Clinton, North Carolina

The first settlers came to the Clinton area around 1740. The community was originally known as Clinton Courthouse. There was an earlier incorporated town of Clinton elsewhere in the state; however, that town folded in 1822 and Clinton was incorporated as a town in the same year.{{cite web |url=http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p249901coll22/id/161062 |title=Laws of North Carolina 1822 |access-date=October 28, 2014}} In 1852, the General Assembly passed several acts to improve regulation of towns, including Clinton. As part of the "Act for the Better Regulation of the Town of Clinton in the County of Sampson," the General Assembly appointed five commissioners: James Moseley, Isaac Boykin, Dr. Henry Bizzel, John Beaman, and Alfred Johnson. The corporate limits of the town at that time extended a half mile each way from the courthouse.{{cite web |url=http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p249901coll22/id/167998 |title=Laws of North Carolina 1852 |access-date=October 28, 2014}} The first records of an election were in February 1852 and the first tax rate was $0.50 per $100 valuation of real property. In July 1953, the town became a city.

Clinton is the geographic center of the county, and because Sampson County is primarily rural farmland, Clinton developed as the major agricultural marketing center. Clinton is also where future 13th Vice President William R. King, (1786-1853), later of Alabama, under 14th President Franklin Pierce, (1804-1869), of New Hampshire, was born and began his legal career. He was inaugurated in March 1853 in Havana, Cuba, the only American executive official to be sworn in on foreign soil. He died shortly after being separately sworn in.

Clinton had a minor league baseball team in the Tobacco State League from 1946 to 1950, which was the last stop in the colorful career of Brooklyn Dodgers All-star pitcher Van Lingle Mungo.

The Bethune-Powell Buildings, Gen. Thomas Boykin House, Clinton Commercial Historic District, Clinton Depot, College Street Historic District, Graves-Stewart House, Robert Herring House, Johnson Building, Marcheston Killett Farm, Livingston Oates Farm, Patrick-Carr-Herring House, Pigford House, Pope House, Francis Pugh House, Pugh-Boykin House, Royal-Crumpler-Parker House, and West Main-North Chesnutt Streets Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|7.75|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}} (0.28%) is water.

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Clinton has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Clinton was {{convert|104|F|C|1}} on August 22, 1983, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-2|F|C|1}} on January 21, 1985.

{{Weather box

|location = Clinton, North Carolina, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1971–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 79

|Feb record high F = 83

|Mar record high F = 89

|Apr record high F = 94

|May record high F = 98

|Jun record high F = 102

|Jul record high F = 102

|Aug record high F = 104

|Sep record high F = 100

|Oct record high F = 96

|Nov record high F = 85

|Dec record high F = 81

|Jan avg record high F = 72.9

|Feb avg record high F = 75.2

|Mar avg record high F = 80.8

|Apr avg record high F = 85.9

|May avg record high F = 91.7

|Jun avg record high F = 95.7

|Jul avg record high F = 96.9

|Aug avg record high F = 95.9

|Sep avg record high F = 91.6

|Oct avg record high F = 86.4

|Nov avg record high F = 79.0

|Dec avg record high F = 73.9

|year avg record high F = 98.3

|Jan high F = 53.0

|Feb high F = 56.2

|Mar high F = 63.5

|Apr high F = 72.8

|May high F = 80.1

|Jun high F = 86.7

|Jul high F = 89.4

|Aug high F = 87.8

|Sep high F = 82.7

|Oct high F = 73.8

|Nov high F = 64.0

|Dec high F = 56.3

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 42.5

|Feb mean F = 45.2

|Mar mean F = 51.9

|Apr mean F = 61.0

|May mean F = 69.2

|Jun mean F = 76.7

|Jul mean F = 80.0

|Aug mean F = 78.2

|Sep mean F = 72.9

|Oct mean F = 62.2

|Nov mean F = 52.3

|Dec mean F = 45.8

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 32.1

|Feb low F = 34.2

|Mar low F = 40.3

|Apr low F = 49.2

|May low F = 58.3

|Jun low F = 66.7

|Jul low F = 70.5

|Aug low F = 68.7

|Sep low F = 63.1

|Oct low F = 50.6

|Nov low F = 40.7

|Dec low F = 35.3

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 16.6

|Feb avg record low F = 20.8

|Mar avg record low F = 25.3

|Apr avg record low F = 33.8

|May avg record low F = 44.0

|Jun avg record low F = 55.0

|Jul avg record low F = 62.2

|Aug avg record low F = 59.9

|Sep avg record low F = 51.4

|Oct avg record low F = 35.7

|Nov avg record low F = 25.7

|Dec avg record low F = 21.4

|year avg record low F = 15.0

|Jan record low F = -2

|Feb record low F = 3

|Mar record low F = 8

|Apr record low F = 26

|May record low F = 35

|Jun record low F = 42

|Jul record low F = 52

|Aug record low F = 46

|Sep record low F = 40

|Oct record low F = 24

|Nov record low F = 17

|Dec record low F = 5

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.50

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.11

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.68

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.41

|May precipitation inch = 4.05

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.62

|Jul precipitation inch = 5.83

|Aug precipitation inch = 6.01

|Sep precipitation inch = 6.56

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.27

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.44

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.53

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 10.6

|Feb precipitation days = 9.8

|Mar precipitation days = 10.2

|Apr precipitation days = 8.9

|May precipitation days = 9.6

|Jun precipitation days = 10.9

|Jul precipitation days = 11.3

|Aug precipitation days = 11.3

|Sep precipitation days = 9.0

|Oct precipitation days = 7.8

|Nov precipitation days = 8.1

|Dec precipitation days = 10.6

|Jan snow inch = 0.8

|Feb snow inch = 0.5

|Mar snow inch = 0.0

|Apr snow inch = 0.0

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.0

|Nov snow inch = 0.0

|Dec snow inch = 0.5

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 0.4

|Feb snow days = 0.2

|Mar snow days = 0.0

|Apr snow days = 0.0

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 0.0

|Dec snow days = 0.2

|Jan snow depth inch =

|Feb snow depth inch =

|Mar snow depth inch =

|Apr snow depth inch =

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|Jun snow depth inch =

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|Sep snow depth inch =

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|year snow depth inch =

|source 1 = NOAA{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00311881&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Clinton 2 NE, NC |access-date=February 23, 2023}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service{{cite web |url=https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=rah |publisher=National Weather Service |title=NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Raleigh |access-date=February 23, 2023}}

}}

{{notelist}}

{{US Census population

|1860= 209

|1870= 204

|1880= 620

|1890= 839

|1900= 958

|1910= 1101

|1920= 2110

|1930= 2712

|1940= 3557

|1950= 4414

|1960= 7461

|1970= 7157

|1980= 7552

|1990= 8204

|2000= 8600

|2010= 8639

|2020= 8383

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2015}}

}}

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 8,383 people, 3,213 households, and 1,826 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,639 people, 3,392 households, and 2,068 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,114.7|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 3,711 housing units at an average density of {{convert|478.8|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 48.9% White, 40.5% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.1% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.2% of the population.

There were 3,392 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 20.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families; 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution of the city was 23.6% under the age of 20, 23.8% from 20 to 39, 32.1% from 40 to 64, and 21.5% age 65 years or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

According to the US Census 2013 Community Survey, the median household income in the city is $32,927, and the median family income is $52,100. The per capita income for the city is $24,119. About 20.2% of families and 27.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.2% of those under age 18 and 18.9% of those age 65 or over.

• Sam Aiken – former NFL wide receiver
• Rube Benton – former MLB player
• Ronnie Dixon – former NFL defensive tackle
• Lauch Faircloth – U.S. Senator (R-NC) 1993–99
• Gwendolyn Faison – former Mayor of Camden, New Jersey (2000-2010)
• Pearl Fryar – topiary artist
• Nelson Z. Graves – businessman
• Leonard Henry – former NFL running back
• Terry Holland – basketball head coach University of Virginia, athletic director East Carolina University
• William Rufus DeVane King – 13th Vice President of the United States
• Jerris McPhail – former NFL running back
• John Merrick – founded North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company
• Dennis Owens – former NFL nose tackle
• Willie Parker – former NFL running back, two-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Curtis Smith – World Champion and Hall of Fame Drag Racer

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.cityofclintonnc.com City website]
• [http://www.downtownclinton.com/ Downtown Clinton, NC website]
• [http://www.clintonsampsonchamber.org/ Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce]
• [http://www.clinton.k12.nc.us/ Clinton City Schools]

{{Sampson County, North Carolina}}

{{North Carolina county seats}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Sampson County, North Carolina

Category:County seats in North Carolina

Category:Populated places established in 1740

Category:1740 establishments in North Carolina