Iredell County, North Carolina

Iredell County is a county in North Carolina, United States, on the north shore of Lake Norman between Charlotte and the Yadkin Valley. It had a population of 186,693 at the 2020 census and covers 597 square miles (1,547 km2) centred near 35°49′N 80°52′W.

Statesville is the county seat, and its postal code is 28677. The county contains 1 city, 5 towns, 1 census-designated place, and several unincorporated communities. Iredell County is in the Eastern time zone.

Towns & Villages in Iredell County

Iredell County has one city, five incorporated towns, one census-designated place (CDP), and a scattering of older unincorporated crossroads communities. Statesville, the seat, and Mooresville, the county’s largest town, anchor growth along the Interstate 77 corridor; the smaller towns and unincorporated places lie mostly in the county’s rural north and west.

Davidson, best known as the home of Davidson College, is chartered in neighboring Mecklenburg County but its town limits extend a short distance across the line into southern Iredell County; the vast majority of its addresses and its own ZIP code sit in Mecklenburg. Lake Norman of Iredell is a residential community on the lakeshore near Mooresville, distinct from the town itself.

ZIP Codes

• 28625 — Statesville
• 28677 — Statesville
• 28687 — Statesville (PO box)
• 28115 — Mooresville
• 28117 — Mooresville (also serves Lake Norman of Iredell)
• 28166 — Troutman
• 28634 — Harmony
• 28660 — Olin
• 28689 — Union Grove
• 28688 — Turnersburg (PO box)
• 28699 — Scotts (PO box)
• 28010 — Barium Springs (PO box)
• 28123 — Mount Mourne (PO box)

Love Valley and the smaller crossroads communities receive mail through the nearest ZIP-code town rather than having one of their own.

Geography

Iredell County sits in the western Piedmont, where rolling farmland gives way to the granite outcrops and lake shoreline of the Catawba River system. Lake Norman, North Carolina’s largest man-made reservoir, forms much of the county’s southeastern and southern boundary and drives most of the growth around Mooresville and Davidson. Of the county’s 597 square miles, about 23 square miles are water.

Iredell County borders Wilkes County and Yadkin County to the north, Davie County and Rowan County to the east, Cabarrus County to the southeast, Mecklenburg County to the south, Lincoln County and Catawba County to the southwest, and Alexander County to the west.

Demographics

Iredell County had 186,693 residents at the 2020 census, making it one of North Carolina’s larger and faster-growing counties on the strength of the Lake Norman and Charlotte-suburb corridor. Mooresville, with 50,193 people, is the largest community, followed by the county seat, Statesville, with 28,419. Median household income runs above the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting the county’s mix of manufacturing wages and Charlotte-commuter households around Mooresville and Davidson. Population density is roughly 313 people per square mile of land.

Economy & Local Life

Manufacturing has long anchored Statesville’s economy, alongside furniture, textiles, and food processing. Mooresville is widely known as “Race City USA,” home to the headquarters and race shops of numerous NASCAR teams, and hosts Lowe’s corporate headquarters, one of the county’s largest employers. Lake Norman supports a large recreation and marina economy along the county’s southern shoreline, and agriculture, particularly cattle and poultry, continues in the county’s rural north around Harmony and Union Grove.

History

Iredell County was formed in 1788 from Rowan County and named for James Iredell, an early justice of the U.S. Supreme Court appointed by George Washington. Statesville was established as the county seat the following year. The county grew as a rail and manufacturing center through the 19th and 20th centuries; more recently, the damming of the Catawba River to create Lake Norman in the 1960s reshaped the county’s southern half into one of the fastest-growing parts of the Charlotte region.

Getting There

Interstate 77 runs north–south through the county, connecting Statesville and Mooresville directly to Charlotte, while Interstate 40 crosses through Statesville east–west. US Routes 21, 64, and 70 also serve the county.

• Charlotte — 35 miles south
• Winston-Salem — 45 miles northeast
• Hickory — 30 miles southwest
• Salisbury — 25 miles east

The Statesville Regional Airport handles general aviation. The nearest major commercial airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport, about 35 miles south of Statesville.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Iredell County, North Carolina?
It is in the western Piedmont of North Carolina, north of Charlotte, along the shore of Lake Norman.

What is the population of Iredell County?
Iredell County had a population of 186,693 at the 2020 census.

How big is Iredell County?
The county covers 597 square miles (1,547 km2), including about 23 square miles of water in Lake Norman.

What is the county seat of Iredell County?
Statesville is the county seat.

How many towns are in Iredell County?
The county has one city (Statesville) and five incorporated towns: Mooresville, Troutman, Harmony, Love Valley, and Davidson (which is chiefly in Mecklenburg County).

What ZIP codes are in Iredell County?
ZIP codes include 28677 and 28625 (Statesville), 28115 and 28117 (Mooresville), 28166 (Troutman), 28634 (Harmony), and several smaller PO-box ZIPs such as 28660 (Olin) and 28689 (Union Grove).

Why is Mooresville called “Race City USA”?
Mooresville hosts the headquarters and race shops of numerous NASCAR teams, giving it one of the highest concentrations of stock-car racing operations of any town in the country.

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