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When and how counties were formed
| County formation dates |
| County | Date | Parent(s) |
| Alamance | 1849 | Orange |
| Alexander | 1847 | Iredell, Caldwell, Wilkes |
| Alleghany | 1859 | Ashe |
| Anson | 1750 | Bladen |
| Ashe | 1799 | Wilkes |
| Avery | 1911 | Mitchell, Watauga, Caldwell |
| Beaufort | 1712 | Bath |
| Bertie | 1722 | Chowan |
| Bladen | 1734 | New Hanover |
| Brunswick | 1764 | New Hanover, Bladen |
| Buncombe | 1791 | Burke, Rutherford |
| Burke | 1777 | Rowan |
| Cabarrus | 1792 | Mecklenburg |
| Caldwell | 1841 | Burke, Wilkes |
| Camden | 1777 | Pasquotank |
| Carteret | 1722 | Craven |
| Caswell | 1777 | Orange |
| Catawba | 1842 | Lincoln |
| Chatham | 1771 | Orange |
| Cherokee | 1839 | Macon |
| Chowan | 1668 | Albemarle |
| Clay | 1861 | Cherokee |
| Cleveland | 1841 | Rutherford, Lincoln |
| Columbus | 1808 | Brunswick, Bladen |
| Craven | 1712 | Bath |
| Cumberland | 1754 | Bladen |
| Currituck | 1668 | Albemarle |
| Dare | 1870 | Currituck, Tyrrell, Hyde |
| Davidson | 1822 | Rowan |
| Davie | 1836 | Rowan |
| Duplin | 1750 | New Hanover |
| Durham | 1881 | Orange, Wake |
| Edgecombe | 1741 | Bertie |
| Forsyth | 1849 | Stokes |
| Franklin | 1779 | Bute |
| Gaston | 1846 | Lincoln |
| Gates | 1779 | Chowan, Hertford, Perquimans |
| Graham | 1872 | Cherokee |
| Granville | 1746 | Edgecombe |
| Greene | 1799 | Glasgow |
| Guilford | 1771 | Rowan, Orange |
| Halifax | 1758 | Edgecombe |
| Harnett | 1855 | Cumberland |
| Haywood | 1808 | Buncombe |
| Henderson | 1838 | Buncombe |
| Hertford | 1759 | Chowan, Bertie, Northampton |
| Hoke | 1911 | Cumberland, Robeson |
| Hyde | 1712 | Bath |
| Iredell | 1788 | Rowan |
| Jackson | 1851 | Haywood, Macon |
| Johnston | 1746 | Craven |
| Jones | 1779 | Craven |
| Lee | 1907 | Moore, Chatham |
| Lenoir | 1791 | Dobbs |
| Lincoln | 1779 | Tryon |
| Macon | 1828 | Haywood |
| Madison | 1851 | Buncombe, Yancey |
| Martin | 1774 | Halifax, Tyrrell |
| McDowell | 1842 | Rutherford, Burke |
| Mecklenburg | 1762 | Anson |
| Mitchell | 1861 | Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell, Burke, McDowell |
| Montgomery | 1779 | Anson |
| Moore | 1784 | Cumberland |
| Nash | 1777 | Edgecombe |
| New Hanover | 1729 | Craven |
| Northampton | 1741 | Bertie |
| Onslow | 1734 | New Hanover |
| Orange | 1752 | Johnston, Bladen, Granville |
| Pamlico | 1872 | Craven, Beaufort |
| Pasquotank | 1668 | Albemarle |
| Pender | 1875 | New Hanover |
| Perquimans | 1668 | Albemarle |
| Person | 1791 | Caswell |
| Pitt | 1760 | Beaufort |
| Polk | 1855 | Rutherford, Henderson |
| Randolph | 1779 | Guilford |
| Richmond | 1779 | Anson |
| Robeson | 1787 | Bladen |
| Rockingham | 1785 | Guilford |
| Rowan | 1753 | Anson |
| Rutherford | 1779 | Tryon |
| Sampson | 1784 | Duplin |
| Scotland | 1899 | Richmond |
| Stanly | 1841 | Montgomery |
| Stokes | 1789 | Surry |
| Swain | 1871 | Jackson, Macon |
| Surry | 1771 | Rowan |
| Transylvania | 1861 | Henderson, Jackson |
| Tyrrell | 1729 | Chowan, Bertie, Currituck, Pasquotank |
| Union | 1842 | Anson, Mecklenburg |
| Vance | 1881 | Granville, Warren, Franklin |
| Wake | 1771 | Johnston, Cumberland, Orange |
| Warren | 1779 | Bute |
| Washington | 1799 | Tyrrell |
| Watauga | 1849 | Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell, Yancey |
| Wayne | 1779 | Dobbs |
| Wilkes | 1777 | Surry, District of Washington |
| Wilson | 1855 | Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston, Wayne |
| Yadkin | 1850 | Surry |
| Yancey | 1833 | Burke, Buncombe |
| Abolished/abandoned counties |
| County | Date | Parent(s) | Note |
| Albemarle | 1664 | Original county | abolished 1739 |
| Bath | 1696 | Original county | abolished 1739 |
| Bute | 1764 | Granville | abolished 1779 |
| Clarendon | 1664 | Original county | abandoned 1667 |
| Dobbs | 1758 | Johnston | abolished 1791 |
| Glasgow | 1791 | Dobbs | abolished 1799 |
| Tryon | 1768 | Mecklenburg | abolished 1779 |
Source: Genealogical Services Branch of the State Library of North Carolina
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