Editing Wayne County, North Carolina (section)

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q506569|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Wayne County}}
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|557.72|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|553.92|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.80|sqmi}} (0.68%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 10, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

Wayne County's surface is level to gently rolling uplands with broad bottoms along the rivers and some creeks. Elevations are predominantly 120 to 145 feet above sea level. The largest waterway, the [[Neuse River]], bisects the lower central portion of the county and cuts a deep channel 20 to 40 feet deep as it flows in an eastward direction. Unusual river bluffs occur in the vicinity of [[Seven Springs, North Carolina|Seven Springs]]. In addition to the Neuse River, the county is drained by the [[Little River (Neuse River tributary)|Little River]], the [[Northeast Cape Fear River]] and numerous creeks.

Wayne County is underlain by unconsolidated beds of sand, clay and gravel. For the most part, these beds were deposited in seawater as the sea advanced and retreated during the geologic development of the [[Atlantic Coastal Plain]]. To a much lesser extent, streams deposited layers of sediment which mixed with that deposited on the sea floor.

The [[climate]] in Wayne County is characterized by warm summers and moderate winters. The average temperature is about 62 degrees. Annual precipitation is about 50&nbsp;inches of rainfall per year, with the major portion occurring in the late spring and summer.<ref name="Wayne County Facts"/>

===State and local protected areas/sites===
* [[Aycock Birthplace|Charles B. Aycock Birthplace]]
* [[Battle of Goldsborough Bridge|Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield]]
* [[Cliffs of the Neuse State Park]]

===Major water bodies===
* [[Bear Creek (Neuse River tributary)|Bear Creek]]
* [[Little River (Neuse River tributary)|Little River]]
* [[Neuse River]]
* [[Northeast Cape Fear River]]
* [[Quaker Neck Lake]]
* [[Water Branch (Richardson Creek tributary)|Water Branch]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Wilson County, North Carolina|Wilson County]] – north
* [[Greene County, North Carolina|Greene County]] – east-northeast
* [[Lenoir County, North Carolina|Lenoir County]] – east-southeast
* [[Duplin County, North Carolina|Duplin County]] – south
* [[Sampson County, North Carolina|Sampson County]] – southwest
* [[Johnston County, North Carolina|Johnston County]] – west

===Major highways===
* {{Jct|state=NC|I|42|I-Future|42|nolink2=yes}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I|795|I-Future|795|nolink2=yes}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|13}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|70}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|117}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Alt|117|dab1=Calypso–Brogden}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|50}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|55}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|111}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|222}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|403}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|581}}

===Major infrastructure===
* [[Goldsboro Union Station]]
* [[Seymour Johnson Air Force Base]]