Lenoir, North Carolina
Lenoir is a city of 18,299 people in Caldwell County, North Carolina, founded in 1841.
Why visit Lenoir
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 19 parks and trails, 85 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Golden Ticket Cinemas, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, Lenoir Downtown Historic District and Lenoir High School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Lenoir
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lenoir
Lenoir is a city in and the county seat of Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 18,263 at the 2020 census. Lenoir is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. To the northeast are the Brushy Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
From the Wikipedia article Lenoir, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute
School · 4.2 mi
College in North Carolina, U.S.
Big Tomato Produce Market
Farm and orchard · 2.2 mi
1405 Main Street Northwest, Lenoir
Museums and landmarks12
Lenoir Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Lenoir High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic school building in North Carolina, United States
1114 College Avenue Southwest, Lenoir
Caldwell County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Courthouse in North Carolina, United States
Carolina and Northwestern Railway Freight Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic railway station located at Lenoir, North Carolina
Edgar Allan Poe House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Green Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Hudson Cotton Manufacturing Company
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Historic industrial complex in North Carolina, US
Lenoir Cotton Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Cotton mill in Lenoir, North Carolina
Lenoir Grammar School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic school building in North Carolina, United States
Mary's Grove
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds19
West End Community Park
Park · 1.8 mi
538 Willow Street Northwest, Lenoir
Mo-Su 09:00-21:00
Mack Cook Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 1.4 mi
1114 College Avenue Southwest, Lenoir
7 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes85
Los Izotes Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.2 mi
1506 Main Street Northwest, Lenoir
Tu-Th 10:00-19:30; Fr,Sa 10:00-19:30; Su 10:00-18:00
BBQ Man
Restaurant · 3.2 mi
2608 Hickory Boulevard, Hudson
We-Sa 11:00-20:00; Su 12:00-14:00
1841 Cafe
Diner · American · 1.2 mi
117 Main Street Northwest, Lenoir
AJ's Family Steakhouse
Diner · American · 0.9 mi
314 Blowing Rock Boulevard, Lenoir
Blue Moose Coffee Lodge
Cafe · Coffee · 0.7 mi
250 Morganton Boulevard Southwest, Lenoir
Cazuelas Dona Vicky
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.9 mi
361 Harper Avenue Northwest, Lenoir
City Cafe
Diner · American · 1.2 mi
616 Harper Avenue Northwest, Lenoir
Cork and Barrel
Restaurant · Deli, Wine · 1.3 mi
912 West Avenue Northwest, Lenoir
73 more on the map.
History
Lenoir was established in 1841 and incorporated in 1851. The city was named for Revolutionary War general and early North Carolina statesman William Lenoir, who settled north of present-day Lenoir. His restored home, Fort Defiance, is a tourist attraction.
From the History section of Lenoir, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
American Motel
Motel and hotel · 0.6 mi
350 Wilkesboro Boulevard Southeast, Lenoir
Days Inn by Wyndham Lenoir
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
206 Blowing Rock Boulevard, Lenoir
Churches and places of worship53
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.4 mi
101 Countryside Drive Southeast, Lenoir
Bushtown Mennonite Bretheren Church
Church · Mennonite · 2.9 mi
1474 Old North Road
Shopping15
Dead People’s Stuff Antique’s & Emporium
Shop · 1.3 mi
812 West Avenue Northwest, Lenoir
Corner Stone Christian Book
Shop · 1.0 mi
1031 Morganton Boulevard Southwest, Lenoir
Gas and EV charging22
Bobbie's Quick Stop
Gas station · 1.4 mi
1302 Morganton Boulevard Southwest, Lenoir
Hibriton Quality Plus
Gas station · 1.9 mi
1350 Wilkesboro Boulevard Northeast, Lenoir
Schools, colleges and libraries21
Healthcare8
Medical Arts Pharmacy
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
328 Mulberry Street Southwest, Lenoir
Map of Lenoir
246 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49°F | 27°F | 3.9 in | 1.3 in |
| Feb | 53°F | 30°F | 3.3 in | 0.2 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 36°F | 4.3 in | 0.3 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 45°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 54°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 63°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 67°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 65°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 59°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 46°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 36°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 52°F | 30°F | 4.3 in | 2.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lenoir Hcn (1 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
Caldwell County has had 16 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)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2021-03-03: Tropical Storm Eta (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Foothills Regional Airport (MRN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 miles away.
- Cajah's Mountain 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Hickory 16 mi southeast, about 26 min by car
- Boone 23 mi north, about 37 min by car
- Lake Norman of Iredell 41 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Cornelius 47 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Kings Mountain 47 mi south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Gastonia 49 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Davidson 49 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Huntersville 50 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Belmont 54 mi southeast, 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
- Lenoir, Dmanisgnarly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Commencement Day in Lenoir. April 4th 1913, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- LenoirElementary, Bigdaverhuberg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lenoir Main Street-27527, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- Lenoir CSA Memorial-27527, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- Caldwell County Courthouse - Lenoir, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Scenes from Lenoir, North Carolina 06, Indy beetle, CC0
- First Baptist Church, Lenoir, Nyttend, Public domain
- LenoirHighSchool, Bigdaverhuberg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lenoir Cotton Mill from north, Nyttend, Public domain
- C&NW freight station, Lenoir, Nyttend, Public domain
- Edgar Allan Poe House, Lenoir, North Carolina, Loudounva57, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Court House, Lenoir, North Carolina, Loudounva57, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of the Epiphany - Built 1948, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ShufordHudson, Bigdaverhuberg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wooden deck boards, Tornado Elliott, CC0
- Hibriten, Dmanisgnarly, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Long exposure shot of water, WXchaser, CC BY 4.0
- Hibriten Mountain-27527, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- Fireworks-27527-1, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- Fireworks-27527-2, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- Fireworks-27527-3, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- ISS026-E-20621 - View of North Carolina, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS050-E-34274 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-282310 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-281176 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-278789 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Tree-27527, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- Vickie Sutton, SA227, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Black Mountain Sunset-27527, Ken Thomas, Public domain
- RabbDairy, Bigdaverhuberg, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.