List of counties in North Carolina List List

| County | FIPS_Code | County_Seat | Created | Origin | Etymology | Population_estimate_2011 | Area_ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 179 | Monroe | 1842 | Anson County and Mecklenburg County | Created as a compromise after a dispute between local Whigs and Democrats as to whether it should be named Clay or Jackson county | 205463 | 640 sq mi , (1,658 km2) |
| Vance County | 181 | Henderson | 1881 | Franklin County, Granville County, and Warren County | Zebulon Baird Vance (1830–1894), a Confederate military officer in the American Civil War, twice governor of North Carolina, and United States Senator | 45307 | 270 sq mi , (699 km2) |
| Wake County | 183 | Raleigh | 1771 | Cumberland County, Johnston County, and Orange County | Margaret Wake, the wife of British colonial governor William Tryon | 929780 | 857 sq mi , (2,220 km2) |