Map of North Wilkesboro town

North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,131 at the 2020 US Census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe’s Home Improvement, which continues to have a major presence in the community. The town is also known as one of the birthplaces of the sport of stock-car racing, and the North Wilkesboro Speedway was the first NASCAR-sanctioned track. Due to the town’s proximity to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains and its numerous tourist venues, North Wilkesboro has been nicknamed the “Key to the Blue Ridge”.

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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.

The North Wilkesboro Speedway, located just outside the city limits, predates the founding of NASCAR; the speedway held its first race on May 18, 1947 and from there it grew in popularity. On October 16, 1949, the Speedway held the 8th and final race of the 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Division; when the race was over Robert “Red” Byron had become the first NASCAR-sanctioned champion. The North Wilkesboro Speedway held NASCAR races for 50 years; on September 29, 1996 Jeff Gordon would win the final race to be held at the speedway. In 1995, following the death of the long-time owner and track founder Enoch Staley, the speedway was purchased by two new owners, Bob Bahre and Bruton Smith. Soon after their purchase, both men announced that they were closing the speedway and moving its two NASCAR race dates to their new tracks in Texas and New Hampshire. The decision met with strong criticism from race fans. From the track’s closure in 1996 through 2021 numerous national and regional news media stories discussed the physical decay of the track and grandstands, the rich history of the track, and efforts to renovate and reopen the speedway. In November 2021, the North Carolina state legislature and NC Governor Roy Cooper gave $18 million to the speedway for extensive repairs and renovations in a major effort to reopen the track for racing. Following the renovations, in August 2022 the speedway held its first races in a decade, drawing a sellout crowd to the CARS Tours Window’s World 125. In September 2022 it was announced that the 2023 NASCAR All-Star Race would be held in May 2023 at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, marking the first NASCAR race to be held at the track since its closure in 1996.

The Downtown Main Street Historic District, Thomas B. Finley House, Southern Railway Depot, and Wilkes Hosiery Mills are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Geography

North Wilkesboro is located at 36°10′15″N 81°8′31″W / 36.17083°N 81.14194°W / 36.17083; -81.14194 (36.170910, -81.142048), along the Yadkin River at the mouth of the Reddies River. North Wilkesboro has long been known as the “Key to the Blue Ridge” and is adjacent to the Brushy Mountains, Stone Mountain State Park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Located a few miles away, the W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir offers its visitors a pristine wilderness to go mountain biking, boating, swimming, camping, picnicking, hunting, and fishing around its 55-mile (89 km) shoreline. The Town of North Wilkesboro is located in the heart of Wilkes County, North Carolina in the northwestern corner of the state. Wilkes County is bordered by eight (8) counties. These include the counties of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Iredell, Surry, Watauga, and Yadkin; thus making the town conveniently juxtaposed to eight county seats and economic hubs; all within a 45-minute drive from town. The town corporate limits cover approximately 7.5 square miles (~ 4,800 acres) of contiguous property with approximately 300 acres in satellite territories. The Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) encompasses roughly 16 square miles (41 km) or 10,240 acres. The town is bordered to the south by the Yadkin River and the Town of Wilkesboro. Running through the eastern portion of the town is the Reddies River which flows from North to South and unites with the Yadkin. Hoopers Branch, a tributary to the Reddies River, rises on the north side of North Wilkesboro.

See also