Wilson

Formed February 13, 1855 (86^th county)

Wilson County (78,786), Wilson (47,864)

Stone columns on the 1924 masonry structure are the dominating feature.  The courthouse is on Nash Street at Goldsboro Street.  Nash Street is North Carolina State Highway 58 Business in this part of the town.  Fred A. Bishop is the Neo-Classical building designer.  The building was renovated in 1969.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds and a County Office building is next door.  There was also an 1855 courthouse in Wilson, the only county seat.  Wilson County was founded on February 13, 1855.  It was formed from Edgecombe, Johnston, Nash, and Wayne counties as the 86^th county.  The county and county seat are named for Mexican American War hero Louis Dicken Wilson.  Wilson County was the birthplace for 1 North Carolina Governor, James B. Hunt, Jr. 

Wilson County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Sixteen Superior Court Judges serve Wilson, Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, and Washington counties, Five District Court Judges serve Wilson, Edgecombe, and Nash counties and a court clerk serves Wilson County (judicial.)  Wilson County is east in the state.  Raleigh, North Carolina is west and Fayetteville, North Carolina is southwest of the county.  The center of the county is in Wilson .9 miles West of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Edgecombe, Pitt, Greene, Wayne, Johnston, and Nash counties. 

The area of the county is 373 square miles.  It is 74 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 35 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 211.2 persons per square mile making it 26 out of 100 in the state.  Wilson County has 67.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 95 passes north to south in the county from Nash County to Johnston County.  United States Highway 117 originates and heads south into Wayne County.  United States Highway 264 goes east to west from Greene County to Nash County.  United States Highway 301 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Nash to Johnston counties.  The county is shaped like a baseball home plate.  The City of Wilson is located near the center of the county.  Wilson is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 60.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Wilson Micropolitan Statistical Area.