Washington County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers 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 of

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,003. 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 ...

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...

. The county was formed in 1799 from the western third of

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 ...

. It was named for

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

History

There are three incorporated towns in Washington County; Plymouth is the county seat, while other towns are Roper and Creswell. Washington County is known for rich farmland, extensive forests and abundant public access waters. The Roanoke River and Albemarle Sound form the northern boundary.

Lake Phelps Lake Phelps is North Carolina's second largest natural lake. It has a surface area of , and it is located primarily in Washington County on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula between the Albemarle Sound and the Pamlico Sound. The easternmost part o ...

is 16,000 acres and is part of

Pettigrew State Park Pettigrew State Park is a North Carolina State Park in Tyrrell and Washington Counties, North Carolina in the United States. It covers around the shore lines of Lake Phelps and the Scuppernong River. The park's developed facilities are sou ...

in Creswell. Somerset Place is a restored antebellum plantation and NC Historic Site on Lake Phelps. The Pungo Unit of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in the southern part of the county is said to have the best public black bear viewing in North Carolina. This part of the state is known for having the world's largest black bears and highest black bear densities The award-winning NC Black Bear Festival takes place in Plymouth on the first weekend in June.

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 (18%) is water. The county borders the

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 bar ...

National protected area

* Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State and local protected areas/sites

(part) * Somerset Place *

Van Swamp Game Lands A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across t ...

(part)

Major water bodies

* Pungo River *

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 Ap ...

Adjacent counties

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

- north *

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

- east * Hyde County - southeast * Beaufort County - southwest * Martin County - west * Bertie County - northwest

Major highways

* * * * * * * *

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 off ...

, there were 11,003 people, 4,977 households, and 2,655 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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 13,723 people, 5,367 households, and 3,907 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 RosenberPopu ...

was 39 people per square mile (15/km²). There were 6,174 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 48.28%

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 ...

, 48.94%

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 ha ...

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 ...

, 0.05% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.66% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. 2.27% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 5,367 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.10% 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 ...

living together, 18.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 24.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.99. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 25.80% from 45 to 64, and 15.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $28,865, and the median income for a family was $34,888. Males had a median income of $27,058 versus $19,477 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 $14,994. About 17.60% of families and 21.80% 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 ...

, including 31.50% of those under age 18 and 19.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Washington County is a member of the Albemarle Commission regional council of governments. Washington County was one of the proposed sites for a

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

outlying landing field. This practice airfield would allow pilots to simulate landings on an

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

. Plans for construction have been scrapped due to public backlash and potential

ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

impact.

Education

* Creswell High School * Plymouth High School * Pocosin Innovative Charter

Communities

Towns

* Creswell *

(county seat and largest town) *

Roper Roper is a craftsman who makes ropes; a ropemaker. It may also refer to: Places * Roper, North Carolina, USA * Roper River, Northern Territory, Australia People * Roper (surname) Other *''Roper v. Simmons'', a decision of the United States S ...

Unincorporated communities

* Mackeys * Pea Ridge

Townships

* Plymouth * Lees Mill * Scuppernong * Skinnersville

References

External links

Washington County official website

Washington County, NCGenWeb
{{Coord, 35.84, -76.56, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NC_source:UScensus1990 1799 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1799 Majority-minority counties in North Carolina