Wilkes County, North Carolina

Wilkes County
Wilkes County
County
	Old Wilkes County Courthouse
	Seal
	Motto(s): "Imperium Intra Imperio" (Latin); (Empire Within Empire)
	Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
	North Carolina's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 36°13′N 81°10′W / 36.21°N 81.17°W
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1778
Named for	John Wilkes
Seat	Wilkesboro
Largest community	North Wilkesboro
Area
• Total	756.33 sq mi (1,958.9 km2)
• Land	753.68 sq mi (1,952.0 km2)
• Water	2.65 sq mi (6.9 km2) 0.35%
Population (2020)
• Total	65,969
• Estimate (2023)	66,013
• Density	86.38/sq mi (33.35/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.wilkescounty.net

Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a part of the state's western mountain region. As of the 2020 census the population was 65,969.^[1] Its county seat is Wilkesboro,^[2] and its largest community is North Wilkesboro. Wilkes County comprises the North Wilkesboro, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area.^[3]

^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CensusQuickFacts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ "North Wilkesboro, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area" (PDF). Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Maps. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2011.