Warren

Formed November 2, 1779 (46^th county)

Warren County (18,642), Warrenton (850), Norlina (928)

A 1906 red brick Neo-Classical courthouse serves Warren County.  The courthouse is on a square at Main, Macon, Front, and Market streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 401 in the town.  Frank Pierce Milburn provided the courthouse designs.  The building has been enlarged and it was renovated in 1992.  There was also an 1850 courthouse in Warrenton, the only county seat.  The county was organized on November 2, 1779 from Granville County as the 46^th county.  Warren County and its county seat are named for Revolutionary War hero Joseph Warren.  Warren County was the birthplace for 2 North Carolina Governors, William Miller and Thomas Bragg. 

Warren County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Sixteen Superior Court Judges serve Warren, Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Tyrrell, Vance, Washington, and Wilson counties and Four District Court Judges and a court clerk serve Warren County (judicial.)  The county is located on the northern border with Virginia.  Raleigh, North Carolina is southwest and Norfolk, Virginia is northeast of the county.  The center of the county is 9 miles East-Northeast of Warrenton nearer Vaughn.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Virginia and Northampton, Halifax, Edgecombe, Franklin, and Vance counties. 

The area of the county is 444 square miles.  It is 60 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 82 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 42.0 persons per square mile making it 85 out of 100 in the state.  Warren County has 10.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 85 enters the county from Virginia, north, and exits into Vance County, west.  United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 85 from Virginia to Vance County.  United States Highway 158 goes east to west from Halifax County to Vance County.  United States Highway 401 originates and heads south into Franklin County.  The county looks like a grocery bag sagging in the south.  Warrenton is located near the center of the county.  Norlina is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Warrenton is the county seat and Norlina is the largest city.  Warrenton is 4.6% of the county population while Norlina is 5.0% of the county population.  The largest city is pronounced NOER-LEE-NA.