| County formation dates |
| County |
Date |
Parent(s) |
| Alamance |
1849 |
Orange |
| Alexander |
1847 |
Iredell, Caldwell, Wilkes |
| Alleghany |
1859 |
Ashe |
| Anson |
1750 |
Bladen |
| Ashe |
1799 |
Wilkes |
| Avery |
1911 |
Mitchell, Watauga, Caldwell |
| Beaufort |
1712 |
Bath |
| Bertie |
1722 |
Chowan |
| Bladen |
1734 |
New Hanover |
| Brunswick |
1764 |
New Hanover, Bladen |
| Buncombe |
1791 |
Burke, Rutherford |
| Burke |
1777 |
Rowan |
| Cabarrus |
1792 |
Mecklenburg |
| Caldwell |
1841 |
Burke, Wilkes |
| Camden |
1777 |
Pasquotank |
| Carteret |
1722 |
Craven |
| Caswell |
1777 |
Orange |
| Catawba |
1842 |
Lincoln |
| Chatham |
1771 |
Orange |
| Cherokee |
1839 |
Macon |
| Chowan |
1668 |
Albemarle |
| Clay |
1861 |
Cherokee |
| Cleveland |
1841 |
Rutherford, Lincoln |
| Columbus |
1808 |
Brunswick, Bladen |
| Craven |
1712 |
Bath |
| Cumberland |
1754 |
Bladen |
| Currituck |
1668 |
Albemarle |
| Dare |
1870 |
Currituck, Tyrrell, Hyde |
| Davidson |
1822 |
Rowan |
| Davie |
1836 |
Rowan |
| Duplin |
1750 |
New Hanover |
| Durham |
1881 |
Orange, Wake |
| Edgecombe |
1741 |
Bertie |
| Forsyth |
1849 |
Stokes |
| Franklin |
1779 |
Bute |
| Gaston |
1846 |
Lincoln |
| Gates |
1779 |
Chowan, Hertford, Perquimans |
| Graham |
1872 |
Cherokee |
| Granville |
1746 |
Edgecombe |
| Greene |
1799 |
Glasgow |
| Guilford |
1771 |
Rowan, Orange |
| Halifax |
1758 |
Edgecombe |
| Harnett |
1855 |
Cumberland |
| Haywood |
1808 |
Buncombe |
| Henderson |
1838 |
Buncombe |
| Hertford |
1759 |
Chowan, Bertie, Northampton |
| Hoke |
1911 |
Cumberland, Robeson |
| Hyde |
1712 |
Bath |
| Iredell |
1788 |
Rowan |
| Jackson |
1851 |
Haywood, Macon |
| Johnston |
1746 |
Craven |
| Jones |
1779 |
Craven |
| Lee |
1907 |
Moore, Chatham |
| Lenoir |
1791 |
Dobbs |
| Lincoln |
1779 |
Tryon |
| Macon |
1828 |
Haywood |
| Madison |
1851 |
Buncombe, Yancey |
| Martin |
1774 |
Halifax, Tyrrell |
| McDowell |
1842 |
Rutherford, Burke |
| Mecklenburg |
1762 |
Anson |
| Mitchell |
1861 |
Yancey, Watauga, Caldwell, Burke, McDowell |
| Montgomery |
1779 |
Anson |
| Moore |
1784 |
Cumberland |
| Nash |
1777 |
Edgecombe |
| New Hanover |
1729 |
Craven |
| Northampton |
1741 |
Bertie |
| Onslow |
1734 |
New Hanover |
| Orange |
1752 |
Johnston, Bladen, Granville |
| Pamlico |
1872 |
Craven, Beaufort |
| Pasquotank |
1668 |
Albemarle |
| Pender |
1875 |
New Hanover |
| Perquimans |
1668 |
Albemarle |
| Person |
1791 |
Caswell |
| Pitt |
1760 |
Beaufort |
| Polk |
1855 |
Rutherford, Henderson |
| Randolph |
1779 |
Guilford |
| Richmond |
1779 |
Anson |
| Robeson |
1787 |
Bladen |
| Rockingham |
1785 |
Guilford |
| Rowan |
1753 |
Anson |
| Rutherford |
1779 |
Tryon |
| Sampson |
1784 |
Duplin |
| Scotland |
1899 |
Richmond |
| Stanly |
1841 |
Montgomery |
| Stokes |
1789 |
Surry |
| Swain |
1871 |
Jackson, Macon |
| Surry |
1771 |
Rowan |
| Transylvania |
1861 |
Henderson, Jackson |
| Tyrrell |
1729 |
Chowan, Bertie, Currituck, Pasquotank |
| Union |
1842 |
Anson, Mecklenburg |
| Vance |
1881 |
Granville, Warren, Franklin |
| Wake |
1771 |
Johnston, Cumberland, Orange |
| Warren |
1779 |
Bute |
| Washington |
1799 |
Tyrrell |
| Watauga |
1849 |
Ashe, Wilkes, Caldwell, Yancey |
| Wayne |
1779 |
Dobbs |
| Wilkes |
1777 |
Surry, District of Washington |
| Wilson |
1855 |
Edgecombe, Nash, Johnston, Wayne |
| Yadkin |
1850 |
Surry |
| Yancey |
1833 |
Burke, Buncombe |