city, seat of Burke county, west-central North Carolina, U.S. It lies on the Catawba River about 20 miles (30 km) west of Hickory. It was named for General Daniel Morgan (Morgan, Daniel), a leader of the American Revolution, and was originally called Morganborough. The area had been inhabited by the Catawba when settlers first came in the early 1700s. In 1893 the county drew a group of Waldenses, religious refugees from the Italian Alps; their descendants hold an annual festival in mid-August in nearby Valdese.

The economy is based on manufacturing, producing mainly furniture, textiles, shoes, chemicals, electronics, and clothing. Western Piedmont Community College (1966) is located in the city. The old county courthouse (1837) was used for sessions of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1847–62; it has been restored as a museum. Catawba River Greenway Park in Morganton is a popular recreation spot. Other nearby recreational areas include Tuttle Educational State Forest (north), Lake Rhodhiss (east), South Mountain State Park (south), and Lake James State Park (west). Inc. 1784. Pop. (1990) city, 15,085; Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir MSA, 292,409; (2000) city, 17,310; Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir MSA, 341,851.