The North Carolina General Assembly has the power to create and abolish counties, and redraw county lines. The following table lists counties, from oldest to youngest, in age.
| Counties, from oldest to youngest | ||
| County | Created in ... | Age (in 2008) |
| Chowan | 1668 | 340 |
| Currituck | 1668 | 340 |
| Pasquotank | 1668 | 340 |
| Perquimans | 1668 | 340 |
| Beaufort | 1705 | 303 |
| Craven | 1705 | 303 |
| Hyde | 1705 | 303 |
| Bertie | 1722 | 286 |
| Carteret | 1722 | 286 |
| New Hanover | 1729 | 279 |
| Tyrrell | 1729 | 279 |
| Bladen | 1734 | 274 |
| Onslow | 1734 | 274 |
| Edgecombe | 1741 | 267 |
| Northampton | 1741 | 267 |
| Granville | 1746 | 262 |
| Johnston | 1746 | 262 |
| Anson | 1750 | 258 |
| Duplin | 1750 | 258 |
| Orange | 1752 | 256 |
| Rowan | 1753 | 255 |
| Cumberland | 1754 | 254 |
| Halifax | 1758 | 250 |
| Hertford | 1759 | 249 |
| Pitt | 1760 | 248 |
| Mecklenburg | 1762 | 246 |
| Brunswick | 1764 | 244 |
| Chatham | 1771 | 237 |
| Guilford | 1771 | 237 |
| Surry | 1771 | 237 |
| Wake | 1771 | 237 |
| Martin | 1774 | 234 |
| Burke | 1777 | 231 |
| Camden | 1777 | 231 |
| Caswell | 1777 | 231 |
| Nash | 1777 | 231 |
| Wilkes | 1777 | 231 |
| Franklin | 1779 | 229 |
| Gates | 1779 | 229 |
| Jones | 1779 | 229 |
| Lincoln | 1779 | 229 |
| Montgomery | 1779 | 229 |
| Randolph | 1779 | 229 |
| Richmond | 1779 | 229 |
| Rutherford | 1779 | 229 |
| Warren | 1779 | 229 |
| Wayne | 1779 | 229 |
| Moore | 1784 | 224 |
| Sampson | 1784 | 224 |
| Rockingham | 1785 | 223 |
| Robeson | 1787 | 221 |
| Iredell | 1788 | 220 |
| Stokes | 1789 | 219 |
| Buncombe | 1791 | 217 |
| Lenoir | 1791 | 217 |
| Person | 1791 | 217 |
| Cabarrus | 1792 | 216 |
| Ashe | 1799 | 209 |
| Greene | 1799 | 209 |
| Washington | 1799 | 209 |
| Columbus | 1808 | 200 |
| Haywood | 1808 | 200 |
| Davidson | 1822 | 186 |
| Macon | 1828 | 180 |
| Yancey | 1833 | 175 |
| Davie | 1836 | 172 |
| Henderson | 1838 | 170 |
| Cherokee | 1839 | 169 |
| Caldwell | 1841 | 167 |
| Cleveland | 1841 | 167 |
| Stanly | 1841 | 167 |
| Catawba | 1842 | 166 |
| McDowell | 1842 | 166 |
| Union | 1842 | 166 |
| Gaston | 1846 | 162 |
| Alexander | 1847 | 161 |
| Alamance | 1849 | 159 |
| Forsyth | 1849 | 159 |
| Watauga | 1849 | 159 |
| Yadkin | 1850 | 158 |
| Jackson | 1851 | 157 |
| Madison | 1851 | 157 |
| Harnett | 1855 | 153 |
| Polk | 1855 | 153 |
| Wilson | 1855 | 153 |
| Alleghany | 1859 | 149 |
| Clay | 1861 | 147 |
| Mitchell | 1861 | 147 |
| Transylvania | 1861 | 147 |
| Dare | 1870 | 138 |
| Swain | 1871 | 137 |
| Graham | 1872 | 136 |
| Pamlico | 1872 | 136 |
| Pender | 1875 | 133 |
| Durham | 1881 | 127 |
| Vance | 1881 | 127 |
| Scotland | 1899 | 109 |
| Lee | 1907 | 101 |
| Avery | 1911 | 97 |
| Hoke | 1911 | 97 |
Source: Genealogical Services Branch of the State Library of North Carolina
