County outline
Where Gates County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 98.5% of Gates County’s measured area and water for 1.5%. Its combined area converts to 895.5 square kilometers or approximately 221,276 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 340.612 | 882.181 | 217,991.7 |
| Water | 5.132 | 13.292 | 3,284.5 |
| Total | 345.744 | 895.473 | 221,276.2 |
How Gates County compares
By original Census land area, Gates County ranks #76 of 100 in North Carolina and #2708 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.74 times the North Carolina county-equivalent median of 460.3 square miles. It accounts for 0.7% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete North Carolina ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
What stands out about Gates County?
Gates County has more land than 514 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Gates County at #2,743 nationally by total area, 35 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 1.5%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.3 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Gates County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2707 | Barbour County, West Virginia | 341.1 | Compare |
| #2708 | Gates County, North Carolina | 340.6 | This county |
| #2709 | Pierce County, Georgia | 340.5 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 36.442135, -76.702355. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 882,181,693 m²; AWATER: 13,292,008 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How many acres of land are in Gates County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 217,992 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 221,276 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.