Kinston is a city located within Lenoir County, situated in the coastal plains region of eastern North Carolina. In 2009, Kinston won the All-America City Award: recognizing Kinston as part of their group of recipients for communities that leverage civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation to successfully address local issues. The American Flood Coalition was also proud to partner with City of Kinston during it’s work to develop a community-driven master plan for Emma Webb Park that included flood resilience elements, which won the Southeast Regional Merit Award for Planning and Analysis from the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2023. The City of Kinston, led by Mayor Don Hardy and their elected Council, have played a significant role in advocating for strengthened flood resilience policy in North Carolina.
Known as the birthplace of funk, residents of Kinston are proud of its cultural heritage, creativity, parks and recreation, community activities, friendly and quiet neighborhoods, river enhancements, city services, quaint shops, revitalized downtown areas and business community. The community is positioned for growth over the next few years. As it continues to grow, the city’s elected officials are committed to developing more effective ways of delivering services and programs to our citizens and to be more responsive to our residents, businesses and customers.
