Lenoir County is a county in North Carolina, United States, on the coastal plain along the Neuse River in the eastern part of the state. It had a population of 55,122 at the 2020 census and covers 401 square miles (1,040 km2) centred near 35°14′N 77°38′W.
Kinston is the county seat and its postal code is 28501. The county has one city, two incorporated towns, and a scattering of unincorporated communities and rural crossroads spread across twelve townships. Lenoir County sits in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 37107.
Towns & Villages in Lenoir County
Lenoir County has three incorporated places — Kinston, La Grange, and Pink Hill — plus dozens of unincorporated communities, mill villages, and crossroads settlements scattered through its twelve townships. “Unincorp.” in the table below means the place has no municipal government of its own; population and ZIP are shown only where a figure could be confirmed.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinston | City · seat | Kinston | 19,900 | 28501–28504 |
| La Grange | Town | Woodington | 2,595 | 28551 |
| Pink Hill | Town | Pink Hill | 451 | 28572 |
| Deep Run | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | 28527 |
| Institute | Unincorp. | Institute | — | — |
| Tick Bite | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Grifton | Town (mostly Pitt Co.) | Contentnea Neck | — | 28530 |
| Falling Creek | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Woodington | Unincorp. | Woodington | — | — |
| Sandy Bottom | Unincorp. | Neuse | — | — |
| Wheat Swamp | Unincorp. | Neuse | — | — |
| Moss Hill | Unincorp. | Vance | — | — |
| Strabane | Unincorp. | Southwest | — | — |
| Sharon | Unincorp. | Southwest | — | — |
| Georgetown | Unincorp. | Trent | — | — |
| Jonestown | Unincorp. | Moseley Hall | — | — |
| Dawson | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Rivermont | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Eastover | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Northview | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Southwood | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Eastwood | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Westwood | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Clubview | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Tanglewood | Unincorp. | Kinston | — | — |
| Elm Grove | Unincorp. | Woodington | — | — |
| Fields | Unincorp. | Woodington | — | — |
| Bucklesberry | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Heath | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Fountain Hill | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Hugo | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Hullwood | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Liddell | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Nobles Mill | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Shadetown | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Savannah | Unincorp. | Sand Hill | — | — |
| Little Baltimore | Unincorp. | Institute | — | — |
| Jenny Lind | Unincorp. | Institute | — | — |
| Pot Neck | Unincorp. | Contentnea Neck | — | — |
| Parrott Fork | Unincorp. | Contentnea Neck | — | — |
| Parrots | Unincorp. | Contentnea Neck | — | — |
| Closs | Unincorp. | Contentnea Neck | — | — |
| Grainger’s Crossroads | Unincorp. | Contentnea Neck | — | — |
| Husseys Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Loftins Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Nobles Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Mewborns Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Irvings Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Jacksons Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| West Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Wootens Crossroads | Unincorp. | Falling Creek | — | — |
| Blands Crossroads | Unincorp. | Woodington | — | — |
| Tulls Mill | Unincorp. | Moseley Hall | — | — |
| Lawsons Mill | Unincorp. | Moseley Hall | — | — |
| Dupreeville | Unincorp. | Moseley Hall | — | — |
| Hines Junction | Unincorp. | Moseley Hall | — | — |
| Harveytown | Unincorp. | Vance | — | — |
| Brooks | Unincorp. | Vance | — | — |
Kinston’s postal footprint (ZIP codes 28501–28504) covers most of Kinston Township; the remaining unincorporated crossroads and mill villages share their township’s rural-route ZIP rather than carrying one of their own. Grifton is chartered as a town but the bulk of its population and its town hall sit across the line in Pitt County, so it is listed here for its Lenoir County footprint only.
Townships
North Carolina counties are subdivided into civil townships used mainly for tax-district and historical record-keeping; they carry no separate government today. Lenoir County has twelve.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Kinston | — | Kinston, Dawson, Rivermont, Eastover |
| Woodington | — | La Grange, Elm Grove, Blands Crossroads |
| Sand Hill | — | Tick Bite, Bucklesberry, Savannah |
| Falling Creek | — | Deep Run, Falling Creek, Husseys Crossroads |
| Moseley Hall | — | Jonestown, Tulls Mill, Dupreeville |
| Contentnea Neck | — | Grifton (part), Pot Neck, Closs |
| Institute | — | Institute, Little Baltimore, Jenny Lind |
| Neuse | — | Sandy Bottom, Wheat Swamp |
| Pink Hill | — | Pink Hill |
| Southwest | — | Strabane, Sharon |
| Trent | — | Georgetown |
| Vance | — | Moss Hill, Harveytown, Brooks |
ZIP Codes
- 28501–28504 — Kinston (also serves the surrounding Kinston Township communities)
- 28551 — La Grange (also serves Woodington Township)
- 28572 — Pink Hill (also serves Pink Hill Township)
- 28527 — Deep Run (also serves Falling Creek Township)
- 28530 — Grifton (the town’s post office; most of the ZIP’s territory is across the line in Pitt County)
The county’s smaller crossroads and mill villages — Institute, Tick Bite, Strabane, and the rest — are served by a Kinston, La Grange, or Deep Run rural route rather than a ZIP of their own.
Geography
Lenoir County sits on North Carolina’s inner coastal plain, a flat to gently rolling landscape of farmland, pine plantation, and pocosin wetland. The Neuse River crosses the county from northwest to southeast through Kinston, and Contentnea Creek forms much of the county’s northeastern boundary before joining the Neuse. Of the county’s 401 square miles, about 2 square miles is water.
Lenoir County borders Greene County to the north, Pitt County to the northeast, Craven County to the east, Jones County to the southeast, Duplin County to the southwest, and Wayne County to the west.
Demographics
Lenoir County had 55,122 residents at the 2020 census. Kinston is by far the largest community at 19,900, followed by La Grange at 2,595. Median household income in the county runs well below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting the tobacco-and-textile-belt economy typical of the inner coastal plain. Population density works out to roughly 138 people per square mile, concentrated around Kinston and along the Neuse River corridor.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — tobacco, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and hog and poultry production — remains a major employer across the county’s rural townships, alongside food processing tied to that farm output. Kinston has diversified with healthcare (UNC Lenoir Health Care’s hospital campus) and manufacturing, including an aerospace-composites plant that draws workers from across the region. Kinston’s revitalized downtown, anchored by the Mother Earth Motor Lodge and CSS Neuse Civil War gunboat site, has become a regional draw, and the county fairgrounds host the Lenoir County Fair each fall.
History
Lenoir County was formed in 1791 from Dobbs County and named for William Lenoir, a Revolutionary War officer who fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain. Kinston, settled decades earlier on the Neuse River, served as North Carolina’s capital briefly during the Revolution and later grew as a tobacco-market and rail town. During the Civil War, Union and Confederate forces fought the Battle of Kinston in the county in 1862 and again in 1865, and the ironclad CSS Neuse was scuttled in the river near the city; the recovered hull is displayed in Kinston today.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 70 crosses the county through Kinston, linking it to Interstate 95 to the west and the Crystal Coast to the east; U.S. 258 and N.C. 11/55 provide the north-south routes through La Grange and Pink Hill. Kinston Regional Jetport offers general aviation and limited commercial service; the nearest larger commercial airport is in Greenville or New Bern.
- Goldsboro — 20 miles west
- Greenville — 25 miles northeast
- New Bern — 30 miles southeast
- Wilmington — 75 miles south
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Lenoir County, North Carolina?
It sits on the inner coastal plain of eastern North Carolina, along the Neuse River between Goldsboro and the coast.
What is the population of Lenoir County?
55,122 at the 2020 census.
How big is Lenoir County?
401 square miles (1,040 km2), of which about 2 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Lenoir County?
Kinston is the county seat.
How many towns are in Lenoir County?
One city, Kinston, and two incorporated towns, La Grange and Pink Hill, plus dozens of unincorporated communities across twelve townships.
What ZIP codes are in Lenoir County?
Kinston uses 28501–28504, La Grange 28551, Pink Hill 28572, and Deep Run 28527.
Why is the county named Lenoir?
It honors William Lenoir, a Revolutionary War officer who fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.