Martin County is a

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 ...

located 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 sove ...

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 22,031. 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 Williamston.

History

The county was formed in 1774 from the southeastern part of Halifax County and the western part of Tyrrell County. It was named for Josiah Martin, the last royal

governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

(1771–75). Whereas Dobbs County and Tryon County, named for Martin's predecessors

Arthur Dobbs Arthur Dobbs (2 April 1689 – 28 March 1765) was a British colonial official who served as the seventh governor of North Carolina from 1754 until 1764. Early life and career Dobbs was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, where his mother had been sen ...

and

William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...

, were abolished after American independence, Martin County was neither abolished nor renamed, a fact which has been attributed to the popularity of Alexander Martin, twice governor of the state (1782–84, 1789–92). The Martin County Courthouse was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1979.

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 (0.06%) is water.

State and local protected areas/sites

* Fort Branch Confederate Earthen Fort Civil War Site * Foxtale Hunting Preserve * Lower Roanoke River Wetlands Game Land *

Jamesville Wildlife Preserve Jamesville can refer to *Jamesville, New York * Jamesville, North Carolina * Jamesville, Pennsylvania *Jamesville, Virginia *Hamilton, Ontario has a neighborhood called Jamesville *Yankton County, South Dakota Yankton County is a county in the ...

Major water bodies

* Conoho Creek * Etheridge Creek *

Gardiners Creek Gardiners Creek, originally known as Kooyongkoot Creek, is a waterway in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, and part of the Yarra River catchment. In a few sparse locations remnant riparian bushland survives, however the majority of its length has ...

* Hardison Mill Creek * Long Creek *

Roanoke River The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the App ...

* Smithwick Creek * Tranters Creek * Welch Creek

Adjacent counties

Bertie County Bertie County ( , with both syllables stressed) is a county located in the northeast area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,934. Its county seat is Windsor. The county was created in 1722 as Berti ...

– northeast * Washington County – east * Beaufort County – southeast * Pitt County – southwest *

Edgecombe County Edgecombe County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,900. Its county seat is Tarboro. Edgecombe County is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

– west * Halifax County – northwest

Major highways

* (Concurrency with US 64 and US 17) * * * * * * * * * * * *

Major infrastructure

* Marin County 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 22,031 people, 9,378 households, and 6,195 families residing in the county.

2000 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 2000, there were 25,593 people, 10,020 households, and 7,194 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 56 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 10,930 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile (9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 52.54%

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 ...

, 45.37%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.29% Native American, 0.24%

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 ...

, 0.03%

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 ...

, 0.90% 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 0.63% from two or more races. 2.06% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. There were 10,020 households, out of which 31.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.30% were married couples living together, 17.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 25.00% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,793, and the median income for a family was $35,428. Males had a median income of $29,818 versus $19,167 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 $15,102. About 16.30% of families and 20.20% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 27.50% of those under age 18 and 25.70% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Martin County is a member of the Mid-East Commission regional council of governments.

Politics

Martin County is a historically Democratic county; in 2004, it voted Republican for only the fourth time, the first three having been in the Republican landslides of 1872, 1972, and 1984.

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

won the county back for the Democratic Party in both 2008 and 2012, but in 2016, it narrowly backed

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

. In 2020, it narrowly supported Trump again, voting for a losing Republican nominee for the first time ever. On the same day, Martin County voted to reelect Democratic

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Roy Cooper Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...

in the North Carolina gubernatorial election.

Education

The primary and secondary

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

functions are performed by Martin County Schools, a district covering the entire county.

Martin Community College Martin Community College is a public community college in Williamston, North Carolina. It is part of the North Carolina Community College System. History Martin Technical Institute Foundation Inc was founded in 1972 to secure funding for a comm ...

is located in Williamston.

Communities

Towns

Bear Grass ''Xerophyllum tenax'' is a North American species of plants in the corn lily family. It is known by several common names, including bear grass, soap grass, quip-quip, and Indian basket grass. Ecology ''Xerophyllum tenax'' has flowers with si ...

* Everetts *

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

Hassell Hassell is a multidisciplinary architecture, design and urban planning practice with offices in Australia, China, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Founded in 1937/8 in Adelaide, South Australia, the firm's former names include Claridge, Hassel ...

* Jamesville * Oak City * Parmele * Robersonville * Williamston (county seat and largest town)

Townships

* Bear Grass * Cross Roads * Goose Nest * Griffins * Hamilton * Jamesville * Poplar Point * Robersonville * Williams * Williamston

Notable people

* Annie Moore Cherry *

Wilber Hardee Wilber Hardee (August 15, 1918 – June 20, 2008) was an American businessman who founded the American fast-food restaurant chain Hardee's, located mostly in the Midwest and Southeast regions. Biography Hardee was born in Martin County, Nort ...

, founder of Hardee's *

William Drew Robeson I William Drew Robeson I (July 27, 1844 – May 17, 1918) was the minister of Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey from 1880 to 1901 and the father of Paul Robeson. The Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church had been ...

, minister of

Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church was founded in 1839 in Princeton, New Jersey. The church was formed after the Nassau Presbyterian Church allowed 90 of the 131 former African American members to form their own church, after a fire had devast ...

References

External links

NCGenWeb Martin County
– free genealogy resources for the county {{Authority control 1774 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1774