Catawba County, North Carolina

Catawba County is a county in North Carolina, United States, in the western Piedmont about 45
miles northwest of Charlotte. It had a population of 160,610 at the 2020 census, an estimated
170,172 by 2025, and covers 401.37 square miles (1,039.5 km2) centred near 35°40′N 81°13′W.

Newton is the county seat; its postal code is 28658. Hickory, largely in Catawba County but
also reaching into Burke and Caldwell counties, is the largest city. The county holds 4 cities, 4
incorporated towns, 3 census-designated places and several unincorporated communities, and it runs
on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 37035.

Towns & Villages in Catawba County

Catawba County has 11 recognized incorporated places and CDPs, plus a scatter of
unincorporated crossroads communities carried over from the historic settlement pattern. CDP
stands for census designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no
formal boundary.

Two names on the old list were the same place listed twice: Newton and Catawba each appeared
in duplicate, an artifact of the earlier scrape, not two distinct settlements. Hickory’s
population figure is citywide — the city sits mostly in Catawba County but extends into
neighboring Burke and Caldwell counties, and Long View straddles the Burke County line the same
way. St. Stephens is an unincorporated community and CDP wedged between Hickory and Conover, not
a separate municipality with its own government.

ZIP Codes

• 28601–28603 — Hickory (also covers Long View and St. Stephens)
• 28658 — Newton
• 28613 — Conover (also serves St. Stephens)
• 28650 — Maiden
• 28610 — Claremont
• 28609 — Catawba
• 28602 — Brookford (also serves part of Long View)
• 28673 — Sherrills Ford
• 28682 — Terrell

Mountain View, Lake Norman of Catawba, Startown, Banoak and Long Island have no ZIP code of
their own; mail there is delivered under the nearest incorporated town’s code.

Geography

Catawba County sits in North Carolina’s western Piedmont, a belt of rolling hills between
the Blue Ridge foothills and the Charlotte metro region. Of its 416.02 square miles, 401.37 are
land and 14.65 are water, about 3.5 percent, higher than most Piedmont counties because Lake
Norman and Lake Hickory both reach into the county. The Catawba River forms the county’s
southeastern boundary, its South Fork crosses the southwestern townships, and Lookout Shoals Lake
sits on the Iredell County line.

Alexander County lies to the north, Iredell County to the east, Lincoln County to the south,
Caldwell County to the northwest, and Burke County to the west. Alexander County, Iredell County, Lincoln County, Caldwell County and Burke County all border Catawba directly.

Demographics

Catawba County had a population of 160,610 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts
the county near 170,172 residents. Hickory and Newton are the two largest communities, with St.
Stephens and Conover close behind. Median household income runs $67,864, below North Carolina’s
statewide figure of $70,804 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to about 400 people per
square mile of land, reflecting the county’s position inside the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton
metropolitan area rather than a purely rural pattern.

Economy & Local Life

Manufacturing employs the most workers in the county, about 20,340 people, followed by health
care and social assistance at 9,480 and retail trade at 8,802. CommScope and Corning both run
major fiber-optic manufacturing operations in the county, a legacy of Catawba’s furniture and
textile-mill economy shifting toward telecom hardware. Apple operates a large iCloud data center
and one of the largest solar farms in the country on the same Maiden site, part of what local
boosters call the North Carolina Data Center Corridor. Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory
and Frye Regional Medical Center are the county’s largest health care employers. The county’s
biggest annual draw is Hickory’s downtown Oktoberfest each October, one of the largest street
festivals in the region.

History

The North Carolina General Assembly formed Catawba County in 1842, carving it out of Lincoln
County. The name comes from the Catawba River, itself named for the Catawba people, who once
inhabited the region and now live mainly near Rock Hill, South Carolina, just across the state
line. Scots-Irish and German settlers moved into the area beginning in the mid-18th century,
and their descendants built the county’s early Lutheran and Reformed churches, several of
which still stand.

Newton was laid out in 1845 and became the county seat; the 1924 Catawba County Courthouse on
its square now houses the Catawba County Museum of History. Hickory grew from a rail depot on the
Western North Carolina Railroad in the 1850s into the county’s largest city and the anchor of
a furniture and hosiery manufacturing district through the 20th century, work that later gave way
to fiber optics and data infrastructure.

Getting There

Interstate 40 crosses the county through Hickory, Conover and Long View. US 70 and US 321 run
through the county, along with NC 10, NC 16, NC 18, NC 127 and NC 150.

• Charlotte — about 45 miles southeast
• Statesville — about 20 miles east
• Morganton — about 20 miles west
• Lenoir — about 20 miles northwest

Hickory Regional Airport, on the city’s southern edge and partly in Burke County, handles
general aviation and charter flights. Charlotte Douglas International Airport, roughly 55 miles
southeast, is the nearest major commercial airport. Norfolk Southern freight trains run through
the county daily, but no Amtrak passenger service stops in Catawba County.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Catawba County located?
It sits in North Carolina’s western Piedmont, about 45 miles northwest of Charlotte, bordered
by Alexander, Iredell, Lincoln, Caldwell and Burke counties.

What is the population of Catawba County?
160,610 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 170,172.

How big is Catawba County?
416.02 square miles (1,077.5 km2) total, of which 401.37 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Catawba County?
Newton, laid out in 1845, is the county seat; Hickory is the largest city.

How many towns and cities are in Catawba County?
Four cities — Hickory, Newton, Conover and Claremont — four towns — Long View,
Maiden, Catawba and Brookford — and three census-designated places: St. Stephens, Mountain
View and Lake Norman of Catawba.

What ZIP codes does Catawba County use?
28601–28603 for Hickory, 28658 for Newton, 28613 for Conover, 28650 for Maiden, 28610 for
Claremont, 28609 for Catawba, 28602 for Brookford, 28673 for Sherrills Ford and 28682 for
Terrell.

What is Catawba County known for?
Its fiber-optic manufacturing base at CommScope and Corning, Apple’s Maiden data center and
solar farm, and Hickory’s furniture-industry history.

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