It was named for the county of Surrey in England, birthplace of William Tryon, governor of North Carolina from 1765 to 1771.

Surry County is located in the Yadkin Valley AVA, an American Viticultural Area.

Wines made from grapes grown in Surry County may carry the appellation Yadkin Valley on their label.

Most of the eastern two-thirds of the county lies within the Piedmont, a region of gently rolling hills and valleys.

As a result, high wind advisories issued by the National Weather Service are not uncommon.

The highest point in Surry County is Fisher Peak in the Blue Ridge; it rises to 3,570 feet (1,088 m) above sea level.

All three flow southward and are tributaries of the Yadkin River, which forms the southern border of Surry County.

Hillary Clinton received only twenty-three percent in 2016, a proportion smaller than Hubert Humphrey obtained in the three-way 1968 race.

In the early 20th century, Surry swung from Democratic-leaning during the Third Party System, to Republican enough to be alongside Yadkin and Stokes County as the only North Carolina counties to vote with William Howard Taft during his disastrous 1912 campaign,[13] back to Democratic enough to support Adlai Stevenson II in 1952.

Additionally, the larger daily Winston-Salem Journal covers news and events in the county.

Surry County is apparently home to the fictitious community of Mayberry from "The Andy Griffith Show", which aired from 1960 through 1968.

Now guests can experience what it was like living in Mayberry by visiting the Andy Griffith Museum, stopping by Andy's homeplace, getting a trim at Floyd's barbershop, taking a ride in a replica Mayberry Squad Car, or even grabbing a bite to eat at Snappy Lunch.

Every year in September the city holds the "Mayberry Days" celebration, where fans can come and enjoy the town together.

[20] Similar to cobbler, it is a pie made of dough with a fruit or sweet potato filling and baked.

[21] Ground steak—principally a sandwich consisting of ground beef or chuck, flour, salt, and pepper mixed with water or milk—is exclusive to the county, maintaining enduring popularity among locals since the Great Depression, when it was developed as means of stretching supplies of beef.