Lexington, North Carolina

Lexington is a city in the state of North Carolina, United States. It is near the larger city of Winston-Salem. 18,978 people live in the city.

Lexington, North Carolina
City
Nickname(s): 
Barbecue Capital of the World
Coordinates: 35°49′0″N 80°15′31″W
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyDavidson
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager government
 • MayorNewell Clark
Area
 • Total17.6 sq mi (45.6 km2)
 • Land17.6 sq mi (45.6 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation
809 ft (246.5 m)
Population
 (2007)
 • Total21,149
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
27292-27295
Area code(s)336
FIPS code37-38060[1]
GNIS feature ID0988406[2]
Websitewww.lexingtonnc.net

History
Dr. William Rainey Holt built Lexington's oldest home, The Homestead, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

People from Europe first moved to the area in 1775. The town is named after the city of Lexington, Massachusetts, where the first battle of the American Revolutionary War happened. Lexington became a city in 1828. Until the late 1990s, Lexington's economy was based on textile and furniture manufacturing. Since then, most local manufacturers have moved their production facilities to Asia and Mexico to reduce costs. This caused most textile and furniture factories to close, creating economic difficulties in the area.

The oldest remaining house in Lexington is The Homestead, built by Dr. William Rainey Holt (1798–1868), a physician born in Alamance County.[3] Dr. Holt was the President of the North Carolina Agricultural Society and was one of the first to introduce purebred livestock to North Carolina.[4]

Local Culture

Barbecue
Pigs in the City and the Lexington Barbecue Festival bring in tourists from all over the country

Lexington calls itself the "Barbecue Capital of the World".[5] Starting in 1984, the city has the Lexington Barbecue Festival each year, one of the largest street festivals in North Carolina. In 2012, the US News and World Report ranked Lexington as #4 on its list of the best cities for barbecue.[6] Lexington-style barbecue is made with pork shoulder cooked slowly over a hardwood fire, usually hickory wood. It is served with a sauce made with vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, pepper and other spices. There are many different way to make this sauce, mild, tangy, sweet or spicy.

Pigs in the City

Pigs in the City is a public art display managed by Uptown Lexington, Inc.,[7] a non-profit organization that has the goal of increasing the usage of the downtown area of Lexington. Pigs in the City began in 2003[8] and 40,000 visitors from all over the state came to see the event in the first year.[9] Since 2006, the event has been held every year. There are usually 20 or more of these statues on display during the event. Companies pay $1,000 each to sponsor one of the pigs, which pays for the event.[9]

High Rock Lake
High Rock Lake

High Rock Lake is the second largest lake in North Carolina and located near Lexington. Its water surface covers 15,180 acres (61 km2) and there are 365 miles (587 km) of shoreline. It begins where the Yadkin River and the South Yadkin River come together. High Rock Lake has long been considered one of the best fishing lakes of North Carolina.[10] There have been a number of national fishing tournaments held at the lake, such as Bassmaster Tournaments, like the Bassmaster Classic in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007.[11] The lake has large numbers of fish, including channel, blue, and flathead catfish, plus crappie and several different sunfish such as bluegill, shellcracker and others. Striper and their hybrids as well as white bass are also abundant. The lake is best known for its quantity and quality of largemouth bass.

The Bob Timberlake Gallery[12] is in Lexington. It opened in 1997, and features original artwork, reproductions, personal memorabilia, as well as home furnishings from the artist Bob Timberlake.

Geography
Davidson County Governmental Center

Lexington is in the Piedmont. It is centered at 35°49'0" North, 80°15'31" West (35.816768, -80.258643)[13], in the valley of the Yadkin River. Lexington is 11 miles (18 km) northeast of High Rock Lake, part of the Yadkin-Pee Dee chain of lakes in central North Carolina.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.6 square miles (46 km2), of which, 17.6 square miles (46 km2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

It is bordered to the north and west by Interstate 85 Business, to the south and east by Interstate 85. Both interstates come together just southwest of the city. Additionally, 4 U.S. Highway Routes, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 64, U.S. Route 52, U.S. Route 70 and state highways NC Highway 8 and NC Highway 47 intersect the city.

Climate

Thunderstorms are common during the spring and summer months, including some severe storms. Being in central North Carolina, between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mid-Atlantic coast, Lexington has a humid subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures during spring and autumn and warm to hot summers. Winters are relatively mild and wet with highs typically in the 40s to 50s and overnight lows averaging just below freezing.

Climate data for Lexington, North Carolina
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 49.6
(9.8)		 54.4
(12.4)		 63.3
(17.4)		 72.5
(22.5)		 79.3
(26.3)		 85.5
(29.7)		 89.1
(31.7)		 87.4
(30.8)		 81.6
(27.6)		 71.9
(22.2)		 61.7
(16.5)		 52.6
(11.4)		 70.7
(21.5)
Average low °F (°C) 28.6
(−1.9)		 30.9
(−0.6)		 38.0
(3.3)		 45.3
(7.4)		 54.5
(12.5)		 62.9
(17.2)		 67.1
(19.5)		 65.5
(18.6)		 59.1
(15.1)		 46.7
(8.2)		 37.9
(3.3)		 31.0
(−0.6)		 47.3
(8.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.06
(103)		 3.78
(96)		 4.31
(109)		 3.63
(92)		 3.93
(100)		 4.06
(103)		 3.85
(98)		 3.63
(92)		 3.84
(98)		 3.52
(89)		 3.47
(88)		 3.37
(86)		 45.45
(1,154)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.4
(6.1)		 2.8
(7.1)		 1.2
(3.0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.6
(1.5)		 7
(17.7)
Average precipitation days 10.2 9.3 10.2 9.0 10.0 9.5 10.4 8.4 7.7 6.6 8.8 9.6 109.7
Average snowy days 0.8 0.9 0.4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 2.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 170.5 175.2 229.4 246.0 260.4 270.0 269.7 248.0 225.0 220.1 174.0 164.3 2,652.6
Source: NOAA,[14] HKO (sun)[15]

Demographics
Davidson County Courthouse

As of the census[1] of 2010, there are 18,931 people in the city, organized into 7,376 households. This represents a population reduction of 1022 persons, or 5%, when compared to the 2000 census. The median age is 37.4 years for all persons (39.4 for females, 35.2 for males).

Of the total population, 15.1% are at least 65 years old, 24.6% are under the age of 18, with the remaining 60.3% of the population being persons from 18 to 64. Males comprise 48.1% and females make up 51.9% of the total population. Caucasians make up 54.7% of the total population (including 16.3% that are Latino), African-Americans 28.4% and Asians represent 2.9% of the population. Fully 10.7% of the population identifies itself as Some other race while 2.6% are Two or more races. Other races each represent less than 1% each of the total population.

Of the total 7,376 households, 4,581 are considered Family households, including 2067 that have children under 18. The average household size is 2.44 persons, and the average family size is 3.08 persons. There are 8,938 total housing units, of which the 7376 are households, for an occupancy rate of 82.5%. 47.6% of these households are owner-occupied, while 52.4% are renters.

According to the 2000 census, The median income for a household in the city is $26,226, and the median income for a family is $32,339. Males have a median income of $25,555 versus $20,939 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,310. 21.2% of the population and 16.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.7% of those under the age of 18 and 18.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The global outsourcing of textile and furniture manufacturing has damaged Lexington's economy.[16]

Notable people
  • Historic Old Davidson County Courthouse
    Historic Old Davidson County Courthouse
  • Old Lexington Post Office
    Old Lexington Post Office
  • Civic Center
    Civic Center
  • Police HQ
    Police HQ
  • Statue at Police HQ
    Statue at Police HQ
  • Fire Dept. HQ
    Fire Dept. HQ
  • Korean War Memorial
    Korean War Memorial
  • Vietnam War Memorial
    Vietnam War Memorial
  • World War II Memorial
    World War II Memorial
  • Downtown during the Barbecue Festival
    Downtown during the Barbecue Festival
  • Barbecue designation sign on Mayors building
    Barbecue designation sign on Mayors building
  • Part of the Museum at the Fire Dept. HQ
    Part of the Museum at the Fire Dept. HQ

References
  1. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. Ashe, Samuel A'Court (14 February 2019). "Biographical History of North Carolina from Colonial Times to the Present". C. L. Van Noppen – via Google Books.
  4. "William Rainey Holt, North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program". Archived from the original on 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  5. http://www.visitlexingtonnc.com Lexington Tourism Authority website
  6. Bratcher, Emily H. (2012). "America's Best BBQ Cities". US News and World Report. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2012-06-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Newsroom".
  9. Staff writers Amy Dominello, Tina Firesheets; Sue Schultz and Eric Swensen. "LIFE-SIZE PORKER PROMOTION PROVES POPULAR TO PUBLIC". Greensboro News-Record.
  10. "North Carolina Summer Bass Fishing". Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  11. "Camping in Piedmont, North Carolina". Archived from the original on 2005-02-14. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  12. "The Bob Timberlake Gallery | Bob Timberlake". Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  13. "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  14. "Climatography of the United States No. 20 (1971–2000)" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  15. "Climatological Normals of Greensboro". Hong Kong Observatory. Archived from the original on 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
  16. http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20081209/ARTICLES/812090297/1005/NEWS Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
  17. "Bob Timberlake Biography | Bob Timberlake". Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
  18. "Johnny Temple Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com.
  19. "Perry Tuttle Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  20. "Deems May Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  21. "Driver Mike Dillon Career Statistics - Racing-Reference.info". www.racing-reference.info.
  22. Morris 2/4/2007, Edward. "Harmonica Wizard Terry McMillan Dead at 53". CMT News.
  23. "Rick Terry Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  24. "Chummobile", Pawn Stars, Season 4, Episode 16, March 28, 2011
  25. "Chummobile", Released 2 Nation Records and preformed on several national tours

Other websites
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