Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city of 19,505 people in Lenoir County, North Carolina, founded in 1762.
Why visit Kinston
Townapedia lists 30 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 30 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Premiere Theatre 7, American Tobacco Company Prizery and Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Freight Depot.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 35°F.
Weather in Kinston
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kinston
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States, with a population of 19,900 as of the 2020 census. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791. Kinston is located in the coastal plains region of eastern North Carolina.
From the Wikipedia article Kinston, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Lenoir County Farmers Market
Farm and orchard · 1.1 mi
100 North Heritage Street, Kinston
Museums and landmarks30
American Tobacco Company Prizery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
United States historic place
Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Freight Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Railway station in North Carolina
B. W. Canady House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Cedar Dell
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.6 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
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CSS Neuse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Confederate ironclad
Harmony Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house in Kinston, North Carolina, USA
Hill–Grainger Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic district in Kinston, North Carolina
Hotel Kinston
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Hotel in Kinston, United States of America
Jesse Jackson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic home in North Carolina
Kinston Apartments
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Apartment building in Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Kinston Fire Station-City Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
City hall in Kinston, North Carolina
18 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Grainger Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 1.1 mi
401 East Grainger Avenue, Kinston
Restaurants and cafes30
Chef and the Farmer
Restaurant · Regional · 1.1 mi
120 West Gordon Street, Kinston
Mo-Th 17:00-21:30, Fr-Sa 17:00-22:30
Hawk's Nest Cafe and General Store
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
100 South Queen Street, Kinston
Mo-Fr 07:00-15:00; Sa 07:00-14:00
El Nuevo Tequila Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.6 mi
1030 West New Bern Road, Kinston
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
HOW II
Restaurant · Chinese, Steak House · 0.4 mi
701 West Vernon Avenue
Mo-We 16:00-21:00; Th-Sa 16:00-23:00
Pelican's SnoBalls
Ice cream · 2.3 mi
211 East New Bern Road, Kinston
18 more on the map.
Where to stay7
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Kinston
Motel and hotel · 3.4 mi
1156 Hill Farm Road, Kinston
Quality Inn Kinston Hwy 70
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
200 West New Bern Road, Kinston
Churches and places of worship33
Baptist Parsonage
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Kinston Baptist-White Rock Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.7 mi
2261 Greenville Highway, Kinston
Shopping5
Gas and EV charging15
Pure
Gas station · 1.3 mi
801 Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Kinston
Speedway
Gas station · 1.3 mi
708 Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Kinston
Schools, colleges and libraries27
Healthcare9
Map of Kinston
170 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 35°F | 3.7 in | 0.3 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 37°F | 3.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 42°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 51°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 82°F | 60°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 68°F | 5.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 71°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 70°F | 6.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 64°F | 6.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 53°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 67°F | 44°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 38°F | 3.3 in | 0.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kinston Ag Rsch (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
Lenoir County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-06: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-10-14: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Kinston Regional Jetport at Stallings Field (ISO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Jackson Heights 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Dover 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Hookerton 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Grifton 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- La Grange 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Goldsboro 22 mi west, about 36 min by car
- Greenville 25 mi northeast, about 41 min by car
- Jacksonville 39 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Havelock 47 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Clayton 55 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 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
- Queen Street United Methodist Church and the Kinston Hotel, Kinston, North Carolina, Indy beetle, CC0
- Winn Dixie Kinston, NC (7848969814), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kmart Kinston, NC (7849124564), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kmart Kinston, NC (7849125528), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Greetings from Kinston, North Carolina - Large Letter Postcard (8502254323), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Kmart Kinston, NC (7849129440), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kmart Kinston, NC (7849126876), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kmart Kinston, NC (7849127806), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kinston Apartments, Nyttend, Public domain
- Grainger Elderly Housing - Kinston, NC, PimpSugar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Imperial Tobacco Company Building, Kinston, Nyttend, Public domain
- Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library, PimpSugar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kinston Sculpture, BobAMac5761, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hotel Kinston, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Flight at Mother Earth Brewing (Kinston, North Carolina), The ed17, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Grainger Stadium - Kinston, NC, PimpSugar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mother Earth Brewing's tap room in Kinston, North Carolina - October 2021, The ed17, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kinston Fire Station-City Hall, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kinston Fire Station, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kinston Baptist-White Rock Presbyterian Church, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peoples Bank Building, Kinston, Nyttend, Public domain
- US-70 Bypass in Kinston, NCDOTcommunications, CC BY 2.0
- CSS Neuse Rear View, Katyrw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cedar Dell, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mother earth lodge, Katyrw, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mitchelltown Historic District, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- American Tobacco Company Prizery, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hill-Grainger Historic District, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- B. W. Canady House, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Queen Street United Methodist Church, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sumrell and McCoy Building, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Freight Depot, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Chef & the Farmer, PimpSugar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Queen-Gordon Streets Historic District, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- UNC Lenoir Healthcare Exterior, PimpSugar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Standard Drug No. 2, Nyttend, Public domain
- Lenoir County Courthouse, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Harmony Hall, Dub1zero6, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peebles House, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Baptist Parsonage, Tradewinds, CC BY-SA 3.0
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