Mountain Setting, Modern Amenities Add to Appeal of Wilkes County, NC
Nestled into the verdant Blue Ridge foothills, Wilkes County offers residents natural beauty plus amenities like fiber internet service.
Wilkes County is about 750 square miles of verdant Blue Ridge foothills, with a long history and a bright future as both a gateway to the mountains of western North Carolina and to a high quality of life right here at home for newcomers and longtime residents alike. The county’s natural beauty combined with amenities like fiber internet make Wilkes County NC a great place to live.
North Wilkesboro and county seat Wilkesboro, with a combined population of about 8,000, are the two largest towns here, and the county itself is home to about 66,000 people. Charlotte is about 90 miles to the south while Winston-Salem and the Piedmont Triad are only about an hour to the east, keeping big-city amenities in close reach.
The community is also just a click away from the rest of the world, too, through high-speed fiber internet service from RiverStreet Networks.
In This Article
Recreational Opportunities Near and Not So Far
Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro are divided by the Yadkin River, and the county is in the heart of the Yadkin Valley, a piedmont and foothills paradise with abundant opportunities for hiking, fishing, hunting, boating and more.
The Blue Ridge itself, including the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail, are nearby. Boone and Appalachian State University are only about a 40-minute drive and the mountain towns of Blowing Rock and Banner Elk are similarly close. The weather is relatively mild with four distinct seasons, including great leaf peeping in the fall plus several ski areas 30 to 40 miles away.
Right in town, Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro offer their own diverse collection of well-kept local parks, including a dog park, disc golf course, splash pad, playgrounds, pickle ball and tennis courts and more, including trout fishing right in town.
Fishing and boating are anchored here by W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, a 1,475-acre lake that provides water supply and flood control for the region and marinas, ramps, picnic areas and campgrounds.
The county is also home to Stone Mountain State Park and its massive granite dome that rises 600 feet above the surrounding landscape and features 18 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding, as well as rock climbing opportunities for experienced climbers.
Another Wilkes County highlight is the 3,316-acre Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest with its trails and outdoor classrooms, fly fishing for trout and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, all of which combine to make Wilkes County NC a great place to live.
A Spirited Past and Thriving Cultural Scene
Wilkes County was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1778 and named after a British politician who lost his job as lord mayor of London for supporting the colonists during the American Revolution. Wilkesboro itself was founded in 1800 and North Wilkesboro about 90 years later.
Their spirited history also includes serving as a hometown of NASCAR and legendary moonshiner-turned-race driver Junior Johnson. North Wilkesboro Speedway held its first NASCAR race in 1949 and the track re-opened in 2023 after being closed since 1998.
A different kind of legal spirit dominates the beverage scene here. The area also now boasts the Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA), home to 44 wineries across seven counties, including Wilkes.
It’s not just viticulture that stands out here among the cultural offerings. MerleFest, created by bluegrass icon Doc Watson in memory of his son, Merle, is one of the largest music festivals in the country, drawing about 75,000 people each April to Wilkesboro, while other popular annual gatherings include the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival, Shine to Wine, and Carolina in the Fall.
Along with thriving, charming downtowns that combine a homey feel with modern and traditional shops, diners and restaurants, there are museums such as the Wilkes Heritage Museum in the historic Wilkes County Courthouse. There’s also the Tom Dooley Museum, dedicated to the legend of the man hanged in 1868 for the murder of his lover, a case that inspired the classic folk song “Tom Dooley.”
Economy, Education and Health Care
The Wilkes County economy has proven as resilient as its people. Once dominated by tobacco and textiles, agriculture continues strong with both apple orchards and vineyards, as well as the county’s largest employer, the 2,700-worker chicken processing plant owned by Tyson Foods.
Both the Lowe’s home improvement chain and Lowes Foods supermarkets were founded in the 1950s by the Lowe family in Wilkesboro, and the former remains one the major employers here, with about 2,000 people working at its customer service center. A diverse range of smaller advanced manufacturers also have set up shop here.
Medical care, meanwhile, is anchored by Wilkes Medical Center, the largest hospital in northwestern North Carolina and now part of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Wilkes Physician Network, a group of primary care and specialty physicians, operates several clinics throughout the county.
Wilkes County Schools serves more than 10,000 students at 22 public schools while several private schools offer alternative options. Higher education needs are served locally by 6,000-student Wilkes Community College, based at a 17-building, 150-acre campus in Wilkesboro with satellite campuses in nearby Allegheny and Ashe counties.
Fiber Internet Keeps Wilkes County Connected
Wilkes County’s broad and growing appeal as a place to live, learn, work and play is supported by the local service and investment of RiverStreet Networks and Wilkes Communications, a member-owned cooperative that first began providing telephone service to Wilkes County in 1951.
Now they are positioned at the leading edge of the nationwide fiber rollout to ensure their members continue to enjoy top-shelf high-speed internet, phone, TV, business and security services. Fiber-based broadband provides the fastest and most reliable type of internet connection available today, supporting multiple devices and applications without compromising speed or quality.
Commitment from RiverStreet and Wilkes Communications to keep the community plugged into the best available technology, combined with Wilkes County’s economic, cultural and natural attributes, make Wilkes County NC a great place to live and should preserve the area’s reputation as an ideal place to put down roots for generations to come.
