History Question

When was Columbus County the largest county in North Carolina?

History Question
Answer

When a portion of Brunswick County was added to Columbus in 1877, the eastern boundary went all the way to Hood’s Creek along the present U.S. 74-76. This added approximately 50 square miles, and increased Columbus’ size to 989 square miles, much larger than Sampson County’s 965 square miles.
Two years later, the General Assembly added back to Brunswick County the area between Hood’s Creek (just east of Maco) and the present boundary line at Delco.
Today, Columbus County’s 939 square miles ranks as the third largest, behind Sampson’s 965 and Robeson County’s 944 square miles.