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Currituck County, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse
Currituck County Courthouse
Flag of Currituck County, North Carolina
Flag
Seal of Currituck County, North Carolina
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Currituck County
Location in the state of North Carolina
Map of the U.S
North Carolina's location in the U.S.
Founded 1668
Named for Algonquin term meaning "The Land of the Wild Goose"[1]
Seat Currituck
Largest community Moyock
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

527 sq mi (1,365 km²)
262 sq mi (679 km²)
265 sq mi (686 km²), 50
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

28,100
Congressional district 3rd
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website www.co.currituck.nc.us

Currituck County ( /ˈkʊrɪtʌk/)[2] is the northeastern most county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,100.[3] Its county seat is Currituck.[4] The county was formed in 1668 as a precinct of Albemarle County and later gained county status in 1739.[5] The name is "traditionally said to be an indigenous word for wild geese; Coratank." Currituck County is included in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC Metropolitan Area. It is in the northeastern section of the state and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Currituck Sound, Camden County, Dare County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Currituck Court House, mentioned as early as 1755, was the name of the county seat. Today the words "Court House" have been dropped and only Currituck is used as the town name.

History[]

Currituck County was created in 1668 from Albemarle County.

Geography[]

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MackayIslandPines

Pine trees are common in Currituck County, like these in Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Old Currituck jail - Stierch

The Old Currituck Jail

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 527 square miles (1,360 km2), of which 262 square miles (680 km2) is land and 265 square miles (690 km2) (50%) is water.[6]

Currituck County includes the northern communities of North Carolina's Outer Banks, separated from mainland Currituck County by the Currituck Sound.

National protected areas[]

  • Currituck National Wildlife Refuge
  • Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State and local protected areas/sites[]

  • Currituck Banks Estuarine Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve[7]
  • Currituck Banks Game Land[8]
  • Currituck Banks Reserve[7]
  • Currituck Beach Lighthouse
  • Currituck Outer Banks Preserve Dedicated Nature Preserve[9]
  • Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Monkey Island
  • North River Game Land Dedicated Nature Preserve (part)
  • Northwest River Marsh Game Land[10]
  • Northwest River Marsh Game Land Dedicated Nature Preserve[11]
  • Northwest River Natural Area Preserve (part)
  • Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area Pocahontas Marsh Tract (part)

Major water bodies[]

  • Albemarle Sound
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Currituck Sound
  • Intracoastal Waterway
  • North River
  • Northwest River[12]

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • US 158 US 158
  • NC 12 NC 12
  • NC 34 NC 34
  • NC 168 NC 168
  • NC 615 NC 615

Major infrastructure[]

  • Currituck - Knotts Island Ferry
  • Currituck County Regional Airport

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 5,220
1800 6,928 32.7%
1810 6,985 0.8%
1820 8,098 15.9%
1830 7,655 −5.5%
1840 6,703 −12.4%
1850 7,236 8.0%
1860 7,415 2.5%
1870 5,131 −30.8%
1880 6,476 26.2%
1890 6,747 4.2%
1900 6,529 −3.2%
1910 7,693 17.8%
1920 7,268 −5.5%
1930 6,710 −7.7%
1940 6,709 0%
1950 6,201 −7.6%
1960 6,601 6.5%
1970 6,976 5.7%
1980 11,089 59.0%
1990 13,736 23.9%
2000 18,190 32.4%
2010 23,547 29.5%
Est. 2021 29,653 [13] 63.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
2020[15]

2020 census[]

Currituck County racial composition[16]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 23,505 83.65%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 1,377 4.9%
Native American 98 0.35%
Asian 265 0.94%
Pacific Islander 22 0.08%
Other/Mixed 1,615 5.75%
Hispanic or Latino 1,218 4.33%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 28,100 people, 10,522 households, and 7,467 families residing in the county.

2010 census[]

As of the census[17] of 2010, there were 23,547 people, 6,902 households, and 5,204 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile (27/km2). There were 10,687 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile (16/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.3% White, 5.8% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. 3.0% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

There were 6,902 households, out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.60% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 19.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.98.

The age distribution was 25.30% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,822, and the median income for a family was $46,382. Males had a median income of $32,619 versus $22,641 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,908. 10.70% of the population and 8.90% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.10% are under the age of 18 and 8.90% are 65 or older.

Government and politics[]

Politically Currituck is a typical "Solid South" county. It voted more than eighty percent for every Democratic candidate between 1920 and 1948. Currituck never voted Republican until, after voting for American Independent George Wallace in 1968, turning decisively to Richard Nixon in 1972. Since then, Currituck has become a powerfully Republican county. The last Democrat to carry Currituck has been Jimmy Carter in 1980, and at the 2016 election Hillary Clinton received less than a quarter of the county's vote.

The county is run by elected county commissioners, and Currituck County is a member of the Albemarle Commission regional council of governments. The Board of Commissioners banned further solar farms in February 2017.[18]

United States presidential election results for Currituck County, North Carolina[19]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 11,657 72.19% 4,195 25.98% 295 1.83%
2016 9,163 72.33% 2,913 22.99% 593 4.68%
2012 7,496 66.31% 3,562 31.51% 246 2.18%
2008 7,234 65.16% 3,737 33.66% 131 1.18%
2004 6,013 66.99% 2,909 32.41% 54 0.60%
2000 4,095 60.77% 2,595 38.51% 49 0.73%
1996 2,569 45.51% 2,277 40.34% 799 14.15%
1992 2,188 41.31% 1,935 36.53% 1,174 22.16%
1988 2,443 60.98% 1,555 38.82% 8 0.20%
1984 2,885 63.24% 1,668 36.56% 9 0.20%
1980 1,668 44.06% 1,980 52.30% 138 3.65%
1976 954 32.12% 1,999 67.31% 17 0.57%
1972 1,578 66.67% 718 30.33% 71 3.00%
1968 363 14.11% 738 28.69% 1,471 57.19%
1964 741 33.74% 1,455 66.26% 0 0.00%
1960 464 21.94% 1,651 78.06% 0 0.00%
1956 488 25.51% 1,425 74.49% 0 0.00%
1952 414 21.96% 1,471 78.04% 0 0.00%
1948 130 9.50% 1,144 83.63% 94 6.87%
1944 231 18.05% 1,049 81.95% 0 0.00%
1940 102 6.24% 1,532 93.76% 0 0.00%
1936 128 7.30% 1,625 92.70% 0 0.00%
1932 69 3.77% 1,759 96.02% 4 0.22%
1928 166 11.70% 1,253 88.30% 0 0.00%
1924 52 7.07% 670 91.16% 13 1.77%
1920 86 7.92% 1,000 92.08% 0 0.00%
1916 87 8.42% 945 91.48% 1 0.10%
1912 6 0.94% 622 97.80% 8 1.26%
1908 68 8.84% 701 91.16% 0 0.00%
1904 33 5.73% 543 94.27% 0 0.00%
1900 435 31.94% 927 68.06% 0 0.00%
1896 472 33.84% 922 66.09% 1 0.07%
1892 402 29.73% 834 61.69% 116 8.58%
1888 461 31.40% 1,001 68.19% 6 0.41%
1884 425 30.18% 983 69.82% 0 0.00%
1880 364 27.20% 974 72.80% 0 0.00%



Education[]

Currituck County Schools are governed by a five-member, elected Board of Education. The following schools are located in the county:

  • Central Elementary School
  • Currituck County High School
  • Currituck County Middle School
  • J.P. Knapp Early College High School
  • Jarvisburg Elementary School
  • Knotts Island Elementary School
  • Moyock Elementary School
  • Moyock Middle School
  • Shawboro Elementary School
  • W.T. Griggs Elementary School
  • Jarvisburg Christian Academy

Communities[]

Map of Currituck County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Map of Currituck County with municipal and township labels

Census-designated places[]

  • Moyock (largest community)
  • Coinjock

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Aydlett
  • Barco
  • Carova Beach
  • Corolla
  • Currituck (county seat)
  • Gibbs Woods
  • Grandy
  • Gregory
  • Harbinger
  • Knotts Island
  • Jarvisburg
  • Mamie
  • Maple
  • North Swan Beach
  • Point Harbor
  • Poplar Beach
  • Poplar Branch
  • Powells Point
  • Swan Beach
  • Shawboro
  • Sligo
  • Spot
  • Waterlily

Notable people[]

  • Dennis Anderson, former driver, and creator, of the Grave Digger monster truck.
  • Emerson Etheridge, congressman and Southern Unionist
  • Joseph P. Knapp, publisher, philanthropist and namesake of the J.P. Knapp Early College High School
  • Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court Justice, had a beach house in the Corolla community
  • Linda Carter Brinson, American journalist
  • Macon Brock, Founder of Dollar Tree had a beach house in the Corolla community
  • Richard Thurmond Chatham, once owned the hunt club Dews Island in Jarvisburg,
  • Thomas Jarvis, Colonial Governor of North Carolina
  • Thomas Jordan Jarvis, Governor of North Carolina
  • Henry Marchmore Shaw, Congressman and Confederate officer
  • Capt John Gibbs, leader of colonial rebellion, Gibbs Rebellion, and name sake of Gibbs Woods, NC

See also[]

  • List of counties in North Carolina
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Currituck County, North Carolina
  • Mic-Currituck Bridge, proposed bride to connect the mainland to Corolla.
  • North Carolina Ferry System

References[]

  1. ^ History of Currituck County
  2. ^ Talk Like A Tarheel Archived 2013-06-22 at the Wayback Machine, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2013-02-05.
  3. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Currituck County, North Carolina" (in en). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/currituckcountynorthcarolina/PST045221?. 
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  5. ^ "North Carolina: Individual County Chronologies". North Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2009. http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/NC_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm. 
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_37.txt. 
  7. ^ a b "Currituck Banks Reserve | NC DEQ". https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/coastal-management/nc-coastal-reserve/reserve-sites/currituck-banks-reserve. 
  8. ^ "Currituck Banks Game Land and National Wildlife Refuge - North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission - Avenza Maps". https://www.avenzamaps.com/maps/1187119/currituck-banks-game-land-and-national-wildlife-refuge. 
  9. ^ "Currituck Banks Coastal Estuarine Reserve - OuterBanks.com". https://www.outerbanks.com/currituck-banks-coastal-estuarine-reserve.html. 
  10. ^ "Coastal Game Land Maps". https://www.ncwildlife.org/Hunting/Where-To-Hunt-Shoot/Public-Places/Coastal-Game-Land-Maps. 
  11. ^ "Northwest River Marsh Game Land Dedicated Nature Preserve (Park) - Currituck County, North Carolina". https://www.helpmecovid.com/us/3281245_northwest-river-marsh-game-land-dedicated-nature-preserve. 
  12. ^ "Northwest River (in Currituck County, NC)". https://northcarolina.hometownlocator.com/maps/feature-map,ftc,1,fid,1025587,n,northwest%20river.cfm. 
  13. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Currituck County, North Carolina.". www.census.gov.. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/currituckcountynorthcarolina/PST045221?. 
  14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  15. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Currituck County, North Carolina.". www.census.gov.. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/currituckcountynorthcarolina/PST045221?. 
  16. ^ "Explore Census Data". https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US37053&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2. 
  17. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  18. ^ "Currituck County bans solar farm development". Virginian-Pilot. 21 February 2017. http://pilotonline.com/news/government/currituck-county-bans-solar-farm-development/article_a81d9768-0529-59b8-bf10-5d2a050dc8c1.html. 
  19. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 36°22′N 75°56′W / 36.36, -75.94

This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Currituck County, North Carolina. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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