North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
North Wilkesboro is a town of 4,421 people in Wilkes County, North Carolina, founded in 1891.
Why visit North Wilkesboro
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 31 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Liberty Theatre Cinema, Southern Railway Depot and Brown-Cowles House and Cowles Law Office.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in North Wilkesboro
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About North Wilkesboro
North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,382 at the 2020 United States census. North Wilkesboro is located along the Yadkin River in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town is known as the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvement and as one of the early centers of stock-car racing.
From the Wikipedia article North Wilkesboro, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Liberty Theatre Cinema
Cinema and theater · 1.0 mi
816 Main Street, North Wilkesboro
Museums and landmarks18
Southern Railway Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Railway station in North Wilkesboro, the United States of America
Brown-Cowles House and Cowles Law Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Wilkesboro, NC, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
Downtown Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Downtown Wilkesboro Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
J. L. Hemphill House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
J. T. Ferguson Store
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic building in North Carolina, US
Johnson-Hubbard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Lincoln Heights School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic six-teacher Rosenwald School
Old Wilkes County Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Prison in Wilkesboro, United States of America
Robert Cleveland Log House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Thomas B. Finley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Thomas B. Finley Law Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic law office located at Wilkesboro, Wilkes County, North Carolina
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes31
Anchor Coffee Co
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.3 mi
1320 West D Street, North Wilkesboro
Mo 07:00-18:00; Tu 07:00-10:30; We-Sa 07:00-18:00; Su 10:00-17:00
La Fortuna
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.3 mi
1301 West D Street, North Wilkesboro
Mo-Tu off; We-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30; Su 11:00-21:00
Pupuseria y Taqueria Eben-Ezer
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.6 mi
198 Main Street, North Wilkesboro
Mo 11:00-18:00; We-Su 10:00-18:00; Fr 10:00-19:00; Sa 09:00-18:00
Roselli's on 10th
Restaurant · Italian · 1.1 mi
211 10th Street, North Wilkesboro
Tu-Sa 16:00-21:00; Su-Mo off
Talia Expresso
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi
809 Main Street, North Wilkesboro
Mo-Fr 07:00-16:30; Sa 07:30-16:30; Su off
Village Inn Pizza North Wilkesboro
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.8 mi
1922 W Park Drive, North Wilkesboro
Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 09:30-21:00
Zacks Pizza and wings
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.8 mi
600 Main Street, North Wilkesboro
Mo-Th 16:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-21:00; Su off
19 more on the map.
History
North Wilkesboro was founded in 1891 when the Norfolk and Southern Railroad built a railroad line into Wilkes County. The line ended on the northern bank of the Yadkin River opposite Wilkesboro, the county seat. The town of North Wilkesboro quickly developed around the railroad tracks. North Wilkesboro was home of the Carolina Mirror Company, which for many years was the largest mirror factory in the United States. Lowe's Foods, one of the Southeast's largest supermarket chains, was started in North Wilkesboro in 1954. Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, the nation's second-largest chain of home-improvement stores, was started in North Wilkesboro in 1946. Like many small towns and cities in rural North Carolina, North Wilkesboro has suffered since 2000 from the closing of nearly all of its textile and furniture factories, which have moved to low-wage locations in Latin America and Asia. The factories were a major part of the town's economic base.
From the History section of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship20
St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Cemetery
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Friendship Church of The Brethren
Church · Baptist · 1.9 mi
464 Friendship Cross Street, North Wilkesboro
First Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.7 mi
401 6th Street, North Wilkesboro
Rickards Chapel AME Zion Church
Church · 1.5 mi
1288 Old US Highway 421, North Wilkesboro
Shopping8
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries14
C C Wright Elementary School
School · 3.1 mi
200 Cc Wright School Rd, North Wilkesboro
Central Wilkes Middle School
School · 5.8 mi
3541 South Nc Hwy 16, Moravian Falls
Moravian Falls Elementary School
School · 5.7 mi
2001 Moravian Falls Rd, Moravian Falls
Mulberry Elementary School
School · 5.0 mi
190 Mulberry School Rd, North Wilkesboro
Wilkes Early College High School
School · 3.6 mi
1328 S Collegiate Dr, Wilkesboro
Healthcare6
Map of North Wilkesboro
113 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 (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
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.
- Fairplains 2 mi northwest, about 3 min by car
- Cricket 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Mulberry 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Moravian Falls 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Hays 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Millers Creek 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Elkin 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Jonesville 18 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Boonville 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Lenoir 28 mi southwest, about 45 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
- North Wilkesboro, North Carolina 05, Indy beetle, CC0
- Southern Railway Depot North Wilkesboro, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wilkesboro NC Old Courthouse, NatalieMaynor, CC BY 2.0
- Lincoln Heights School, rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WilkesboroOldJail, Jan Kronsell at Danish Wikipedia, Public domain
- Old Wilkesboro Municipal Building, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wilkes Hosiery Mills, Nyttend, Public domain
- Moses Cone Manor, Anjohnst, CC BY-SA 4.0
- NorthWilkesboroDowntown1, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NorthWilkesboroDowntownSidewalk, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NorthWilkesboroDowntown, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thomas B. Finley House, Nyttend, Public domain
- WTA WE Shuttle Bus Between Stops, Caholguin109, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brown-Cowles House with driveway, Nyttend, Public domain
- Thomas B. Finley Law Office, Nyttend, Public domain
- Robert Cleveland Log House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wilkesboro Smithey Hotel, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The restored Wilkes County Courthouse is home to the Wilkes County Heritage Museum (8635638090), Government & Heritage Library, State Library of NC from Raleigh, NC, United States, Public domain
- Johnson Hubbard House, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Wilkes County Jail, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Wilkes County Courthouse, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WilksboroJTFerguson, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wilkesboro St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Nyttend, Public domain
- WilkesboroFedBldg2, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WilkesboroFedBldg1, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WilkesboroFedBldg3, Ceh2624, CC BY-SA 3.0
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