United States Highway 421 travels northwest to southeast from Harnett County to Pender County.  United States Highway 701 comes from Johnston County, north, and goes to Bladen County, south.  The county looks like a funnel.  Clinton is located in the eastern third of the county.  Clinton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 14.2% of the county population.