James Owen (December 7, 1784 – September 4, 1865) was an American politician from North Carolina, a planter, major-general, businessman, and enslaver, including of Omar ibn Said. He was educated at William Bingham's Academy in Pittsboro. Subsequently, he was for many years president of the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad and served as major-general of the North Carolina Militia during the War of 1812. His brother John Owen was governor of North Carolina. Owen was a member of the North Carolina House of Commons from 1808 to 1811 and a Democratic-Republican party U.S. Representative from North Carolina's 5th congressional district from 1817 to 1819. He died in 1865 and was interred at Oakdale Cemetery, Wilmington. He was a devoted Presbyterian and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and an officer in the Fayetteville chapter of the American Bible Society.