Johnston County was formed from Craven in 1746 and named for Gabriel Johnston who was the royal governor of North Carolina from 1734-1752. It was later used to form parts of Dobbs, Orange, Wake and Wilson counties. With a total area of 796 square miles and an estimated population of 163,428 in 2008, Johnston County is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States.

Although it's value to surrounding counties is clear, Johnston County genealogy has also been a necessary resource for many southern descendents who are searching for their forefathers, many of which settled briefly in Johnston County before continuing their journeys to other Southern states.

Towns: Archer Lodge, Benson, Clayton, Four Oaks, Kenly, Micro, Pine Level, Princeton, Selma, Smithfield (county seat) and Wilson's Mills

Townships: Banner, Bentonville, Beulah, Boon Hill, Clayton, Cleveland, Elevation, Ingrams, Meadow, Micro, O'Neals, Pine Level, Pleasant Grove, Selma, Smithfield, Wilders and Wilson's Mills

Unincorporated Communities: Cleveland, Emit, Flowers, Hocutt's Crossroads, Jordan, McGee's Crossroads, Peacock's Crossroads, Powhatan and Stancil's Chapel

An index to Johnston County wills has been created for wills from 1760 through 1922 that are physically located at the North Carolilna Archives. Additional wills can be found on microfilm at the Archives.

Several months ago, the National Park Service (NPS) launched their new and improved Soldiers and Sailors Database whi... Read More

• The "Name Index" is ready! Search census & cemetery records with just one click.
• Latitudes & Longitudes mapped for JC Cemeteries
• New links to Wills & Estates, Military, Immigration and other genealogy resources.
• The 1810 Census has finally arrived!
• Links to several dozen photographs from the mid-20th century have been added.

Johnston County...Oklahoma

Johnson County...Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming