Wayne

Formed November 2, 1779 (47^th county)

Wayne County (117,324), Goldsboro (33,667)

The tan brick Classical Revival courthouse was built in 1913 on William Street between Chestnut and Walnut streets.  United States Highway 70 Business is two blocks north of the facility.  The building was restored in 1999.  Milburn, Hester, and Company are the designers.  An Annex was built and attached to the courthouse in 1954.  The courthouse features columns and veteran memorials on the grounds.  The county was established on November 2, 1779 from Johnston County as the 47^th county.  There was also an 1840 courthouse in Goldsboro, the only county seat.  Wayne County is named for Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.  He is also the namesake of the county seat of Haywood County.  The county seat is named for railroad officer Matthew Goldsborough.  Wayne County was the birthplace for 2 North Carolina Governors, Curtis H. Brogden and Charles B. Aycock. 

Wayne 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 Wayne, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson, and Sampson counties, Twelve District Court Judges serve Wayne, Greene, and Lenoir counties and a court clerk serves Wayne County (judicial.)  Wayne County is in eastern North Carolina.  Raleigh, North Carolina is northwest and Fayetteville, North Carolina is southwest of the county.  The center of the county is in Goldsboro 3.9 miles Southeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wilson, Greene, Lenoir, Duplin, Sampson, and Johnston counties. 

The area of the county is 558 square miles.  It is 34 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 24 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 210.3 persons per square mile making it 27 out of 100 in the state.  Wayne County has 35.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 13 travels through the county from northeast to southwest from Greene County to Sampson County.  United States Highway 70 passes east to west from Lenoir County to Johnston County.  United States Highway 117 goes north to south from Wilson County to Duplin County.  The county resembles a fat capital letter J.  Goldsboro is near the center of the county.  Goldsboro is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 28.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Goldsboro Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Mount Olive