Surry County, North Carolina

Surry County, North Carolina
Surry County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 71,359. Its county seat is Dobson, and its largest community is Mount Airy.
Surry county comprises the Mount Airy, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC Combined Statistical Area.
History
The county was formed in 1771 from Rowan County as part of the British Province of North Carolina. It was named for the county of Surrey in England, birthplace of William Tryon, Governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771.
In 1777 parts of Surry County and Washington District (now Washington County, Tennessee) were combined to form Wilkes County. The first permanent courthouse was established at Richmond in 1779, what is now the modern-day Old Richmond Township in Forsyth County near Donnaha. However, in 1789 the eastern half of Surry County became Stokes County, thus making the Richmond site unusable for either county. In 1790, the county seat was moved to Rockford where it remained for over half a century. In 1850 the half of the county's remaining territory south of the Yadkin River became Yadkin County. The town of Dobson was established in 1853 to be the new county seat.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.75%) is water.
The whole county is generally considered part of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area. Surry County is located in the Yadkin Valley AVA, an American Viticultural Area. Wines made from grapes grown in Surry County may carry the appellation Yadkin Valley on their label.
Mountains
Surry County is located both within the Piedmont region of central North Carolina and in the Appalachian Mountains region of western North Carolina. Most of the eastern two-thirds of the county lies within the Piedmont, a region of gently rolling hills and valleys. However, the Piedmont of Surry County also contains a small portion of the Sauratown Mountains; Surry County marks the western end of the Sauratown Mountain range. The western third of the county lies within the Blue Ridge Mountains, and they dominate the county's western horizon. The mountain passes (called "gaps" locally) are notorious for their occasional high winds, which can force automobiles and even large Eighteen wheeler trucks off the highways which lead through the passes. As a result, high wind advisories issued by the National Weather Service are not uncommon. The highest point in Surry County is Fisher Peak in the Blue Ridge; it rises to above sea level. However, the best-known peak in Surry County is not the highest. That honor goes to Pilot Mountain, an isolated monadnock and a North Carolina landmark. Pilot Mountain sharply rises some above the surrounding countryside, and can be seen for miles.
Major water bodies
Ararat River
Bear Creek
Big Creek
Camp Creek
Fisher River
Flat Shoal Creek
Grassy Creek
Hogan Creek
King Creek
Little Fisher Creek
Mill Creek
Mitchell River
Pauls Creek
Pheasant Creek
Pilot Creek
Ramey Creek
Stewarts Creek
Toms Creek
Yadkin River
While there are many creeks and streams in Surry County, there are three recognized major rivers in the county, the Ararat, the Fisher, and the Mitchell. All three flow southward and are tributaries of the Yadkin River, which forms the southern border of Surry County. The Yadkin River is the northern component of the Pee Dee River which flows to the Atlantic Ocean near Georgetown, South Carolina.
National protected areas
Blue Ridge Parkway (part)
Cumberland Knob Recreation Area (part)
State and local protected areas/sites
Horne Creek Living Historical Farm
Mitchell River Game Land (part)
Pilot Mountain State Park
Raven Knob Scout Reservation (part)
Adjacent counties
Patrick County, Virginia – northeast
Carroll County, Virginia – north
Grayson County, Virginia – northwest
Stokes County – east
Forsyth County – southeast
Yadkin County – south
Wilkes County – southwest
Alleghany County – west
Major highways
(route Designated from the state boarder with Virginia to Exit 17)
Major infrastructure
Mount Airy/Surry County Airport
Elkin Municipal Airport
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 71,359 people, 28,408 households, and 19,539 families residing in the county.
2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 71,219 people, 28,408 households, and 20,482 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 31,033 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.40% White, 4.16% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.45% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. 6.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 28,408 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 29.00% from 25 to 44, 24.10% from 45 to 64, and 15.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,046, and the median income for a family was $38,902. Males had a median income of $27,854 versus $20,556 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,722. About 9.10% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.00% of those under age 18 and 17.40% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Surry is at present a predominantly Republican county. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Surry County has been Jimmy Carter in 1976, and no Democrat since 1996 has reached forty percent of the county's vote. Hillary Clinton received only twenty-three percent in 2016, a proportion smaller than Hubert Humphrey obtained in the three-way 1968 race.
In the early 20th century, Surry swung from Democratic-leaning during the Third Party System, to Republican enough to be alongside Yadkin and Stokes County as the only North Carolina counties to vote with William Howard Taft during his disastrous 1912 campaign, back to Democratic enough to support Adlai Stevenson II in 1952.
Surry County is a member of the Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments. The five-member Board of County Commissioners are elected from single-member districts for four-year staggered terms, with elections in even-numbered years. The board elects a chair and vice-chair, who serve twelve-month terms.
The board appoints a county manager, who oversees county administration and implements the board's policies.
Education
Surry County is divided into three local school systems: Surry County Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, and Elkin City Schools.
Surry County Schools
High schools
Surry Early College High School of Design (on the Surry Community College campus.)
East Surry High School
North Surry High School
Surry Central High School
Middle schools
Central Middle School
Gentry Middle School
Meadowview Magnet Middle School
Pilot Mountain Middle School
Elementary schools
Cedar Ridge Elementary School
Copeland Elementary School
Dobson Elementary School
Flat Rock Elementary School
Franklin Elementary School
Mountain Park Elementary School
Pilot Mountain Elementary School
Rockford Elementary School
Shoals Elementary School
Westfield Elementary School
White Plains Elementary School
Mount Airy City Schools
Mount Airy High School
Mount Airy Middle School
Jones Intermediate School
Tharington Primary School
Elkin City Schools
The Elkin City Schools system has 3 schools ranging from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade: Elkin Elementary School, Elkin Middle School and Elkin High School.
Colleges and universities
Surry Community College, part of the North Carolina Community College System, is the county's only institution for post-secondary education.
Media
Print
Surry County is home to three local newspapers, The Mount Airy News of Mount Airy, The Pilot in Pilot Mountain and The Tribune of Elkin. Additionally, the larger daily Winston-Salem Journal covers news and events in the county. One local newspaper, The Messenger in Mount Airy, ceased operation in approximately 2011.
Broadcast
WIFM in Elkin is a full-time FM radio station. The county has three AM stations, WYZD in Dobson, as well as WSYD and WPAQ in Mount Airy, both of which operate also on 24-hour FM repeaters that cover most of the county. There are no broadcast television stations in Surry County.
Surry County is part of the Piedmont Triad radio and television market but many broadcasts from the Charlotte market also can be received in Surry County.
Culture
Surry County is apparently home to the fictitious community of Mayberry from "The Andy Griffith Show", which aired from 1960 through 1967. Andy Griffith reportedly used many things from his hometown in his TV town. Now guests can experience what it was like living in Mayberry by visiting the Andy Griffith Museum, stopping by Andy's homeplace, getting a trim at Floyd's barbershop, taking a ride in a replica Mayberry Squad Car, or even grabbing a bite to eat at Snappy Lunch. Every year in September the city holds the "Mayberry Days" celebration, where fans can come and enjoy the town together.
A dish, sonker, is made in Surry County and surrounding areas in North Carolina, and is thought to have originated in the county in the mid-1800s. Similar to cobbler, it is a pie made of dough with a fruit or sweet potato filling and baked. It is traditionally served with "dip", a vanilla cream sauce. Since 1980, Mount Airy has hosted an annual sonker festival, and sonkers are often made to cater to tourism. Ground steak—principally a sandwich consisting of ground beef or chuck, flour, salt, and pepper—is exclusive to the county, maintaining enduring popularity among locals since the Great Depression.
Communities
City
Mount Airy (largest community)
Towns
Dobson (county seat)
Elkin (also in Wilkes County)
Pilot Mountain
Census-designated places
Flat Rock
Lowgap
Toast
White Plains
Townships
Bryan
Dobson
Eldora
Elkin
Franklin
Long Hill
Marsh
Mount Airy
Pilot
Rockford
Shoals
Siloam
South Westfield
Stewarts Creek
Westfield
Unincorporated communities
Albion
Ararat
Ash Hill
Bannertown
Blackwater
Blevins Store
Boones Hill
Bottom
Burch
Cedar Hill
Combstown
Copeland
Crooked Oak
Crutchfield
Devotion
Fairview
Franklin
Hills Grove
Holly Springs
Indian Grove
Jenkinstown
Ladonia
Level Cross
Little Richmond
Long Hill
Mount Herman
Mountain Park
Mulberry
New Hope
Oak Grove
Pine Hill
Pine Ridge
Poplar Springs
Red Brush
Rockford
Round Peak
Salem
Salem Fork
Sheltontown
Shoals
Siloam
Slate Mountain
State Road
Stony Knoll
Turkey Ford
Union Cross
Union Hill
Westfield
White Sulphur Springs
Woodville
Zephyr
See also
List of counties in North Carolina
National Register of Historic Places listings in Surry County, North Carolina
Yadkin Valley AVA, wine region partially located in the county
References
External links
Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce
Surry County Economic Development Partnership
NCGenWeb Surry County, genealogy resources for the county
Counties of Appalachia
1771 establishments in North Carolina
Populated places established in 1771