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Where am ILOCATED

Rutherford County, North Carolina

Rutherford County, North Carolina, has 65,745 residents (July 2025 estimate). Its county seat is Rutherfordton. It uses Eastern Time and covers 565 sq mi (1,464 km²) of land.

CharlotteRaleighGreensboro
Rutherford County in North Carolina
Cleveland CountyPolk CountyForest CitySpindaleRutherfordtonLake Lure
Rutherford County and its neighbors (simplified outlines). Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
Resident population, July 2025
65,745
Land area
565 sq mi (1,464 km²)
County seat or government
Rutherfordton
Time zone
Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
Median household income
$51,410 ± $2,731
Median home value
$201,800 ± $9,065
Median rent, with utilities
$783 ± $19
Homes lived in by their owners
73.9% ± 2.1 points
County type
County
Metro or micro area
Forest City, NC micro areaCentral county
Water area
1.81 sq mi (4.69 km²)
State
North Carolina
County code (FIPS)
37161
Coordinates (central point)
35.402747, -81.919582
Open this point in the location finder

These coordinates mark a central point for the area, not a street address. Income, home value, rent and homes lived in by their owners: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, ± margin at 90% confidence; checked on October 13, 2026.

Time zones in Rutherford County

Time zoneLocal time and UTC offsetNext clock change
Eastern TimeAmerica/New_YorkUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July. Enable JavaScript for the live clock.Enable JavaScript for upcoming changes.

Near a time-zone line, check where you are with the time-zone finder. Your phone’s setting can differ.

ZIP Code areas, largest first

  1. 2875230,292 people
  2. 2815028,142 people
  3. 2804320,930 people
  4. 2813920,008 people
  5. 2871112,663 people
  6. 281147,104 people
  7. 280406,961 people
  8. 280185,034 people
  9. 287564,706 people
  10. 281603,665 people
  11. 287462,744 people
  12. 281672,253 people
All 18
  1. 280202,240 people
  2. 28720138 people
  3. 28076105 people
  4. 2802431 people
  5. 2807415 people
  6. 280190 people

18 ZIP Code areas overlap Rutherford County. People counts are 2020–2024 estimates for each whole ZIP area. Mailing ZIPs can differ; check an address with USPS ZIP Code Lookup.

Official county information

We don’t have a website for this county yet. The US government’s local-office directory ↗ lists its offices. A geographic lookup cannot determine eligibility, tax liability or a court obligation.

Townships in Rutherford County, largest first

  1. Cool Spring Township13,683 people
  2. Rutherfordton Township12,567 people
  3. Colfax Township8,022 people
  4. High Shoals Township7,925 people
  5. Sulphur Springs Township4,598 people
  6. Logan Store Township3,671 people
  7. Chimney Rock Township2,980 people
  8. Gilkey Township2,790 people
  9. Green Hill Township2,722 people
  10. Union Township1,728 people
  11. Morgan Township1,593 people
  12. Camp Creek Township1,385 people
All 14
  1. Golden Valley Township748 people
  2. Duncans Creek Township518 people

People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. All townships in North Carolina, by county

School districts in Rutherford County, largest first

  1. Rutherford County Schools64,930 people

Districts with land in the county; a district can cross county lines. People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. A district boundary doesn’t decide which school a student attends.

Cities, towns and communities, largest first

These areas overlap the mapped boundary; an overlap does not mean that every address belongs to both.

  1. Forest City, North Carolina (town)7,363 people
  2. Spindale, North Carolina (town)4,131 people
  3. Rutherfordton, North Carolina (town)3,680 people
  4. Lake Lure, North Carolina (town)1,543 people
  5. Ellenboro, North Carolina (town)901 people
  6. Ruth, North Carolina (town)510 people
  7. Cliffside, North Carolina (CDP)438 people
  8. Bostic, North Carolina (town)433 people
  9. Henrietta, North Carolina (CDP)197 people
  10. Chimney Rock Village, North Carolina (village)122 people
  11. Caroleen, North Carolina (CDP)116 people

Bordering areas, nearest first

Distances are straight lines between map points.

  1. Polk County, North Carolina16 mi southwest
  2. McDowell County, North Carolina21 mi north
  3. Cleveland County, North Carolina21 mi east
  4. Burke County, North Carolina27 mi northeast
  5. Cherokee County, South Carolina30 mi southeast
  6. Henderson County, North Carolina32 mi west
  7. Spartanburg County, South Carolina33 mi south
  8. Buncombe County, North Carolina37 mi northwest

Before using this answer on a form

Use a precise point for address-level questions. A device accuracy circle can cross a boundary; confirm tax, voting or jury details with the responsible office.

Find the county where you are now, check its ZIP area, or check the time zone where you are.

See this county on Census.gov ↗

Areas that only touch the edge

These areas meet the boundary only along a sliver. Most addresses here are not in them; for an address near the line, check with the county.