Welcome to the cities and towns page of the Librarian's Guide to Guilford County!
Located in north central North Carolina, Guilford County was created from Rowan and Guilford counties in 1771 and is bounded by Randolph, Alamance, Forsyth, Davidson and Rockingham Counties. It was named for Francis North, the first Earl of Guilford (1704-1790).
Guilford County is host to 15 distinct cities, towns and communities (technically, small parts of Burlington and Kernersville, most of which are located in Alamance and Forsyth counties, are also located in Guilford, but they are not included in this list). The County's estimated population for 2006 is 451,905.
The County uses a commission-manager form of government and is governed by an eleven-member Board of Commissioners. These commissioners hire a county manager to administer the various county departments and agencies and prepare an annual budget.
Nine of members of the Board of Commissioners represent specific districts. A map of these nine districts is available online. The remaining two commissioners are "at large," and thus represent all of the voters in the county.
For a current listing of local, state and federal public officials of Guilford County, please see the Greensboro Public Library's Directory of Government Officials.
Archdale
Map of Archdale
Population: 9,007 (2000 Census) / 9,680 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: 1874 (originally incorporated as Bush Hill; name changed to Archdale in 1887)
Other Facts: Named for John Archdale, one of the original Lord Proprietors of Carolina.
Browns Summit
Map of Browns Summit
Population: 340 (Rand McNally est., 2007)
Year Established: 1863
Other Facts: Named after Jesse Brown whose land here was highest point on Richmond & Danville Railroad.
Climax
Map of Climax
Population: 450 (Rand McNally est., 2007)
Year Established: 1853
Other Facts: Named for its location on high ground.
Colfax
Map of Colfax
Population: 1,050 (Rand McNally est., 2007)
Year Established: ca. 1870?
Other Facts: Named for Schuyler Colfax, Vice-President of the United States during Grant's first term, 1869-1873.
Gibsonville
Map of Gibsonville
Population: 4,418 (2000 Census) / 5,439 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: 1855
Other Facts: Named for Joseph Gibson, who was active in work on the North Carolina Railroad.
Official Website: http://www.gibsonville.net/
Greensboro
Map of Greensboro
Population: 223,891 (2000 Census) / 248,111 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: 1808
Other Facts: Named for American Gen. Nathanael Greene, who fought Cornwallis at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781. Once an important textile town. . . . The City is home to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina A & T, Bennett College, Guilford College and Greensboro College. Greensboro is governed by a Council-Manager form of government with nine councilmen.
Official Website: http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/
High Point
Map of High Point
Population: 84,656 (2000 Census) / 98,791 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: Incorporated in 1859
Other Facts: Named for fact that it was highest point on North Carolina Railroad. Still an important center of furniture manufacturing. Home of High Point University.
Official Website: http://www.high-point.net/
Jamestown
Map of Jamestown
Population: 3,088 (2000 Census) / 3,396 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: 1752 (originally incorporated in 1816)
Other Facts: Named after James Mendenhall. The place is prominently associated with Quakers.
Offical Website: http://www.jamestown-nc.us/
Mc Leansville
Map of Mc Leansville
Population: 1,080 (2000 Census)
Year Established:
Other Facts: Named for a prominent Ulster Scot family which settled nearby.
Oak Ridge
Map of Oak Ridge
Population: 3,988 (2000 Census) / 4,758 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: 1852 (incorporated in 1897)
Other Facts: Named for the numerous oak trees in this location; site of the oldest military preparatory school in North Carolina, the Oak Ridge Military Institute, first opened to students in 1853.
Official Website: http://oakridgenc.com/
Pleasant Garden
Map of Pleasant Garden
Population: 4,714 (2000 Census) / 5,228 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established:
Other Facts: First known as Fentress (after a local family), it was renamed Pleasant Garden ca. 1879.
Sedalia
Map of Sedalia
Population: 618 (2000 Census) / 668 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established:
Other Facts: Sedalia is the location of the Alice Freeman Palmer Memorial Institute, an African-American high school and junior college founded by Charlotte Hawkins Brown in 1902. It is now a museum and State historic site.
Stokesdale
Map of Stokesdale
Population: 3,267 (2000 Census) / 3,756 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: Incorporated in 1907.
Other Facts: Earlier known as Pine; probably named for North Carolina Governor Montford Stokes.
Summerfield
Map of Summerfield
Population: 6,894 (2000 Census) / 7,783 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: First settled about 1769 and known as Bruce's Crossroads; the community was renamed, according to tradition, in honor of an evangelist named John Summerfield in 1812.
Official Website: http://www.townofsummerfield.com/
Whitsett
Map of Whitsett
Population: 686 (2000 Census) / 7,783 (2007 Estimate)
Year Established: 1884
Other Facts: Named for W.T. Whitsett, principal of the Whitsett Institute.
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