What County Is Sanford, North Carolina In?
Sanford is in Lee County, North Carolina. It is the county seat of Lee County. About 31,478 people live there (2020–2024 estimate). It uses Eastern Time and covers 33.2 sq mi (85.9 km²) of land. The nearest city or town of 50,000 people or more is Apex, 23 mi northeast.
- Population, 2020–2024 estimate
- 31,478 ± 47
- Land area
- 33.2 sq mi (85.9 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- Sun today
- Sunrise and sunset for the year
- Elevation
- 330 ft 101 m, ground height at the central point
- Median household income
- $57,586 ± $5,084
- Median home value
- $245,400 ± $17,162
- Median rent, with utilities
- $1,052 ± $43
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 53.3% ± 3.0 points
- Micro area
- Sanford, NCA principal city of the area
- Water area
- 0.28 sq mi (0.71 km²)
- State
- North Carolina
- Census place code
- 3759280
- Coordinates (central point)
- 35.493776, -79.176464
These coordinates mark a central point for the area, not a street address. Population, 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.
County boundaries in Sanford
For a point close to the city or county boundary, check the address with the office responsible for your form. Check a point on the county map.
Coordinates of Sanford
35.493776, -79.176464 is a central point for Sanford, not a street address. Convert these coordinates or share a map link.
Elevation in Sanford
330 ft (101 m), the USGS ground height at Sanford’s central point (3DEP terrain, 1/9 arc-second grid, NAVD 88). Ground height varies across town. Check elevation at another spot.
Sunrise and sunset in Sanford
- Longest day
- 14 hours 34 minutes around June 21
- Shortest day
- 9 hours 45 minutes around December 21
- Earliest sunrise
- 6:00 AM around June 13
- Latest sunrise
- 7:43 AM the day before clocks go back in November
- Earliest sunset
- 5:03 PM around December 5
- Latest sunset
- 8:36 PM around June 29
Clocks go forward an hour on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November, so sunrise and sunset jump an hour later in March and an hour earlier in November.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15 | 7:25 AM | 5:27 PM | 10 h 2 min |
| Feb 15 | 7:03 AM | 5:58 PM | 10 h 55 min |
| Mar 15 | 7:27 AM | 7:24 PM | 11 h 57 min |
| Apr 15 | 6:44 AM | 7:49 PM | 13 h 5 min |
| May 15 | 6:12 AM | 8:14 PM | 14 h 2 min |
| Jun 15 | 6:00 AM | 8:33 PM | 14 h 33 min |
| Jul 15 | 6:12 AM | 8:32 PM | 14 h 20 min |
| Aug 15 | 6:35 AM | 8:06 PM | 13 h 31 min |
| Sep 15 | 6:59 AM | 7:24 PM | 12 h 25 min |
| Oct 15 | 7:22 AM | 6:41 PM | 11 h 19 min |
| Nov 15 | 6:51 AM | 5:10 PM | 10 h 19 min |
| Dec 15 | 7:18 AM | 5:05 PM | 9 h 47 min |
Approximate times for a flat horizon at the central point; the days move by a day or so from year to year. Hills and weather can change what you see.
Time zones in Sanford
Sanford uses Eastern Time (America/New_York).
| Time zone | Local time and UTC offset | Next clock change |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern TimeAmerica/New_York | UTC-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
2 ZIP Code areas overlap Sanford. People counts are 2020–2024 estimates for each whole ZIP area. Mailing ZIPs can differ; check an address with USPS ZIP Code Lookup.
Nearest town
Straight-line distance between the two towns’ map points, not driving distance.
- Broadway, North Carolina (town)7.2 mi east
Before using this answer on a form
A city boundary, a CDP and a mailing city can mean different things.
Find the county where you are now, check its ZIP area, or check the time zone where you are.