Map of Stanly County, North Carolina

Stanly County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,504. Its county seat is Albemarle.

Stanly County comprises the Albemarle, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Charlotte–Concord, NC-South Carolina Combined Statistical Area.

Stanly County overview:
Name:	Stanly County
FIPS code:	37-167
State:	North Carolina
Founded:	1841
Named for:	John Stanly
Seat:	Albemarle
Largest city:	Albemarle
Total Area:	405 sq mi (1,050 km²)
Land Area:	395 sq mi (1,020 km²)
Total Population:	63,425
Population Density:	160.6/sq mi (62.0/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−5 (Eastern)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−4 (EDT)
Website:	www.stanlycountync.gov

Stanly County location map. Where is Stanly County?

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

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

History

The site of modern-day Stanly County was originally peopled by small tribes of hunter-gatherers and Mound Builders whose artifacts and settlements have been dated back nearly 10,000 years. Large-scale European settlement of the region came in the mid-18th century via two primary waves: immigrants of Dutch, Scots-Irish and German descent moved from Pennsylvania and New Jersey seeking enhanced religious and political tolerance, while immigrants of English backgrounds came to the region from Virginia and the Cape Fear River Basin in Eastern North Carolina.

In early English colonial times, the Stanly County area was politically part of the New Hanover Precinct, out of which the Bladen Precinct was created in 1734. The renamed Bladen County was subdivided to create Anson County in 1750, which in turn spawned Montgomery County in 1779.

Stanly County was formed in 1841 from the part of Montgomery County west of the Pee Dee River. It was named for John Stanly of New Bern (1774–1834), who served several terms in the North Carolina House of Commons and two terms (1801–1803, 1809–1811) in the United States House of Representatives.

Hanging of Alec Whitley

Whitley was accused of theft and murder in Stanly County and also in Arkansas. Following a short manhunt through several states, he was captured by a local posse near Big Lick in 1892. Shortly after his capture and incarceration a mob of angry citizens gathered at the jail to demand Whitley be turned over to them. Sheriff Snuggs had been alerted to the mob’s intention and he transferred all the prisoners from the jail to his own home across the street—except Whitley, who was seized by the mob, beaten, and hanged from a tree off South Street in Albemarle.

Name

Research by Chris Bramlett indicates that John Stanly had no connection with the area named for him, but that the name was chosen to please state legislators. Bramlett also believed that Stanly’s father John Wright Stanly was named Stanley and changed the spelling. Because the county’s name was often misspelled, in 1971 the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation making the “Stanly” spelling official.

Stanly County Road Map

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

Stanly CountyMap — Stanly Countypolitical map.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 405 square miles (1,050 km), of which 395 square miles (1,020 km) is land and 9.8 square miles (25 km) (2.4%) is water.

National protected area

Uwharrie National Forest (part)

State and local protected areas

Badin Lake Park
City Lake Park
Locust City Park
Morrow Mountain State Park
Roger F. Snyder Greenway
Town of Oakboro District Park

Major water bodies

Badin Lake
Big Bear Creek
Great Pee Dee River
Island Creek
Lake Tillery
Little Bear Creek
Little Creek
Little Long Creek
Long Creek
Long Lake
Mountain Creek
Riles Creek
Rocky River
Tuckertown Reservoir
Yadkin River

Adjacent counties

Rowan County – north
Davidson County – northeast
Montgomery County – east
Anson County – south
Union County – south
Richmond County – southeast
Cabarrus County – west

Major highways

US 52
US 52 Bus.
NC 8
NC 24
NC 27
NC 49
NC 73
NC 138
NC 200
NC 205
NC 731
NC 740
NC 742

Major infrastructure

Stanly County Airport