Columbus County, North Carolina

Columbus County Education, Geography, and History

Columbus County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 58,098. Its county seat is Whiteville.

Etymology - Origin of Columbus County Name

It was named in honor of the discoverer of the New World.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Columbus County History

Columbus was formed in 1808 from Brunswick and Bladen. It was named in honor of the discoverer of the New World. It is in the southeastern section of the State and is bounded by the state of South Carolina and Robeson, Bladen, Pender and Brunswick counties. The present land area is 936.80 square miles and the 2000 population was 54,749. In 1810 Whiteville was laid out on James B. White's land and the public buildings were ordered to be erected there. Whiteville is the county seat.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 954 square miles (2,470 km²), of which 937 square miles (2,430 km²) is land and 16 square miles (41 km²) (1.7%) is water. It is the third-largest county in North Carolina by land area. There are several large lakes within the county, including Lake Tabor and Lake Waccamaw.

On of the most significant geographic features is the Green Swamp, a 15,907 acre area along highway 211 in the north eastern portion of the county. It contains several unique and endangered species, such as the venus flytrap. The area contains the Brown Marsh Swamp, and is a remnant of the giant longleaf pine forest that once stretched across the Southeast from Virginia to Texas.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Bladen County - north
• Pender County - northeast
• Brunswick County - southeast
• Horry County, South Carolina - southwest
• Robeson County - northwest

Education

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