Stanly County, North Carolina

Street maps, historic prints and keepsakes for 10 Stanly County towns.

The oldest is New London, established 1891. The largest by population is Albemarle (16,432).

Town	Established	Population
Albemarle	–	16,432
Badin	–	2,024
Locust	–	4,537
Misenheimer	–	650
New London	1891	607
Norwood	–	2,367
Oakboro	–	2,128
Red Cross	–	762
Richfield	–	582
Stanfield	–	1,585

About these towns

Albemarle: This place-name is derived from the English surname Albemarle. According to a 1905 publication by the United States Geologic Survey, based on research by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill history professor Kemp P.

Locust: Locust is a small rural city in Stanly and Cabarrus counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It has seen substantial growth lately due to the urban sprawl from the Charlotte area.

Misenheimer: In 1825, Matthias Tobias Barringer discovered gold nuggets along a section of Long Creek that ran through his farm. He found $8,000 worth of gold ($179,000 in 2020 dollars), and eventually the country's first gold vein in quartz.

New London: New London was founded as the unincorporated settlement of Bilesville, north of Albemarle, circa 1830, and named after Thomas "Uncle Tommy" Biles, a local landowner and farmer.

Norwood: The first settlements in the Norwood area began in the 1740s with settlers from Delaware and other middle Atlantic colonies following Indian trails and rivers.

Oakboro: Oakboro developed because of a predecessor of the (first) Norfolk Southern Railway. The original town started at a natural salt lick called Big Lick.

Red Cross: With growth resulting from the expansion of suburban communities around Charlotte, Red Cross incorporated on August 1, 2002. The people wanted to keep their area agricultural and rural to the extent that it was possible.

Richfield: The town was originally called "Ritchie's Field," for the prominent Ritchie family who established the post office, sawmill, and streets of the settlement.

Stanfield: In 1912 the railroad line between Charlotte and Raleigh was completed, and the town of Stanfield was established. The town was named after an engineer who helped complete the railroad through the present day town.