Welcome to Onslow County NC
Jacksonville NC
Welcome to Onslow County, NC. We are in the Coastal region of North Carolina. It is approximately 120 miles east of Raleigh and 50 miles north of Wilmington. In 2010 the population was 177,772 people living in the county. The county comprises the Jacksonville, NC Metropolitan area thus the county seat is Jacksonville. Onslow county was founded in 1734 and was named for the Honorable Arthur Onslow. There was a horrible hurricane in 1752 and the courthouse relocated. This settlement was incorporated in 1842 and named Jacksonville after President Andrew Jackson. Onslow has two natural landmarks in the county which are freedom mountain and bear island. It also has three tourist attractions to include the Lynwood Zoo, the Freedom Fountain and the oldest continuous USO in the world. There are several counties that border Onslow county which are Jones County, Carteret County, Pender County and Duplin County. The county is known for its Pride in Service, People and Place. There are currently 5 County Board of Commissioners. The current County Manager is Jeffrey Hudson. The government of Onslow County is run by the commissioners. The commissioners are elected at large for four-year terms. The Board establishes policies and ordinances.