Cumberland County decreased in size in 1784 when Moore County was created; in 1855 when Harnett County was created; and in 1911 when Hoke County was created. Cumberland County increased in size in 1874 when Bladen County ceded some land to Cumberland County.

Its population grew from 8,671 in 1790 to 319,431 in 2010.

Click on the maps below to peruse the known towns and villages that came and went over the past two and a half centuries - a few cannot be located since they do not show up on available maps of NC.