Lincoln County, North Carolina

Lincoln County is a county in North Carolina, United States, about 30 miles northwest of
Charlotte. It had a population of 86,810 at the 2020 census, an estimated 92,716 by 2024, and
covers 304.87 square miles (789.6 km2) centred near 35°29′N 81°14′W.

Lincolnton is the county seat and the county’s only incorporated municipality; its postal code is 28092. The county holds 1 city, no other incorporated towns, and roughly 20 named
unincorporated communities and census-designated places across 5 historic townships, and it runs
on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 37109.

Towns & Villages in Lincoln County

Lincoln County has 20 named places on record: Lincolnton, the only incorporated city, plus
four census-designated places (CDPs — statistical areas with no local government of their
own) and 15 smaller unincorporated communities, most too small for the Census Bureau to track
separately.

Two names on the county’s old records don’t belong on this list. Boger City, once a
separate mill village, has not been a distinct place since Lincolnton annexed it in 1986; it is
now a Lincolnton neighborhood, not a county community. Toluca sits on the Lincoln—Gaston
county line, and only part of it lies inside Lincoln County. Vale, in the county’s
northwestern corner, is also home to Cat Square, the crossroads that gives its name to the area’s
annual Christmas parade.

ZIP Codes

• 28092 — Lincolnton (the county seat’s main ZIP; a second ZIP, 28093, covers PO
  boxes)
• 28037 — Denver
• 28164 — Lowesville (shared with Stanley, in neighboring Gaston County)
• 28080 — Iron Station
• 28033 — Crouse
• 28168 — Vale

Westport, Toluca, Laurel Hill, Laboratory, Reepsville, Polkadot, Flay, Long Shoals, Pumpkin
Center, Machpelah, Roseland, Orleans, Dora and Cansellers have no ZIP code of their own; mail to
these communities is delivered under a neighboring town’s code.

Geography

Lincoln County sits in North Carolina’s southern Piedmont, a belt of rolling hills between
the Blue Ridge Mountains and the coastal plain. Of its 304.87 square miles, 295.85 are land and
9.02 are water, about 3 percent, mostly Lake Norman along the county’s eastern edge. The
Catawba River and its South Fork run through the county and feed the lake, a reservoir formed by
Cowans Ford Dam that also supplies drinking water and hydroelectric power to the Charlotte
region.

Catawba County lies to the north, Iredell County across Lake Norman to the northeast,
Mecklenburg County to the east, Gaston County to the south, Cleveland County to the west and
Burke County to the northwest. Catawba County, Iredell County, Mecklenburg County and Gaston County all have their own pages on
this site; Cleveland and Burke counties do not yet.

Demographics

Lincoln County had a population of 86,810 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the
county near 92,716 residents as of 2024. Lincolnton and the Lowesville and Denver CDPs are the
three largest communities, together holding well under half the county’s population, which
is spread thinly across dozens of rural crossroads and lakeside subdivisions. Median household
income runs $80,016 (2024), above North Carolina’s statewide figure of $70,804 (2023 ACS),
reflecting the county’s position inside the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metropolitan area
and its Lake Norman waterfront. Population density works out to roughly 293 people per square
mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Manufacturing employs the most workers in the county, about 7,217 people, followed by health
care and social assistance at 5,378 and retail trade at 4,913, according to 2024 workforce data.
The county’s Piedmont location and rail access have kept manufacturing central to its
economy since the 1800s textile era, though today’s plants make a wider mix of goods. Lake
Norman drives a separate seasonal economy around Denver and Westport — marinas, lakefront
building and tourism — distinct from Lincolnton’s inland manufacturing base. The
county’s best-known annual event is the Cat Square Christmas Parade near Vale, held each
December since 1974 and known for its mock mayoral election, in which the winning “mayor”
has no duty beyond riding in the parade.

History

North Carolina’s General Assembly formed Lincoln County in 1779, carving it from the
eastern part of Tryon County. It was named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, a Continental Army
officer of the American Revolution. Lincolnton, laid out as the seat soon after, was named for
the same general.

The county’s defining Revolutionary War moment came on 20 June 1780, when Patriot militia
routed a larger Loyalist force at the Battle of Ramsour’s Mill, near a grist mill on the site
of present-day Lincolnton. Decades later, in 1813, Michael Schenck built North Carolina’s
first textile mill on the South Fork Catawba River in what is now Lincolnton, launching the
industry that shaped the county’s economy for the next century and a half.

Getting There

No interstate highway crosses Lincoln County. US 321 runs north–south through Lincolnton
and Vale, and NC 16, NC 27, NC 73, NC 150 and NC 182 cross the county, connecting it to the
interstate network in neighboring counties.

• Charlotte — about 30 miles southeast
• Gastonia — about 20 miles south
• Hickory — about 25 miles northwest
• Statesville — about 25 miles north

Charlotte Douglas International Airport, roughly 35 miles southeast of Lincolnton, is the
nearest major commercial airport. Lincolnton’s own Lincoln County Regional Airport handles
general aviation only. The nearest Amtrak station is in Charlotte, served by the Piedmont and
Carolinian trains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lincoln County located?
It sits in North Carolina’s southern Piedmont, about 30 miles northwest of Charlotte,
bordered by Catawba, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Gaston, Cleveland and Burke counties.

What is the population of Lincoln County?
86,810 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate near 92,716.

How big is Lincoln County?
304.87 square miles (766.2 km2 of land), of which 295.85 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Lincoln County?
Lincolnton, the county’s only incorporated city, is the county seat.

How many towns are in Lincoln County?
One incorporated city, Lincolnton, plus four census-designated places — Lowesville,
Denver, Iron Station and Crouse — and about 15 smaller unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes does Lincoln County use?
28092 and 28093 for Lincolnton, 28037 for Denver, 28164 for Lowesville, 28080 for Iron Station,
28033 for Crouse and 28168 for Vale.

What is Lincoln County known for?
The 1780 Battle of Ramsour’s Mill, North Carolina’s first textile mill (built 1813 in
Lincolnton), and its Lake Norman shoreline around Denver and Westport.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.