city, seat (1850) of Wayne county, east-central North Carolina, U.S. It is situated near the Neuse River about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Raleigh. Settled in 1838, it was named for Matthew T. Goldsborough of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad and developed as a trade and shipping centre for farm produce. After the Battle at Bentonville (18 miles 【29 km】 west of Goldsboro) in March 1865, one of the last major engagements of the American Civil War, victorious Union armies under Generals William Tecumseh Sherman (Sherman, William Tecumseh) and John Schofield united at Goldsboro before their final advance on Durham.

The city is now a tobacco market with some light manufactures, notably textiles, furniture, food products, and automotive parts. Mental health facilities, including Cherry Hospital and O'Berry Center for children, serve the south-central portion of the state. Wayne Community College (1957) and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (1942) are also in Goldsboro. Governor Charles B. Aycock Birthplace State Historic Site is about 10 miles (16 km) north. Other nearby recreational facilities include Cliffs of the Neuse State Park (southeast) and Waynesborough State Park (southwest). Inc. 1847. Pop. (1990) 40,709; (2000) 39,043.