Editing Onslow County, North Carolina (section)

==History==
[[European ethnic groups|European]], mainly [[England|English]], settlers arrived here in 1713 in what was originally part of the colonial precincts of [[Carteret County, North Carolina|Carteret]] and [[New Hanover County, North Carolina|New Hanover]]. Onslow County was formed in 1734 and was named for [[Arthur Onslow]], the longest serving [[speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|speaker of the House of Commons]]. After a lethal 1752 hurricane, the county courthouse was relocated from Town Point to Wantland's Ferry; this settlement was eventually incorporated in 1842 and named Jacksonville after President [[Andrew Jackson]]. Through much of the first half of the 20th century, the county was largely rural, with an economy based on agrarian and maritime communities.

During World War II, Onslow County was dramatically changed in the early 1940s with the establishment of the [[United States Army]] [[Marine Corps Outlying Field Camp Davis|Camp Davis]] near Holly Ridge (now defunct),{{cn|date=February 2025}} and the creation of [[Camp Lejeune]] in 1941. About 2,400 residents were displaced to allow for the acquisition.<ref name= gerard>{{cite news| last = Gerard| first = Philip | title = The 1940s: The Devil Dogs Find a Home| newspaper = Our State| date = November 27, 2018| url = https://www.ourstate.com/the-devil-dogs-find-a-home/| access-date = February 8, 2025}}</ref> This increased county population and generated related growth in housing and businesses.

Onslow County's flat, gently rolling terrain covers {{convert|767|sqmi|km2}} and is located in the southeastern coastal plain of North Carolina, about {{convert|120|mi|km}} east of [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]] and {{convert|50|mi|km}} north of [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]]. The city of Jacksonville is the [[county seat]], and the areas surrounding the city constitute the major population centers and growth areas in the county. The county is home to more than 200,000 people and includes the incorporated towns of [[Holly Ridge, North Carolina|Holly Ridge]], [[Richlands, North Carolina|Richlands]], [[Swansboro, North Carolina|Swansboro]], [[North Topsail Beach, North Carolina|North Topsail Beach]], part of [[Surf City, North Carolina|Surf City]] and unincorporated [[Sneads Ferry, North Carolina|Sneads Ferry]]. The U.S. Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, comprises roughly {{convert|156000|acre|km2}}; more than 43,000 marines and sailors are stationed there.