Randolph County is a county in North Carolina, United States, in the central Piedmont, with Asheboro marking the state’s official geographic center. It had a population of 144,171 at the 2020 census and covers 790 square miles (2,046 km2) centred near 35°43′N 79°49′W.
Asheboro is the county seat, and its postal code is 27203. The county has 10 incorporated cities and towns plus more than 50 named unincorporated communities and crossroads, and it runs on Eastern time. Randolph County’s FIPS code is 37151.
Towns & Villages in Randolph County
Randolph County has 10 incorporated municipalities — Asheboro is the only city with a population over 20,000, and several of the towns straddle a border with a neighboring county. Everything else on the list below is an unincorporated community or crossroads (labelled Unincorp.) with no separate municipal government; most have no independent population count, marked —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheboro | City · seat | 27,204 | 27203 |
| Archdale | City | 11,415 | 27263 |
| Randleman | City | 4,132 | 27317 |
| Trinity | City | 6,689 | 27370 |
| Liberty | Town | 2,798 | 27298 |
| Ramseur | Town | 1,835 | 27316 |
| Franklinville | Town | 1,320 | 27248 |
| Staley | Town | 413 | 27355 |
| Seagrove | Town | 259 | 27341 |
| Central Falls | Town | 68 | — |
| Cedar Falls | Unincorp. | — | 27230 |
| Coleridge | Unincorp. | — | 27234 |
| Farmer | Unincorp. | — | 27341 |
| Level Cross | Unincorp. | — | 27239 |
| Sophia | Unincorp. | — | 27350 |
| Grays Chapel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Market | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Hope | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Worthville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glenola | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pisgah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ulah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Progress | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Redcross | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Trinity Park | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Asheboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Shore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jackson Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cedar Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briarcliff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Flint Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Millboro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mechanic | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martha | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edgar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eleazer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roxana | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Melanchton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Michfield | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Motleta | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mundo Vista | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dayspring | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hedrick Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piney Mountain Estates | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Laurel Wood Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamlet Lakes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Redding Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Robins Nest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Country Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stones Throw | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westridge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Westwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Winningham Farm | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Yow Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Coltranes Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fuller Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Aumans Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Browns Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Parks Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cheeks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Linberry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ravenwood | Unincorp. | — | — |
Archdale and Trinity both sit on the Randolph–Davidson county line, and Liberty sits on the Randolph–Guilford line; a small slice of High Point, whose city government and address system are based in Guilford County, also extends into northern Randolph. Asheboro is the state’s official geographic-center city, a distinction it earned because the population center of North Carolina fell inside the county, near Seagrove, at the most recent census.
ZIP Codes
- 27203 — Asheboro (also serves North Asheboro, Trinity Park)
- 27263 — Archdale
- 27317 — Randleman
- 27370 — Trinity
- 27298 — Liberty
- 27316 — Ramseur
- 27248 — Franklinville (also serves Coltranes Mill, Worthville)
- 27355 — Staley
- 27341 — Seagrove (also serves Farmer)
- 27230 — Cedar Falls
- 27234 — Coleridge
- 27239 — Level Cross
- 27350 — Sophia
Most of the county’s smaller crossroads communities — Cheeks, Pisgah, Ulah, Salem, Progress and the rest — have no post office of their own and are served by the nearest town ZIP above.
Geography
Randolph County lies in the Piedmont plateau, a belt of rolling hills and hardwood forest cut by the Deep River and Uwharrie River systems. The Uwharrie Mountains, among the oldest eroded mountain ranges in North America, cross the southern part of the county, and the Uwharrie National Forest occupies a large tract in the south and southwest. The Deep River runs west to east through Asheboro and Franklinville before leaving the county toward Chatham. The county is bordered by Guilford County to the north, Alamance County to the northeast, Chatham County to the east, Moore County to the south, Montgomery County to the southwest, and Davidson County to the west.
Demographics
Randolph County had 144,171 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 184 people per square mile. Asheboro (27,204) and Archdale (11,415) are its two largest communities; every other municipality has fewer than 7,000 residents. Median household income runs below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting the county’s manufacturing-heavy job base rather than the higher-wage Piedmont Triad metro core it borders.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing anchors the local economy, from furniture and textiles historically to plastics, food processing and metalworking today; the county is regularly classified among North Carolina’s least economically distressed (tier-1) counties. Asheboro is home to the North Carolina Zoo, the largest natural-habitat zoo in the country by land area, which draws visitors from across the state and anchors the county’s tourism sector. Randolph Community College, based in Asheboro, is the county’s main higher-education institution.
History
Randolph County was formed in 1779 from part of Guilford County and named for Peyton Randolph, the first president of the Continental Congress. Asheboro was established as the county seat the same year and named for North Carolina governor Samuel Ashe. The county’s Quaker and German settler heritage shaped its early economy of small farms and water-powered mills along the Deep and Uwharrie rivers, several of which — including the mills at Franklinville and Cedar Falls — developed into the county’s first textile-manufacturing towns in the 19th century.
Getting There
U.S. Route 64 and U.S. Route 220 (part of the future I-73/I-74 corridor) cross through Asheboro, and NC Highway 42 and NC 22 link the county’s smaller towns.
- Greensboro — 25 miles north
- High Point — 18 miles north
- Charlotte — 75 miles southwest
- Raleigh — 75 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) in Greensboro.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Randolph County, North Carolina?
It sits in the central Piedmont, directly south of Greensboro and High Point, and is the official geographic center of North Carolina.
What is the population of Randolph County?
144,171 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Randolph County?
790 square miles (2,046 km2), including about 6.4 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Randolph County?
Asheboro is the county seat.
How many towns are in Randolph County?
10 incorporated cities and towns, plus more than 50 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Randolph County?
Asheboro’s postal code is 27203; the county’s other towns each have their own ZIP, listed above.
Is the North Carolina Zoo in Randolph County?
Yes — the North Carolina Zoo sits just outside Asheboro and is the county’s best-known attraction.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.