Currituck County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. Retrieved 2013-02-05. is the northeastern most

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,100. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Currituck. The county was formed in 1668 as a precinct of

Albemarle County Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Charl ...

and later gained county status in 1739. The name is "traditionally said to be an indigenous word for wild geese; Coratank." Currituck County is included in the

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

, VA-NC

Metropolitan Area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

. It is in the northeastern section of the state and is bounded by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

Currituck Sound Currituck Sound ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

, Camden County, Dare County and the Commonwealth of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Currituck Court House Currituck ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

, 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

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (50%) is water. 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 Currituck National Wildlife Refuge (), 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least eight months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0&nb ...

Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1960 to provide habitat for migratory waterfowl, primarily the greater snow goose. It is located almost entirely on Knotts Island in the Currituck Sound between Back Bay in Virginia Beach, Virginia and the open sound in Nort ...

(part)

State and local protected areas/sites

Currituck Banks Estuarine Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve Currituck may refer to: * Currituck County, North Carolina, its category, and nearby features: ** Currituck Beach Light, a lighthouse in Corolla, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks. ** Currituck County Airport, IATA (ICAO) codes: ONX (KONX) ** Cur ...

Currituck Banks Game Land Currituck may refer to: * Currituck County, North Carolina, its category, and nearby features: ** Currituck Beach Light, a lighthouse in Corolla, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks. ** Currituck County Airport, IATA (ICAO) codes: ONX (KONX) ** Cur ...

Currituck Banks Reserve Currituck may refer to: * Currituck County, North Carolina, its category, and nearby features: ** Currituck Beach Light, a lighthouse in Corolla, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks. ** Currituck County Airport, IATA (ICAO) codes: ONX (KONX) ** Cur ...

Currituck Beach Lighthouse The Currituck Beach Light ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Currituck Outer Banks Preserve Dedicated Nature Preserve Currituck may refer to: * Currituck County, North Carolina, its category, and nearby features: ** Currituck Beach Light, a lighthouse in Corolla, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks. ** Currituck County Airport, IATA (ICAO) codes: ONX (KONX) ** Cur ...

(part) *

Monkey Island ''Monkey Island'' is a series of adventure games. The first four games in the series were produced and published by LucasArts, earlier known as Lucasfilm Games. The fifth installment of the franchise was developed by Telltale Games in collabor ...

* North River Game Land Dedicated Nature Preserve (part) *

Northwest River Marsh Game Land The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

Northwest River Marsh Game Land Dedicated Nature Preserve The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

Northwest River Natural Area Preserve Northwest River Natural Area Preserve is a Natural Area Preserve located in the city of Chesapeake, Virginia. Located along the Northwest River, the preserve protects upland forests as well as swamps and marshes along the river. The preserve ...

(part) * Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area Pocahontas Marsh Tract (part)

Major water bodies

Albemarle Sound Albemarle Sound () is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Currituck Banks, a ba ...

Currituck Sound Currituck Sound ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, then following th ...

* North River * Northwest River

Adjacent counties

* City of Chesapeake, Virginia - north * City of Virginia Beach, Virginia - north * Camden County - southwest * Dare County - south *

Tyrrell County Tyrrell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,245, making it the least populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Columbia. The county was created in 1729 as Tyr ...

- southwest

Major highways

* * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Currituck - Knotts Island Ferry * Currituck County Regional Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 28,100 people, 10,522 households, and 7,467 families residing in the county.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 23,547 people, 6,902 households, and 5,204 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

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 White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 5.8% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.9% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, 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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

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 The Solid South or Southern bloc was the electoral voting bloc of the states of the Southern United States for issues that were regarded as particularly important to the interests of Democrats in those states. The Southern bloc existed especial ...

" 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 George Corley Wallace Jr. (August 25, 1919 – September 13, 1998) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Alabama for four terms. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for his staunch segregationist and ...

in 1968, turning decisively to

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

in 1972. Since then, Currituck has become a powerfully Republican county. The last Democrat to carry Currituck has been

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

in 1980, and at the 2016 election

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

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 Albemarle may refer to: People * Albemarle (given name) * Duke of Albemarle, includes a list of the dukes * Earl of Albemarle, includes a list of the earls Places United States * Albemarle, North Carolina, a city * Albemarle Sound, an estuary on ...

regional council of governments. The Board of Commissioners banned further

solar farm Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

s in February 2017.

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

Census-designated places

* Moyock (largest community) *

Coinjock Coinjock is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Currituck County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 335. It is located on U.S. Route 158 between Barco and Grandy, about s ...

Other unincorporated communities

* Aydlett * Barco * Carova Beach * Corolla * Currituck (county seat) * Gibbs Woods * Grandy * Gregory *

Harbinger A harbinger is a forerunner or forewarning, but may also refer to: Companies * Harbinger Corp., an Internet-oriented business * Harbinger Capital, a hedge fund * Harbinger Knowledge Products, an eLearning products and content services company ...

Knotts Island Knotts Island is a marshy island and a small unincorporated community. The island is shared by Currituck County, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States, bounded by the Currituck Sound, North Landing River, Back Bay, and Knotts ...

* Jarvisburg *

Mamie Mamie or Maimie is a feminine given name and nickname (often of Mary) which may refer to: Given name * Mamie Claflin (1867-1929), American temperance and suffrage leader * Mamie Clark (1917–1983), African-American psychologist * Mamie Eisenhower ...

Maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

* North Swan Beach * Point Harbor *

Poplar Beach Poplar Beach is a beach located in and operated by the city of Half Moon Bay, California. It lies at the end of Poplar Street west of State Route 1. Located roughly a half mile south of Half Moon Bay State Beach, Poplar Beach allows horses and lea ...

* Poplar Branch * Powells Point * Swan Beach * Shawboro *

Sligo Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the List of urban areas ...

Spot Spot or SPOT may refer to: Places * Spot, North Carolina, a community in the United States * The Spot, New South Wales, a locality in Sydney, Australia * South Pole Traverse, sometimes called the South Pole Overland Traverse People * Spot (produ ...

* Waterlily

Notable people

Dennis Anderson Dennis Montague Anderson (born October 24, 1960) is an American former professional monster truck driver. He is the creator, team owner, and former driver of "Grave Digger" on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. Anderson is from Kill Devil Hills, Nor ...

, former driver, and creator, of the

Grave Digger A gravedigger is a cemetery worker who is responsible for digging a grave prior to a funeral service. Description If the grave is in a cemetery on the property of a church or other religious organization (part of, or called, a churchyard), ...

monster truck A monster truck is a specialized off-road vehicle with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, large-displacement V8 engines and oversized tires constructed for competition and entertainment uses. Originally created by modifying stock pic ...

. *

Emerson Etheridge Henry Emerson Etheridge (September 28, 1819 – October 21, 1902) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district from 1853 to 1857, and again from 1859 to 1861. ...

, congressman and

Southern Unionist In the United States, Southern Unionists were white Southerners living in the Confederate States of America opposed to secession. Many fought for the Union during the Civil War. These people are also referred to as Southern Loyalists, Union Lo ...

Joseph P. Knapp Joseph Palmer Knapp (May 14, 1864 – January 30, 1951) was an American publisher and philanthropist. He was Chairman of the Board and principal shareholder of the Crowell-Collier Publishing Company. Knapp has also been credited with the invention ...

, publisher, philanthropist and namesake of the J.P. Knapp Early College High School *

Antonin Scalia Antonin Gregory Scalia (; March 11, 1936 – February 13, 2016) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2016. He was described as the intellectu ...

, Supreme Court Justice, had a beach house in the Corolla community *

Linda Carter Brinson Linda Sue Carter Brinson (born June 25, 1948) is an American writer, journalist, and editor. She was the first woman assistant national editor at ''The Baltimore Sun'' and the first woman editorial page editor at the ''Winston-Salem Journal''. ...

, American journalist * Macon Brock, Founder of Dollar Tree had a beach house in the Corolla community *

Richard Thurmond Chatham Richard Thurmond Chatham (August 16, 1896 – February 5, 1957), who usually went by Thurmond Chatham, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, an industrialist and philanthropist. He represented North Carolina from 1949 to 1957. Ea ...

, once owned the hunt club Dews Island in Jarvisburg, *

Thomas Jarvis Thomas Jarvis (1623–1694) was the Deputy Governor of the Carolina Province from 1691 to 1694. Biography Thomas Jarvis was born in Northampton, Virginia in 1623 to Thomas Jarvis and Elizabeth Bacon. He started his political career in 1672 ...

, Colonial Governor of North Carolina *

Thomas Jordan Jarvis Thomas Jordan Jarvis (January 18, 1836June 17, 1915) was the 44th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1879 to 1885. Jarvis later served as a U.S. Senator from 1894 to 1895, and helped establish East Carolina Teachers Training Scho ...

, Governor of North Carolina *

Henry Marchmore Shaw Henry Marchmore Shaw (November 20, 1819 – February 1, 1864) was a Congressional Representative from North Carolina, as well as an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action, one of a handfu ...

, Congressman and Confederate officer *

Capt John Gibbs John Gibbs was an American noble. He led Gibbs Rebellion in 1690 following the Governorship of Seth Sothel. Gibbs emigrated from Devonshire, England and was a relation of Carolina Proprietor Christopher Monck. Gibbs was named a Cacique, a title ...

, leader of colonial rebellion,

Gibbs Rebellion Gibbs' Rebellion was an early rebellion in the Carolina Colony. It occurred in 1690. During the Carolina Proprietary era the colony of Carolina was the only colony to create titles of nobility. The tiles were palatines, landgraves, and caciques. ...

, and name sake of Gibbs Woods, NC

References

External links

Currituck County Government website

Currituck County Department of Travel and Tourism
{{authority control Outer Banks 1739 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1739