Yadkin County

Yadkin County, North Carolina

Formation

Yadkin County was formed in 1850 from Surry County and was named for the Yadkin River.

For genealogical research, remember that the area now included in Yadkin County was part of:

• Surry County, 1771–1850
• Rowan County, 1753–1771
• Anson County, before 1753

Many records created before Yadkin County’s formation will be found in Surry County. Earlier records may be in Rowan or Anson County, depending on the date and location of the event. For a detailed study of North Carolina county formation and boundary changes, consult David Leroy Corbitt’s The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663–1943.

Yadkinville is the county seat. It was originally called Wilson when it became the county seat in 1850, renamed Yadkinville in 1852, and incorporated in 1857.

Neighboring Counties

Yadkin County is bordered by Surry, Forsyth, Davie, Iredell, and Wilkes Counties.

Towns and Communities

The incorporated towns in Yadkin County are:

• Boonville
• East Bend
• Jonesville
• Yadkinville

Other communities include Arlington, Courtney, Forbush, Hamptonville, Lone Hickory, Marler, Smithtown, and Swan Creek.

Townships

Yadkin County’s townships are:

• Boonville
• Deep Creek
• East Bend
• Forbush
• North Buck Shoals
• North Fall Creek
• North Knobs
• North Liberty
• South Buck Shoals
• South Fall Creek
• South Knobs
• South Liberty

Land Records

The Yadkin County Register of Deeds maintains deeds, deeds of trust, maps, and other land records. Land records created before 1850 will generally be found in Surry County.

Visit the Yadkin County Register of Deeds

Maps

Yadkin County offers several modern county maps, including voting district, fire district, and town boundary maps.

View Yadkin County maps

Historic maps, local publications, newspapers, yearbooks, and other digitized materials may also be found through DigitalNC.

Census Records and Enumeration District Maps

Federal population schedules for the area now included in Yadkin County begin in 1850, but the 1850 census is found in Surry County. Yadkin County appears as a separate county in the 1860 federal census. Enumeration district maps for the 1900 through 1940 federal censuses can help identify the area in which an ancestor lived.

Search FamilySearch’s Enumeration District Maps, 1900–1940

A free FamilySearch account is required to view many images.

Suggested Reading

• An Illustrated History of Yadkin County, 1850–1980, William E. Rutledge Jr.
• The Heritage of Yadkin County, edited by Frances Harding Casstevens, 1981
• The Heritage of Yadkin County, North Carolina, Volume II, Deborah C. Davis, 2000
• Yadkin County: The First One Hundred Years, Frances H. Casstevens, 1996
• The Civil War and Yadkin County, North Carolina, Frances H. Casstevens, 2015
• The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663–1943, David Leroy Corbitt (affiliate link)

Additional Resources

• Yadkin County, NCPedia
• North Carolina County Formation Dates and Parent Counties
• Yadkin County Historical and Genealogical Society