| Official Name: | Conover, North Carolina |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Nicknames: | "Wye Town", "Canova", “C-Town” |
| Motto: | "Community and Industry" |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Carolina |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Catawba |
| Government Type: | Council-Manager |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Kyle Hayman |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Tom Hart |
| Established Date: | 1876-77 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 29.01 |
| Area Land Km2: | 28.93 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.08 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 11.20 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 11.17 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.03 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 8421 |
| Population Density Km2: | 291.05 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 753.83 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1020 |
| Coordinates: | 35.7111°N -81.2197°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 28613 |
| Area Code: | 828 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 37-14340[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2404118 |
Conover is a city in Catawba County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,421 as of the 2020 census.[3] It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area and Charlotte Metropolitan Area.
The City of Conover began to develop in the mid-1800s as a “Y” intersection of the railroad traversing North Carolina. Although originally called Wye Town, legend says the name "Canova" was adopted, but transposed to Conover over several years. The City of Conover was chartered in 1876 and incorporated in 1877.[4]
The Bolick Historic District and George Huffman Farm are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Conover is located in the geographic center, as well as the population center, of Catawba County and is bordered by the City of Hickory to the west, the City of Newton to the south, and the City of Claremont to the east. Interstate 40 traverses Conover, with access from four major exits (128, 130, 132, and 133). U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 321, and North Carolina Highway 16 all pass through Conover, making Conover one of the most easily accessible cities in the Charlotte Metro Region.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Conover has a total area of 28.3km2, of which 0.08sqkm, or 0.27%, is water[5]
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 5,678 | 67.43% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 721 | 8.56% | |
| Native American | 19 | 0.23% | |
| Asian | 455 | 5.4% | |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% | |
| Other/Mixed | 366 | 4.35% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,181 | 14.02% |
As of the 2010 census there were 8,165 people, 3,368 households, and 2,182 families residing in the city.[6] The population density was 738.1sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 3,654 housing units at an average density of 328.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 78.1% White, 9.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 4.2% Asian, 5.8% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.2% of the population.
There were 3,654 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.96.
The Conover Public Works Department provides Water, Street Construction, Maintenance and Repair, Storm Water Management, Solid Waste and Recycling, Water Treatment, Grounds and Parks and Fleet Maintenance services to the residents of Conover.[7]
The Conover Fire Department provides Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Mitigation, Technical Rescues, Public Education, and Fire Prevention and Inspection with 18 full-time and 40 part-time/volunteer firefighters operating out of three fire stations.[8]
The Conover Police Department is staffed by 27 full-time officers, 1 Code Enforcement officer, 5 part-time employees, and 5 volunteer police chaplains.[9]
Emergency Medical Services for the City of Conover are provided by CCEMS, the Catawba County EMS Agency.[10]
Conover is located in the western piedmont area of North Carolina. Conover is located northwest of Charlotte, west of Winston-Salem, and east of Asheville.
Interstate 40 traverses the city along with other major roads including US 70, US 321 and NC 16, making it easy to access the city from any direction.
Conover is home of the Rock Barn Country Club and Spa, a golf club with two championship 18-hole courses and spa that was home to the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, a PGA Champions Tour Event.[12]
Conover has nine meighborhood parks and one greenway:
The City of Conover is served by Newton-Conover City Schools[14] and Catawba County Schools.[15]
Conover is home to the transportation office for NASCAR.[16] Conover is also home to Dale Jarrett Inc.,[17] and Morgan Shepherd Racing Ventures.[18]