Halifax

Formed January 1, 1759 (23^rd county)

Halifax County (48,622), Halifax (166), Roanoke Rapids (15,229)

The 1987 red and black brick Renaissance Revival courthouse replaced a 1910 structure.  There was an 1847 courthouse previously in Halifax the only county seat.  The courthouse is on Ferrell Lane east of United States Highway 301.  Ron W. Webb is the building designer.  The courthouse is in a park setting and features columns.  The old courthouse honors veterans.  Halifax County was created on January 1, 1759 from Edgecombe County as the 23^rd county.  The county and county seat are named for the Earl of Halifax.  Halifax County was the birthplace for 2 North Carolina Governors, John Branch, Jr., and William W. Kitchin. 

Halifax County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 6 Commissioners (legislative.)  Sixteen Superior Court Judges serve Halifax, Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, Washington, and Wilson counties, Ten District Court Judges serve Halifax, Bertie, Hertford, and Northampton counties and a court clerk serves Halifax County (judicial.)  The county is in northeast North Carolina.  Raleigh, North Carolina is southwest and Fayetteville, North Carolina is south of the county.  The county center is 4.5 miles West of Halifax.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Northampton, Bertie, Martin, Edgecombe, Nash, Franklin, and Warren counties. 

The area of the county is 730 square miles.  It is 19 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 54 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 66.6 persons per square mile making it 66 out of 100 in the state.  Halifax County has 43.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 95 crosses the county north to south from Northampton County to Nash County.  United States Highway 158 enters the county from Northampton County, northeast, and exits into Warren County, northwest.  United States Highway 258 goes north to south from Northampton County to Edgecombe County.  United States Highway 301 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Northampton to Nash counties.  The county is a deflated balloon.  The Town of Halifax is on the northeastern border of the county.  Roanoke Rapids is in the northwest corner of the county.  Halifax is the county seat and Roanoke Rapids is the largest city.  Halifax is 0.4% of the county population while Roanoke Rapids is 28.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Roanoke Rapids Micropolitan Statistical Area.

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