Currituck County, North Carolina

"Currituck County" redirects here. For the musical artist, see Currituck Co.

Currituck County
County
Currituck County Courthouse
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36.37°N 75.94°W / 36.37; -75.94
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1668
Named for	Algonquin term meaning "The Land of the Wild Geese"[1]
Seat	Currituck
Largest community	Moyock
Area
• Total	526.43 sq mi (1,363.4 km^2)
• Land	261.91 sq mi (678.3 km^2)
• Water	264.52 sq mi (685.1 km^2)  50.25%
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,100
• Estimate  (2023)	31,593
• Density	107.29/sq mi (41.42/km^2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.co.currituck.nc.us

Currituck County (/ˈkʊrɪtʌk/)^[2] is the northeasternmost 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-Chesapeake, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.^[6] 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 community name.

History

The Old Currituck County Courthouse and Jail in Currituck

Currituck County was created in 1668 from Albemarle County. The largest community is Moyock and the county seat is Currituck.

Geography

Interactive map of Currituck County

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

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 526.43 square miles (1,363.4 km²), of which 261.91 square miles (678.3 km²) is land and 264.52 square miles (685.1 km²) (50.25%) is water.^[7]

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^[8]
• Currituck Banks Game Land^[9]
• Currituck Banks Reserve^[8]
• Currituck Beach Lighthouse
• Currituck Outer Banks Preserve Dedicated Nature Preserve^[10]
• Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Monkey Island
• North River Game Land (part)
• Northwest River Marsh Game Land^[11]

Major water bodies

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

Adjacent counties

• City of Chesapeake, Virginia – north
• City of Virginia Beach, Virginia – north
• Dare County – south
• Tyrrell County – southwest
• Camden County – southwest

Major highways

• US 158
• NC 12
• NC 34
• NC 136
• NC 168
• NC 615

Major infrastructure

• Currituck County Regional Airport
• Knotts Island–Currituck Ferry

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
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		0.0%
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%
2020	28,100		19.3%
2023 (est.)	31,593	[3]	12.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[13] 2010–2020[3]

2020 census

Currituck County racial composition^[14]

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

2010 census

At the 2010 census,^[15] 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 people/km²). There were 10,687 housing units at an average density of 41 units per square mile (16 units/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. Currituck has recently paced all other counties in growth throughout North Carolina, as commuters from the Hampton Roads metro of Virginia as well as work-from-home employees have flocked to the county.^[16] The Currituck County Board of Commissioners placed a moratorium on solar farms in February 2017, but have since rescinded it with two new solar projects in the works as of 2023.^[17][18]

United States presidential election results for Currituck County, North Carolina^[19]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	13,235	73.31%	4,604	25.50%	214	1.19%
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%

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 with municipal and township labels

Census-designated places

• Moyock (largest community)
• Coinjock
• Grandy

Townships

• Crawford
• Fruitville
• Moyock
• Poplar Branch

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
• 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
• Emerson Etheridge, congressman and Southern Unionist
• John Gibbs, leader of colonial rebellion, Gibbs Rebellion, and name sake of Gibbs Woods, NC
• Thomas Jarvis, Colonial Governor of North Carolina
• Thomas Jordan Jarvis, Governor of North Carolina
• 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
• Henry Marchmore Shaw, Congressman and Confederate officer

See also

• List of counties in North Carolina
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Currituck County, North Carolina
• Mid-Currituck Bridge, proposed bridge to connect the mainland to Corolla

References

1. Mazzocchi, Jay (2006). Powell, William S. (ed.). "Currituck County". NCpedia. University of North Carolina Press. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
2. Talk Like A Tarheel Archived June 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
3. "QuickFacts: Currituck County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
5. "North Carolina: Individual County Chronologies". North Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2015.
6. "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
7. "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
8. "Currituck Banks Reserve". deq.nc.gov. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
9. "Currituck Banks Game Land and National Wildlife Refuge - North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission - Avenza Maps". www.avenzamaps.com. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
10. "Currituck Banks Coastal Estuarine Reserve - OuterBanks.com". www.outerbanks.com. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
11. "Coastal Game Land Maps". www.ncwildlife.org. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
12. "Northwest River (in Currituck County, NC)". northcarolina.hometownlocator.com. Retrieved August 11, 2022.
13. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
16. "Spring 2022 CountyQuarterly Research Pulse: Growing Pains". NCACC.ORG. June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
17. "Currituck County bans solar farm development". Virginian-Pilot. February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
18. "Currituck oks 100 megawatt solar farm". DailyAdvance. November 28, 2020. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 15, 2018.

External links

• Geographic data related to Currituck County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
• Official website