Map of Catawba County, North Carolina

Catawba County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,610. Its county seat is Newton, and its largest city is Hickory. The county is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Catawba County overview:
Name:	Catawba County
FIPS code:	37-035
State:	North Carolina
Founded:	1842
Named for:	Catawba Tribe
Seat:	Newton
Largest city:	Hickory
Total Area:	413 sq mi (1,070 km²)
Land Area:	399 sq mi (1,030 km²)
Total Population:	161,723
Population Density:	405.3/sq mi (156.5/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−5 (Eastern)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−4 (EDT)
Website:	www.catawbacountync.gov

Catawba County location map. Where is Catawba County?

Catawba County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Catawba County. — Location of Catawba County in the the United States.

Catawba County location on the North Carolina map. Where is Catawba County. — Location of Catawba County in North Carolina.

History

Catawba County formed in 1842 from Lincoln County, was named after the Catawba River. The word “catawba” is rooted in the Choctaw sound kat’a pa, loosely translated as “to divide or separate, to break.” However, scholars are fairly certain that this word was imposed from outside. The Native Americans who once inhabited the region known as the Catawba people, were considered one of the most powerful Southeastern Siouan-speaking tribes in the Carolina Piedmont. They now live along the border of North Carolina, near the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Scots-Irish and German colonial immigrants first settled in the Catawba River valley in the mid-18th century. An official history of the Scots-Irish and German settlement was documented in 1954, by Charles J. Preslar Jr, and more recently by a series of three books by Gary Freeze, called The Catawbans.

Catawba County Road Map

Catawba CountyStreet Map. — Street map of Catawba County, North Carolina. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)

Catawba CountyMap — Catawba Countypolitical map.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 413 square miles (1,070 km), of which 399 square miles (1,030 km) is land and 15 square miles (39 km) (3.6%) is water.

State and local protected areas/sites

Houck’s Chapel
Mountain Creek Park
Murray’s Mill Historic Site
Old Hickory Tavern Birthplace of Hickory
Old Piedmont Wagon

Major water bodies

Balls Creek
Betts Creek
Catawba River
Clark Creek
Henry Fork (South Fork Catawba River tributary)
Jacob Fork (South Fork Catawba River tributary)
Lake Hickory
Lake Norman
Lookout Shoals Lake
Lyle Creek
McLin Creek
Muddy Creek
Pinch Gut Creek
Pott Creek
Snow Creek
South Fork Catawba River

Adjacent counties

Alexander County – north
Iredell County – east
Lincoln County – south
Caldwell County – northwest
Burke County – west

Major highways

I-40
US 70
US 321
US 321 Bus.
NC 10
NC 16
NC 16 Bus. (Lowesville–Denver Business Route)
NC 16 Bus. (Newton–Conover Business Route)
NC 16 Truck (Truck Route)
NC 18
NC 127
NC 150

Major infrastructure

Hickory Regional Airport (partially in Burke County)

Rail and mass transit

With approximately twenty freight trains a day, Catawba County is a freight railroad transportation center. This is largely due to the areas strong manufacturing based economy, and its placement along the Norfolk Southern Railway line. The Caldwell County Railroad also serves the county and interchanges with Norfolk Southern in Hickory.

Conover has been designated as the Catawba County passenger rail stop for the Western North Carolina Railroad planned to run from Salisbury, NC, to Asheville.

The Greenway Public Transportation bus service serves the cities of Conover, Hickory, and Newton.