Wilkesboro, North Carolina
Wilkesboro is a town of 3,646 people in Wilkes County, North Carolina, founded in 1800.
Why visit Wilkesboro
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 51 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 8 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Two Rivers Cinema, Moravian Falls, Southern Railway Depot and Benjamin Hubbard House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Wilkesboro
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wilkesboro
Wilkesboro is a town in and the county seat of Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,687 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the south bank of the Yadkin River, directly opposite the town of North Wilkesboro.
From the Wikipedia article Wilkesboro, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do8
Liberty Theatre Cinema
Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi
816 Main Street, North Wilkesboro
Country Square Fresh Produce
Farm and orchard · 1.9 mi
122 Country Sq Drive, Wilksboro
Museums and landmarks18
Southern Railway Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Railway station in North Wilkesboro, the United States of America
Benjamin Hubbard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Brown-Cowles House and Cowles Law Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Wilkesboro, NC, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
Downtown Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Downtown Wilkesboro Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
J. L. Hemphill House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
J. T. Ferguson Store
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic building in North Carolina, US
Johnson-Hubbard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Lincoln Heights School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic six-teacher Rosenwald School
Old Wilkes County Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Prison in Wilkesboro, United States of America
Robert Cleveland Log House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Thomas B. Finley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Restaurants and cafes51
Anchor Coffee Co
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.7 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
Casa Linda Mexican Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.1 mi
1811 US-421, Wilkesboro
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
La Fortuna
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.7 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
Roselli's on 10th
Restaurant · Italian · 2.0 mi
211 10th Street, North Wilkesboro
Tu-Sa 16:00-21:00; Su-Mo off
Talia Expresso
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.1 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 · 1.2 mi
1922 W Park Drive, North Wilkesboro
Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 09:30-21:00
Zacks Pizza and wings
Restaurant · Pizza · 2.3 mi
600 Main Street, North Wilkesboro
Mo-Th 16:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-21:00; Su off
39 more on the map.
History
Wilkesboro was founded in 1800 and quickly designated as the county seat.
The town is built atop a low, broad ridge which runs for over a mile along the south bank of the Yadkin River.
For many decades a popular historic spot in Wilkesboro was the "Tory Oak", a large oak tree from which Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, a well-known Wilkes County patriot during the American Revolutionary War, hanged Loyalist militia leaders who supported the British king and opposed American independence from Britain. The oak was located behind the old Wilkes County courthouse.
During the Civil War, many of Wilkesboro's residents remained loyal to the Union and opposed the Confederacy. In March 1865, General George Stoneman, a Union cavalry leader, led a raid through the town.
Shortly after the war ended, Tom Dula (Dooley), a Confederate veteran, was tried and hanged for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. Many people were convinced that one of Dula's jealous ex-girlfriends murdered Foster, and that Dula was innocent of the crime. Dula's story was turned into a top-selling ballad in 1958 by The Kingston Trio, titled "Tom Dooley". The story was subsequently turned into a 1959 movie starring Michael Landon as Dula. Each summer, the Wilkes Playmakers present a popular play based on the story.
From the History section of Wilkesboro, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship17
St. Paul's Episcopal Church and Cemetery
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Friendship Church of The Brethren
Church · Baptist · 1.6 mi
464 Friendship Cross Street, North Wilkesboro
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 0.7 mi
1515 River Street, Wilkesboro
Union United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.3 mi
708 Curtis Bridge Road, Wilkesboro
Cricket Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.5 mi
330 Cricket Baptist Church Road, North Wilkesboro
First Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 2.4 mi
401 6th Street, North Wilkesboro
Shopping17
Church & Church Lumber Co
Hardware store · 2.4 mi
863 New Browns Ford Road, Wilksboro
Fastenal Fulfillment Center - Appointment Only
Hardware store · 0.8 mi
1705 Industrial Drive, Wilkesboro
Gas and EV charging10
Schools, colleges and libraries17
C C Wright Elementary School
School · 4.0 mi
200 Cc Wright School Rd, North Wilkesboro
Central Wilkes Middle School
School · 3.3 mi
3541 South Nc Hwy 16, Moravian Falls
Millers Creek Elementary School
School · 5.8 mi
4320 North Nc Hwy 16, Millers Creek
Moravian Falls Elementary School
School · 3.1 mi
2001 Moravian Falls Rd, Moravian Falls
North Wilkesboro Elementary School
School · 3.3 mi
200 Flint Hill Rd, North Wilkesboro
Wilkes Early College High School
School · 0.6 mi
1328 S Collegiate Dr, Wilkesboro
Healthcare4
Map of Wilkesboro
157 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, 7 miles away.
- Cricket 2 mi northwest, about 3 min by car
- Moravian Falls 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- North Wilkesboro 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Fairplains 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Millers Creek 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Mulberry 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Hays 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Taylorsville 16 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Elkin 20 mi northeast, about 33 min by car
- Jonesville 20 mi east, about 32 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
- Old Wilkes County Courthouse, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Southern Railway Depot North Wilkesboro, G Keith Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 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
- 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
- At Moravian Falls, sdeanjameson, CC BY 2.0
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