Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson is a city of 48,370 people in Wilson County, North Carolina, founded in January 29, 1849.
Why visit Wilson
Townapedia lists 35 museums and landmarks, 29 parks and trails, 64 places to eat, 14 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Carmike Cinemas, Edna Boykin Cultural Center, Alfred and Martha Jane Thompson House and Williams Barn and Branch Banking & Trust Company Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Wilson
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wilson
Wilson is a city in and the county seat of Wilson County, North Carolina, United States. It is the 23rd most populous city in North Carolina. Located approximately 40 mi (64 km) east of the capital city of Raleigh, it is served by the interchange of Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 264. As of the 2020 census, Wilson had a population of 47,851.
From the Wikipedia article Wilson, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Deans Farm Market
Farm and orchard · 3.5 mi
4231 NC-42 Highway East, Wilson
Museums and landmarks35
Alfred and Martha Jane Thompson House and Williams Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.6 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Branch Banking & Trust Company Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic building in Wilson, North Carolina, USA
Broad-Kenan Streets Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Cherry Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Wilson, North Carolina, NRHP-listed
Davis-Whitehead-Harriss House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Wilson, North Carolina, NRHP-listed in North Carolina
East Wilson Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Elm City Municipal Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Gen. Joshua Barnes House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Wilson, North Carolina, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
Moses Rountree House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Old Wilson Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Olzie Whitehead Williams House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Historic home located near Wilson, Wilson County, North Carolina
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W. H. Langley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.1 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
23 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds29
Fleming Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 0.9 mi
300 Stadium Street Southwest, Wilson
Wilson Rose Garden
Park · 2.6 mi
1800 Herring Avenue East, Wilson
Mo-Su 09:00-21:00
17 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes64
Varee Asian Cafe & Bakery
Restaurant · Oriental, Thai · 1.4 mi
2861 Raleigh Road Parkway West
Mo-Th 11:00-14:30,17:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-14:30,17:00-21:30; Sa...
China Poblana Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.6 mi
2625 US-301, Wilson
Mo-Tu 10:00-15:00; Th 10:00-15:00; Fr-Su 10:00-19:00
Casita Brewing Company
Brewery and winery · 1.2 mi
217 South Street South
52 more on the map.
History
The history of the city of Wilson began with a community that formed around Toisnot Primitive Baptist Church, built in the early 1800s. The community was originally called Toisnot. In 1836, the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad Co. began building a Wilmington-to-Weldon line. The railway reached the community in 1839, and by 1840 Toisnot had both north-and-south service. That stimulated growth of the community.
The North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Town of Wilson. It was named for state senator Colonel Louis D. Wilson, U.S. Volunteers. He died of fever while on leave from the State senate during the Mexican–American War of 1848. Messrs. Joshua Barnes, John W. Farmer, James D. Barnes, Dylan Dieterle, Jonathan D. Rountree, and Arthur Farmer were named as the first town commissioners.
The Gen. Joshua Barnes House, Branch Banking, Broad–Kenan Streets Historic District, Cherry Hotel, Davis-Whitehead-Harriss House, East Wilson Historic District, Old Wilson Historic District, Joseph John Pender House, Moses Rountree House, Upper Town Creek Rural Historic District, West Nash Street Historic District, Olzie Whitehead Williams House, Wilson Central Business-Tobacco Warehouse Historic District, Wilson County Courthouse, and Woodard Family Rural Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Wilson, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay14
Affordable Suites of America
Motel and hotel · 1.3 mi
2023 Westwood Avenue, Wilson
Churches and places of worship29
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.6 mi
1423 Forest Hills Road Northwest, Wilson
Forest Hills Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.5 mi
1407 Forest Hills Road Northwest, Wilson
Jackson Chapel Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.6 mi
571 Nash Street East, Wilson
Jones Hill Primitive Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 4.6 mi
5042 Old Raleigh Road, Wilson
Saint Therese Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 0.8 mi
700 Nash Street Northeast, Wilson
Shopping20
Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park Museum & Gift Shop
Shop · 1.1 mi
230 Goldsboro Street Southwest, Wilson
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries42
Healthcare7
Walgreens
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.3 mi
1500 Martin Luther King Junior Parkway Southeast, Wilson
Map of Wilson
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 33°F | 3.8 in | 0.8 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 34°F | 3.0 in | 0.4 in |
| Mar | 63°F | 40°F | 4.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 49°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 58°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 67°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 71°F | 5.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 70°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 64°F | 6.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 52°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 41°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 56°F | 35°F | 3.6 in | 0.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wilson 3 Sw Hcn (3 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
Wilson County has had 21 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)
- 2021-03-03: Tropical Storm Eta (Severe Storm)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Airport (RWI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Rocky Mount 18 mi northeast, about 29 min by car
- Tarboro 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Goldsboro 25 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Wendell 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Smithfield 28 mi southwest, about 45 min by car
- Clayton 29 mi west, about 47 min by car
- Knightdale 32 mi west, about 51 min by car
- Rolesville 32 mi northwest, about 52 min by car
- Greenville 33 mi east, about 53 min by car
- Raleigh 40 mi west, about 1 h 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
- Wilson City Hall, MattShaw9365, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kroger Wilson, NC (7848982342), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kroger Wilson, NC (7848981206), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kroger Wilson, NC (7848979836), Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wilson, NC. - Flickr - -RodrixParedes (2), Rodrigo Paredes from Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina, CC BY 2.0
- Daniel and Kenan, Wilson, Nyttend, Public domain
- Nash north of Raleigh, Wilson, Nyttend, Public domain
- Greetings from Wilson, North Carolina - Large Letter Postcard (14271695688), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Wilson, North Carolina, "The World's Largest Bright Leaf Tobacca Market" - Large Letter Postcard (5621113437), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Wilson Praise and Worship, Wilson, North Carolina, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wilson, NC. - Flickr - -RodrixParedes (1), Rodrigo Paredes from Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina, CC BY 2.0
- Wilson Theatre - Edna Boykin Cultural Center, Wilson, North Carolina, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maplewood from Vance, Wilson, Nyttend, Public domain
- Norfolk and Southern Railroad Freight House, Wilson, North Carolina, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Planter's Bank Building, Wilson, North Carolina, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Soldiers' monument, Wilson, North Carolina, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2019 Wilson County Court House, Wilson, North Carolina, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wilson Municipal Building - City Hall, Wilson, North Carolina, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Twin water towers, Wilson, North Carolina from south, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Twin water towers, Wilson, North Carolina from north, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Carrons Funeral Home, Wilson, Nyttend, Public domain
- Hobby Lobby, Wilson, NC 2012, Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hobby Lobby by night, Wilson, NC 2012, Mike Kalasnik from Fort Mill, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wilson Train Station - January 2016, Gerry Dincher, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ash south of Darden, Wilson, Nyttend, Public domain
- Wilson, NC. - Flickr - -RodrixParedes, Rodrigo Paredes from Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina, CC BY 2.0
- Wilson Community College, Johnson524, CC0
- Wilson Stadium construction 2, Johnson524, CC0
- Wilson Stadium construction, Johnson524, CC0
- December 2025 Wilson Stadium construction 3, Johnson524, CC0
- December 2025 Wilson Stadium construction 2, Johnson524, CC0
- Cherry Apartments (Wilson NC) from S 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Davis-Whitehead-Harriss house (Wilson NC) from SW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Branch Banking Company (Wilson NC) from ENE 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- W. H.LANGLEY HOUSE ELM CITY WILSON COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC0
- Olzie’s House, SteveoMo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wilson County NC courthouse from SSW 1, Ammodramus, CC0
- Moses Rountree House, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fleming Stadium Panoramic - panoramio, Baseball Panoramic, CC BY 3.0
- BC Football Season, Triwilli3, CC0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.