Jones

Formed November 2, 1779 (41^st county)

Jones County (9,173), Trenton (237), Maysville (822)

The 1939 red brick Classical Revival courthouse serves Jones County.  The courthouse is on Market and Jones streets.  North Carolina State Highway 41 passes in front of the facility.  The building architect is unknown.  The structure features columns and veteran memorials on the grounds.  The county was formed on November 2, 1779 from Craven County as the 41^st county with Trenton as the only county seat.  Jones County is named for Revolutionary War hero Willie Jones.  The county seat is named for the Trent River. 

Jones County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Fourteen Superior Court Judges serve Jones, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, and Wayne counties, Two District Court Judges serve Jones, Duplin, Onslow, and Sampson counties and a court clerk serves Jones County (judicial.)  The county is in eastern North Carolina.  Raleigh, North Carolina is northwest and Fayetteville, North Carolina is west of the county.  The county center is 3.2 miles Southeast of Trenton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Craven, Carteret, Onslow, Duplin, and Lenoir counties. 

The area of the county is 474 square miles.  It is 53 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 97 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 19.4 persons per square mile making it 98 out of 100 in the state.  Jones County has 14.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 17 enters the county from Craven County, east, and exits into Onslow County, south.  United States Highway 70 cuts the northern tip from east to west from Craven County to Lenoir County.  United States Highway 258 clips the western tip from Lenoir County, northwest, to Onslow County, southwest.  The county’s shape resembles a shark facing west.  Trenton is located in the northern third of the county.  Maysville is near the southeast border of the county.  Trenton is the county seat and Maysville is the largest city.  Trenton is 2.6% of the county population while Maysville is 9.0% of the county population.  This county is in the New Bern Micropolitan Statistical Area.