GEOGRAPHY
Duplin
County is located in the Southeastern Coastal Plain of North Carolina
and is the 9th largest county in the state with 819 square miles
of prime agricultural land. Duplin is bounded by Wayne County
to the north; Lenoir, Jones, and Onslow Counties to the east; Pender
County to the south; and Sampson County to the west. Kenansville,
the County Seat, is located in the center of the County.
Duplin County is located approximately 80 miles from Raleigh, 55
miles from Wilmington, 65 miles from Fayetteville, and 55 miles
from the Atlantic Ocean. |
POPULATION
AND HOUSING
Duplin
County has experienced a relatively stable population over the last
50 years. According to the 2000 census, the total population
of Duplin County is 49,063. The county’s largest township, Island
Creek, has a population of 8,542. The total number of housing units
in Duplin County in 1990 was 14,925. The fastest growing municipality
is Kenansville, with a 34.2% growth rate from 1990 until 2000.
For additional demographic information
contact the Duplin County Planning Department at (910) 296-2102.
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HISTORY
The
General Assembly in New Bern created Duplin County from the northern
part of New Hanover County on April 7, 1750. At that time
the bounds of Duplin County included what was to become Sampson
County. The county was named for Sir Thomas Hays, Lord Duplin,
who served on the Board of Trade and Plantations for the Crown in
the 1740's. The earliest immigrants to the area were the Welsh
from New Castle on Delaware arriving in the early 1700's.
They were soon followed by German Palatines and Swiss in the 1730's
and 1740's who were from settlements in New Bern. The Scotch-Irish
arrived in 1736 from Ulster, Northern Ireland with Henry McCulloch;
a wealthy London merchant, to settle on a rich and fertile 71,160-acre
land granted to him from the British Crown. The early settlements
were primarily along the river and larger creeks as these were the
best means of transportation in the early beginnings of the county.
McCulloch established the first town, Sarecta, incorporated in 1787.
The first industry in the county was the navel stores industry followed
by the main industry throughout the years, agriculture. The
completion of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad in 1840, gave rise
to such towns as Wallace, Teachey, Rose Hill, Magnolia, Warsaw,
Faison, and Calypso. Duplin County has maintained its agricultural
heritage and rural environment through the years while still allowing
for a blending with industrial development, economic growth and
a enviable lifestyle. |
PERSONAL
INCOME
The 2000 Duplin County median annual income for a family was $34,600.
The North Carolina average median family income was $48,200.
The per capita income for Duplin County as of 1998 was $20,574,
which is 3.5% below the state average of $21,327.
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CLIMATE
Due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and its location in the
coastal plain, Duplin County experiences relatively mild temperatures.
The annual average temperature is approximately 63 degrees
with a prevailing southwesterly breeze. Summers are long and
commonly have short periods of very hot humid weather. Winters
are generally short and mild with significant accumulations of ice
and snow being unusual. The average annual rainfall is approximately
53 inches with most precipitation occurring during the summer months.
The average frost free season is from mid April to mid November,
slightly more than 200 days.
For a look at the local weather click
here.
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LAW
ENFORCEMENT
The Duplin County Sheriff’s Office consists of 55 Deputies, or sworn
law enforcement officers, and 16 Aux. Officers. Kenansville serves
as the location of the Sheriff's Office, the Duplin and Pender State
Highway Patrol Office, and the Duplin County Department of Corrections.
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PARKS
& RECREATION
Duplin County’s Parks and Recreation Department provides a variety
of athletic, recreational, and arts and crafts activities for all
ages. The Recreation Department is working closely with the Duplin
County Municipalities to develop a county wide athletic program
for young and old. Also, Duplin County is pleased to announce
the recent opening of Cabin Lake. Cabin Lake, located near
Beulaville, offers boating, fishing, camping, and other recreation
to all of Duplin County. To contact the Parks and Recreation
Department, call them at (910) 296-2335. |
TRANSPORTATION
The North Carolina Department of Transportation
has planned for significant improvements to Duplin County's highway
system over the next several years. Duplin County is served
by approximately 30 miles of Interstate Highway. Major highways
throughout Duplin County are Interstate 40, U.S. 117, N.C. 11, 24,
41, 50, 111, 241, 403, and 903. NC 24 and NC 11 are designated
as "critical connectors" to eastern North Carolina. NC 24
has been widened to four lanes from Morehead City to I-40 near Warsaw.
Construction was completed in 1998. The segment of NC
24 connecting I-40 to I-95 near Fayetteville is scheduled for construction
beginning 2001. Widening this portion of NC 24 will give Duplin
County rapid access to I-95, the Eastern United States major north/south
route. NC 11 is scheduled to be widened to four lanes from
Kinston to I-40 near Kenansville. Construction has already
begun on the portion in Duplin County. Completion of this
project will provide a four-lane route from Greenville and Kinstion
to I-40 at Kenansville. Air Service in Duplin County is provided
at the Duplin County Airport and at Henderson Field. The Duplin
County Airport is located three miles north of Kenansville on Airport
Road. It has a 6,002 foot asphalt lighted runway and is operated
by Duplin Air (910) 296-2188. |
MUNICIPALITIES
Of the 49,063 people that live in Duplin County, 12,814 people live
in the County’s ten municipalities. Those municipalities range from
Teachey with 245 people to Wallace, which has 3,326 people.
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