Stanly County
" A place to visit. A place to live. A place to love."

Stanly County is an easy lover. It will wrap you in the energy of its people and warm you with the fires of its heart. There is so much to do and see, but you won’t want to rush. Part of being here is the journey, making the experience your own. Part of it is seeing things through new eyes in a way you may never have noticed before.

You can experience the way life was many years ago when neighbors knew each other and many friendships were made over iced tea on the porch. You can drive through unspoiled countryside where trees are still the tallest thing around and acres of lush green stretch out, covered with crystal morning dew. It’s a simpler place where Dave Hinson makes ice cream outside the Fresh House and West Stanly Saddle Club still holds wagon trains each year. You can pan for gold at the Cotton Patch Mine and run through a scary corn maze between the bright orange pumpkins in the fall. Feel ten thousand years of life swelling out from Morrow Mountain and fish in crystal streams before the night sets in. Listen for the crickets in the summer and the mournful owls in the winter.

Then go for the hot rods in Oakboro and smell the rubber burn as the tires roar.  Go water skiing on Badin Lake; watch a ball game in Albemarle. Take a tour of wine country and taste the Stanly County wines. Let yourself get carried away at the Best of Badin Festival or attend an antique car rally.

With the new roads linking Stanly County to Charlotte and Raleigh, you can have the good life and still only be a short drive to world- class shopping and exciting leisure activities. Stanly County is at the forefront in education and attitude as the region grows. Yet the people here are warm and friendly, ready to lend a helping hand when needed.

Whether you decide to live here, or just to visit, Stanly County is an easy place to love. You’ll find yourself falling over and over at each turn in the road, every nuance in the changing seasons. Let it sweep you off your feet!

Stanly County is located in the south central portion of North Carolina in the gently rolling hills of the ancient Uwharrie Mountain range of the state's Piedmont region. The county seat of Albemarle is 42 miles northeast of Charlotte, 115 miles southwest of Raleigh, 125 miles east of the North Carolina mountains, and less than 200 miles west of the North Carolina coast.

It truly can be described as an area of "accessible isolation," near large market areas, yet not hampered by urban areas threatening to smother it. There are ten incorporated communities in the county: Albemarle, Badin, Misenheimer, Locust, New London, Norwood, Oakboro, Red Cross, Richfield and Stanfield.

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Climate

The area enjoys a mild climate throughout the year, with an annual mean temperature of 60 degrees and an average yearly rainfall of 48 inches. The area has a crop season of approximately 200 days.

If you have a question that is not answered here, please call the Stanly County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 704-986-2583.