Pender County was formed in 1875 from New Hanover County and was named for William Dorsey Pender of Edgecombe County. Pender was a Confederate general who died at the Battle of Gettysburg. Pender County was largely consistent of plantations and is still ideal for farming. The County Seat of Pender is located in Burgaw. Other towns in Pender County are Hampstead, Rocky Point and those of Topsail Island.

Highway 17 and Interstate 40 both run through Pender County easily linking it to Wilmington and Jacksonville. Moderate traffic is to be expected on these major roads, but the rest of the county is consisted of smaller, country roads. Wilmington is about 30 minutes from the center of Pender County, Burgaw. Jacksonville is a little longer drive at about 40 minutes from Hampstead.

There are many different subdivisions in Pender County as well as farmland sprinkled throughout the countryside. Swan Plantations, Highsmith Estates, Patriots Watch, Oxbow Landing, Riverview, Alligator Lake Estates, Grand Oaks, Morgan Cove Plantations and many more neighborhoods are located in Pender County.