Johnston County, North Carolina

Johnston County
County of Johnston
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°31′N 78°22′W / 35.51°N 78.37°W / 35.51; -78.37
Country United States
State North Carolina
EstablishedJune 28, 1746 (1746-06-28)
Named afterGabriel Johnston
SeatSmithfield
Largest communityClayton
Area
  Total
795.65 sq mi (2,060.7 km2)
  Land792.02 sq mi (2,051.3 km2)
  Water3.63 sq mi (9.4 km2)  0.46%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
215,999
  Estimate 
(2023)
241,955
  Density272.72/sq mi (105.30/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
27501, 27504, 27520, 27524, 27527, 27529, 27542, 27555, 27557, 27568, 27569, 27576, 27577, 27591, 27592, 27597, 27603, 28334, 28366
Area code919, 984
Congressional district13th
Websitejohnstonnc.gov

Johnston County, officially the County of Johnston, is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 215,999. Its county seat is Smithfield. Johnston County is included in the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023.