RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of North Carolina >> Onslow County  

Welcome to Onslow County ...

Time Zone: Onslow County lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT) and observes daylight saving time.

The community of Jacksonville is the Seat for Onslow County.

Onslow County was founded in 1734 and was created by taking area from New Hanover County.

From the Census Estimates for 2019, <1> Onslow had a population of 197,938 people. This is an increase of 5.91% since the last Census (which gave a population of 186,892 people in 2010).

At the time of the 2010 Census, Onslow represented 1.96% of the total population of North Carolina.

Below are some of the communities located in Onslow County:

  • Holly Ridge
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Holly Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holly Ridge
    • Holly Ridge is located in Onslow County (NC)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,092 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Holly Ridge <3>
  • Jacksonville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • North Topsail Beach
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Topsail Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Topsail Beach
    • North Topsail Beach is located in Onslow County (NC)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 743 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for North Topsail Beach <3>
  • Richlands
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Richlands have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Richlands
    • Richlands is located in Onslow County (NC)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,718 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Richlands <3>
  • Surf City
    (22 miles [35.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Surf City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Surf City
    • Surf City is located in Onslow County (NC)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,532 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Surf City <3>
  • Swansboro
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)

Websites of Interest ...

Footnotes ...

<1>On a yearly basis, the US Census Bureau creates an estimate of the county's population. Keep in mind that this is an estimate and not an actual count. The last physical count was the 2010 Census and the next count will be for the 2020 Census.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
 

Copyright 2025
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 20 Mar 2025