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King, North Carolina

Coordinates: 36°16′37″N 80°21′24″W / 36.27694°N 80.35667°W / 36.27694; -80.35667
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King, North Carolina
City
South Main Street in King
South Main Street in King
Flag of King, North Carolina
Flag
Official seal of King, North Carolina
Seal
Nickname: 
Gateway To The Foothills
Location of King, North Carolina
Location of King, North Carolina
Coordinates: 36°16′37″N 80°21′24″W / 36.27694°N 80.35667°W / 36.27694; -80.35667
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountiesStokes, Forsyth
Incorporated1983
Named forOscar King[1]
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorJack Warren[citation needed]
Area
[2]
 • Total6.10 sq mi (15.80 km2)
 • Land6.04 sq mi (15.66 km2)
 • Water0.06 sq mi (0.14 km2)
Elevation
[3]
1,063 ft (324 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total7,197
 • Density1,190.57/sq mi (459.66/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
27021
Area code336
FIPS code37-35760[4]
GNIS feature ID2404830[3]
Websitewww.ci.king.nc.us

King is a city in Stokes and Forsyth counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,096 at the 2020 census.[5] King is part of the Piedmont Triad metropolitan area, located 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Winston-Salem.

History

[edit]

The town was originally called "King's Cabin". Charles and Francis King lived in a cabin owned by Francis's father for a short time in the 1830s. Being Quakers and against slavery, the King family moved to the free North. According to television journalist and historian Chad Tucker's book Images of America, King (2006), after the King family left their home it was used by locals as a landmark or reference point in giving directions. Several decades later when a post office was established in 1888 it was named for that reference point, King's Cabin. The railroad laid tracks a few years later and shortened the name to "King" in its business transactions, and to eliminate confusion the post office followed on September 26, 1894. Charles and Francis King never returned to Stokes County and never knew their former home became the namesake of a town.

According to Tucker, the community grew into an unincorporated town of schools and businesses. With the first automobile arriving by train in October 1911, new highways followed. With new roads, the town's proximity to Winston-Salem, and a new four-lane Highway 52 built in the 1960s, King opened its doors to growth, turning farmland into subdivisions. Community groups acted as an unofficial town council, providing services such as a fire department, water and sewer. On September 13, 1983, King became an incorporated city, 95 years after the King's Cabin post office opened.[6]

The King Historic District and Rock House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[7]

Geography

[edit]

King is located in southern Stokes County, with parts of the city limits extending south into Forsyth County. U.S. Route 52, a four-lane freeway, passes through the city south and west of the center, with access from Exit 123. Downtown Winston-Salem is 16 miles (26 km) southeast via US 52, and Mount Airy is 21 miles (34 km) to the northwest. Pilot Mountain State Park is 8 miles (13 km) and Hanging Rock State Park is 16 miles (26 km) to the north. It's a 40-minute drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains via the Blue Ridge Parkway.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km2), of which 5.8 square miles (15.1 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.93%, is water.[8]

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19904,059—
20005,95246.6%
20106,90416.0%
20207,1974.2%
2021 (est.)7,156[5]−0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9][10]

2020 census

[edit]
King racial composition[11]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 6,397 88.88%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 166 2.31%
Native American 19 0.26%
Asian 80 1.11%
Other/Mixed 244 3.39%
Hispanic or Latino 291 4.04%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,197 people, 2,956 households, and 1,954 families residing in the city.

2010 census

[edit]

As of the census[4] of 2010, there were 6,904 people, and 2,503 households, residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 97.73% White, 2.59% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.05% of the population.

Education

[edit]

High school

[edit]
  • West Stokes High School
  • Meadowbrook Academy

Private School

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: King, North Carolina
  4. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  6. ^ Tucker, Chad. Images of America, King. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.
  7. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  8. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), King city, North Carolina". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
  9. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  12. ^ Gen Billy Joe Boles. Military Hall of Honor. Retrieved Jul 28, 2020.
  13. ^ Sam Gibson Stats. Baseball-Reference. Retrieved Jul 28, 2020.
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