Robeson County is a county in North Carolina, United States, the state’s largest county by land area, in the coastal-plain part of the state near the South Carolina line. It had a population of 116,530 at the 2020 census and covers 947.3 square miles (2,453.5 km2) centred near 34°38′N 79°06′W.
Lumberton is the county seat and largest city, and its postal code is 28358. The county has 13 incorporated cities and towns plus dozens of unincorporated communities and crossroads, and it observes Eastern Time.
Towns & Villages in Robeson County
Robeson County’s map includes 13 incorporated municipalities and a long list of unincorporated communities, mill villages, and rural crossroads carried in county and postal records. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumberton | City · seat | 19,025 | 28358, 28359, 28360 |
| Pembroke | Town | — | 28372 |
| Red Springs | Town | — | 28377 |
| Saint Pauls | Town | — | 28384 |
| Fairmont | Town | — | 28340 |
| Maxton | Town | — | 28364 |
| Rowland | Town | — | 28383 |
| Parkton | Town | — | 28371 |
| Proctorville | Town | — | 28375 |
| McDonald | Town | — | — |
| Rennert | Town | — | — |
| Orrum | Town | — | 28369 |
| Lumber Bridge | Town | — | 28357 |
| Marietta | Unincorp. | — | 28362 |
| Shannon | Unincorp. | — | 28386 |
| Rex | Unincorp. | — | 28378 |
| Barnesville | Unincorp. | — | 28319 |
| Alfordsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Allenton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Alma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Barker Ten Mile | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bellamy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bloomingdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buies Neck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Lumberton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Echo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elrod | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Five Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Floral College | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gaddysville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hammond Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hestertown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Holmesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Horse Neck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Howellsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ivey Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kingdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leggett Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Long Branch | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lowe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mayville Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McMillan | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Moss Neck | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oakton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Philadelphus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pope Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Powers | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Prospect | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Purvis | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Raemon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Raynham | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Banks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rozier Siding | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saddletree | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smiths | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stewart Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tolarsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wakulla | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Pond | Unincorp. | — | — |
Red Springs sits partly across the line in neighboring Hoke County, and Lumber Bridge straddles the same border — both are counted here under their Robeson County ZIP code. Several mobile-home park listings from older gazetteers (Brittland, Country Side, Deerfield Farm, Eaglewood, Jimmys Mobile Court, East Side Park, Lone Oak, Phillips, Rosewood, Summerwinds, West MH Park) and the crossroads label “Phil” were dropped from this list as private developments or duplicate fragments rather than standing places.
ZIP Codes
- 28358 — Lumberton (also serves East Lumberton)
- 28359 — Lumberton (PO box only)
- 28360 — Lumberton
- 28372 — Pembroke
- 28377 — Red Springs
- 28384 — Saint Pauls
- 28340 — Fairmont
- 28364 — Maxton
- 28371 — Parkton
- 28383 — Rowland (also serves Alfordsville)
- 28386 — Shannon
- 28357 — Lumber Bridge
- 28369 — Orrum
- 28375 — Proctorville (PO box only)
- 28362 — Marietta (PO box only)
- 28378 — Rex (PO box only)
- 28319 — Barnesville (PO box only)
McDonald and Rennert share the Red Springs and Parkton ZIP codes with their rural neighbors rather than carrying their own post office designation.
Geography
Robeson County lies in North Carolina’s inner coastal plain, flat and low-lying, with extensive farmland, pine plantations, and pocosin wetlands. The Lumber River, a federally designated National Wild and Scenic River, winds through the county from northwest to southeast, feeding blackwater swamps that support cypress, tupelo, deer, and river otter.
The county borders Cumberland County to the north, Bladen County to the east, Columbus County to the southeast, Hoke County to the northwest, and Scotland County to the west, all in North Carolina, plus Dillon, Marlboro, and Horry counties across the South Carolina line to the south and southwest.
Demographics
Robeson County had 116,530 residents at the 2020 census, giving it a density of about 123 people per square mile. Lumberton and Pembroke are its two largest communities; Pembroke is the headquarters of the Lumbee Tribe, whose members make up roughly 28% of the county’s population, one of the largest concentrations of any American Indian tribe east of the Mississippi River. The county’s median household income runs well below the North Carolina median of $70,804.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture remains central to Robeson County’s economy, with tobacco, cotton, corn, soybeans, and hog and poultry operations across the county’s flat farmland. Lumberton anchors regional retail and healthcare, home to UNC Health Southeastern, the county’s main hospital. The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, founded in 1887 as a school for Native American teachers, is Lumberton’s neighbor in Pembroke and remains one of the university system’s most diverse campuses.
History
Robeson County was formed in 1787 from part of Bladen County and named for Colonel Thomas Robeson, a Patriot militia officer in the Revolutionary War. The county has long been home to the Lumbee people, whose ancestors have lived along the Lumber River for generations. In January 1958, armed Lumbee men confronted a Ku Klux Klan rally near Maxton in what became known as the Battle of Hayes Pond, breaking up the Klan’s organizing in the area. In recent decades the county has weathered severe flooding from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018, both of which put parts of Lumberton under water.
Getting There
Interstate 95 runs north-south through the county past Lumberton, meeting U.S. Route 74 (the Andrew Jackson Highway), which crosses east-west toward Wilmington and Charlotte. U.S. Route 301 parallels I-95 through the older town centers.
- Fayetteville — 30 miles north
- Myrtle Beach, SC — 65 miles south
- Wilmington — 75 miles southeast
- Charlotte — 120 miles west
Fayetteville Regional Airport is the nearest commercial airport with scheduled service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Robeson County?
It is in the southeastern coastal plain of North Carolina, on the South Carolina border, roughly 30 miles south of Fayetteville.
What is the population of Robeson County?
It had a population of 116,530 at the 2020 census.
How big is Robeson County?
It covers 947.3 square miles (2,453.5 km2), making it the largest county in North Carolina by land area.
What is the county seat of Robeson County?
Lumberton is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Robeson County?
The county has 13 incorporated cities and towns, plus dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Robeson County?
Its ZIP codes include 28358 and 28360 (Lumberton), 28372 (Pembroke), 28377 (Red Springs), 28384 (Saint Pauls), 28340 (Fairmont), and 28364 (Maxton), among others.
Why is Robeson County home to the Lumbee Tribe?
The Lumbee have lived along the Lumber River for generations, and Pembroke, inside Robeson County, serves as the tribe’s headquarters and the seat of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, which the tribe helped found as a Native American normal school in 1887.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.