North Carolina is a state in the southeastern United States, and it is bordered by Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean. This page lists some basic, quick facts about North Carolina and provides links to other useful information.

Quick Facts 

Date North Carolina became a state: November 21, 1789 (12th state)
State Capital: Raleigh (Wake County)
Governor: Josh Stein
State Motto: Esse Quam Videri - To be rather than to seem
State Song: The Old North State
State Colors: Red and Blue
State Bird: Cardinal
State Flower: Dogwood
State Name Origin and Nicknames: Carolina, the Tar Heel State, the Old North State
Economy, Gross Domestic Product: $575,605,000,000 (2018, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis)
Population Estimate: 10,551,162 people
U.S. Census Quick Facts: More related information
Population Rank: 9th largest state in the United States
Largest City (Population): Charlotte -- 830,258
Total Land Area: 48,617.91 square miles
Land Area Rank: 28th largest state in the United States by land area
Number of Counties 100
Highest Point in North Carolina: Mount Mitchell (6,684 feet)
Distance Between Murphy (west) and Manteo (east): 546 miles (driving); 474.5 miles (direct, "as the crow flies")
Length by Width: North Carolina is 503 miles long by 150 miles wide
Seats in the U.S. House of Representatives: 13
Seats in the N.C. General Assembly: 120 members in the House; 50 members in the Senate.

Links to useful information

North Carolina State Constitution
North Carolina State Government Website
North Carolina County and Municipal Population Estimates (NC Office of Budget and Management)
Locate US Representatives for North Carolina (U.S. House of Representatives website)
Locate US Senators for North Carolina (U.S. Senate website)
North Carolina General Assembly website (NC State Legislature)
North Carolina Voter Information: North Carolina State Board of Elections
North Carolina State Symbols and other Official Adoptions (NCpedia article)
Crime Statistics (NC State Bureau of Investigation)
Public Education Information: Reports and Statistics (NC Public Schools)
U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts for North Carolina
North Carolina Economy at a Glance (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024)
North Carolina Agricultural Statistics (NC Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 2018)
NC LINC (NC Office of Budget and Management: population, labor, education, transportation, agriculture, and other data for NC)

Image credit: TUBS. North Carolina in United States. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Carolina_in_United_States.svg (accessed October 2, 2016).

Citation

Agan, Kelly. "Quick Facts and Information About North Carolina." NCpedia. State Library of NC. February 2025. https://www.ncpedia.org/about/quickfacts.