Columbus County, North Carolina

Columbus County
Columbus County Courthouse in Whiteville
Flag of Columbus County
Official seal of Columbus County
Motto: 
"We are ready to grow with you."
Map of North Carolina highlighting Columbus County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 34°16′N 78°38′W / 34.26°N 78.64°W / 34.26; -78.64
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1808
Named forChristopher Columbus
SeatWhiteville
Largest communityWhiteville
Area
 • Total955.00 sq mi (2,473.4 km2)
 • Land938.12 sq mi (2,429.7 km2)
 • Water16.88 sq mi (43.7 km2)  1.77%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total50,623
 • Estimate 
(2023)
50,121
 • Density53.96/sq mi (20.83/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district7th
Websitewww.columbusco.org

Columbus County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina, on its southeastern border. Its county seat is Whiteville.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population is 50,623.[2] The 2020 census showed a loss of 12.9% of the population from that of 2010. This included an inmate prison population of approximately 2,500.[3]

  1. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CensusQuickFacts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Columbus leaders react to disappointing census results". The News Reporter. August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2022.