Polk County is a county in North Carolina, United States, tucked against the South Carolina line in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It had a population of 19,328 at the 2020 census and covers 238 square miles (620 km2) centred near 35°17′N 82°10′W.
Columbus is the county seat, and its postal code is 28722. The county has three incorporated towns (Columbus, Tryon and Saluda, the last shared with neighboring Henderson County), plus a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities such as Mill Spring and Green Creek. Polk County sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Polk County
Polk County has three incorporated towns and roughly twenty smaller unincorporated communities, most of them rural crossroads that never grew a town government. The table below carries over every settlement name documented for the county; Unincorp. entries are informal place names rather than governed towns, so most have no separately reported 2020 population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | City · seat | 1,163 | 28722 |
| Tryon | Town | 1,646 | 28782 |
| Saluda | Town | 713 | 28773 |
| Mill Spring | Unincorp. | — | 28756 |
| Green Creek | Unincorp. | — | 28726 |
| Lynn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beulah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burnt Chimney Corner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Collinsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cox Store | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hickory Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kross Keys | Unincorp. | — | — |
| McGinnis Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Melrose | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Valley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pea Ridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peniel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Poplar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandy Plains | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sandy Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stearns | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sunny View | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Valhalla | Unincorp. | — | — |
Saluda straddles the Polk–Henderson county line; the town hall and most of its historic depot district sit on the Polk County side. No other name on this list is shared with a neighboring county’s page.
ZIP Codes
- 28722 — Columbus (county seat)
- 28782 — Tryon
- 28773 — Saluda
- 28756 — Mill Spring
- 28726 — Green Creek
The remaining unincorporated communities are served by the Columbus, Tryon or Mill Spring post offices rather than carrying a ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Polk County lies at the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, where the mountains drop sharply toward the South Carolina Piedmont. The Green River and the North Pacolet River drain the county, and the Blue Ridge escarpment near Saluda gives the Norfolk Southern rail line its famous Saluda Grade, the steepest standard-gauge mainline grade in the United States. Of the county’s 238 square miles, about 0.7 square miles is water.
Polk County borders Henderson County to the west, Rutherford County to the north, and Greenville and Spartanburg counties in South Carolina to the south and southeast.
Demographics
Polk County had 19,328 residents at the 2020 census. Tryon, at 1,646 people, is the county’s largest municipality, followed by Columbus at 1,163. Median household income in Polk County runs below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting the county’s older, retirement-heavy population and rural economic base. Population density works out to roughly 81 people per square mile, well under the statewide average.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism, equestrian sports and retirement/second-home living anchor Polk County’s economy. The Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring hosted the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and now runs year-round competitions that draw riders and spectators from across the country. Saluda’s small historic downtown, built around the old railroad depot, and Tryon’s arts and antiques district both depend heavily on visitor spending. Agriculture, including cattle and horse farms, remains part of the county’s rural land use alongside light manufacturing near Columbus.
History
Polk County was formed in 1855 from parts of Henderson and Rutherford counties. It was named for Colonel William Polk, a North Carolina officer in the American Revolutionary War. The county’s mountain-edge terrain made it a summer retreat for lowland Carolinians and Georgians from the late 1800s onward, a pattern that shaped Tryon’s and Saluda’s development as resort towns long before the equestrian center existed. The Saluda Grade railway, completed in the 1870s, was central to the county’s early growth and remains a defining local landmark even though regular freight service ended in 2001.
Getting There
Interstate 26 crosses the southern part of the county, connecting Columbus to Hendersonville and Asheville to the northwest and Spartanburg, South Carolina, to the southeast. US Route 176 links Saluda to Tryon and on to Columbus.
- Hendersonville — 20 miles northwest
- Spartanburg, SC — 25 miles southeast
- Asheville — 40 miles northwest
- Greenville, SC — 35 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina; Asheville Regional Airport is a similar distance to the northwest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Polk County, North Carolina?
It sits in the southwestern part of the state, on the South Carolina line, between Henderson and Rutherford counties.
What is the population of Polk County?
19,328 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Polk County?
238 square miles (620 km2), making it one of North Carolina’s smaller counties by area.
What is the county seat of Polk County?
Columbus is the county seat.
How many towns are in Polk County?
Three incorporated towns — Columbus, Tryon and Saluda — plus about twenty unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Polk County?
28722 (Columbus), 28782 (Tryon), 28773 (Saluda), 28756 (Mill Spring) and 28726 (Green Creek).
Where was the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games held?
At the Tryon International Equestrian Center near Mill Spring, in Polk County.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.