Fairplains, North Carolina
Fairplains is a community of 1,803 people in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
Why visit Fairplains
Townapedia lists 16 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 10 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Brown-Cowles House and Cowles Law Office and Downtown Main Street Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Fairplains
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fairplains
Fairplains is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,029 at the 2020 census. The community was named "fairplains" because it was located at the geographic point where the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains begin to level off to the gently rolling Piedmont region of central North Carolina.
From the Wikipedia article Fairplains, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks16
Brown-Cowles House and Cowles Law Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Wilkesboro, NC, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
Downtown Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Downtown Wilkesboro Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
J. L. Hemphill House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
J. T. Ferguson Store
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic building in North Carolina, US
Johnson-Hubbard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Lincoln Heights School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic six-teacher Rosenwald School
Old Wilkes County Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Prison in Wilkesboro, United States of America
Robert Cleveland Log House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Southern Railway Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Railway station in North Wilkesboro, the United States of America
Thomas B. Finley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Thomas B. Finley Law Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic law office located at Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, North Carolina
4 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes10
Hilltop Restaurant
Diner · American · 1.4 mi
1205 2nd Street, North Wilkesboro
18 North Sandwiches and More
Fast food · Sandwich
228 Sparta Road, North Wilkesboro
Churches and places of worship12
St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Cemetery
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
First Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 2.1 mi
401 6th Street, North Wilkesboro
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries12
C C Wright Elementary School
School · 4.6 mi
200 Cc Wright School Rd, North Wilkesboro
Millers Creek Elementary School
School · 5.2 mi
4320 North Nc Hwy 16, Millers Creek
Mulberry Elementary School
School · 3.4 mi
190 Mulberry School Rd, North Wilkesboro
North Wilkes Middle School
School · 4.7 mi
2776 Yellow Banks Road, North Wilkesboro
Wilkes Early College High School
School · 4.3 mi
1328 S Collegiate Dr, Wilkesboro
Healthcare2
Map of Fairplains
61 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48°F | 27°F | 4.4 in | 2.0 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 29°F | 3.3 in | 1.4 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 36°F | 4.4 in | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 44°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 53°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 62°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 66°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 65°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 58°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 70°F | 46°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 60°F | 35°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 51°F | 30°F | 4.4 in | 1.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for N Wilkesboro (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Wilkes County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-06: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2021-03-03: Tropical Storm Eta (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wilkes County Airport (IKB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- North Wilkesboro 2 mi southeast, about 3 min by car
- Mulberry 2 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Cricket 3 mi southwest, about 5 min by car
- Wilkesboro 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Hays 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Millers Creek 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Moravian Falls 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Elkin 18 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Jonesville 18 mi east, about 29 min by car
- Taylorsville 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Brown-Cowles House with driveway, Nyttend, Public domain
- Thomas B. Finley Law Office, Nyttend, Public domain
- Thomas B. Finley House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Wilkesboro NC Old Courthouse, NatalieMaynor, CC BY 2.0
- Lincoln Heights School, rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Southern Railway Depot North Wilkesboro, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WilkesboroOldJail, Jan Kronsell at Danish Wikipedia, Public domain
- Wilkesboro Smithey Hotel, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Wilkesboro Municipal Building, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wilkesboro St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- WilksboroJTFerguson, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NorthWilkesboroDowntown, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Johnson Hubbard House, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Robert Cleveland Log House, Nyttend, Public domain
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