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Beaufort County, North Carolina facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Beaufort, North Carolina or Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Quick facts for kids
Beaufort County
U.S. county
Beaufort County Courthouse
Beaufort County Courthouse
Flag of Beaufort County
Flag
 Official seal of Beaufort County
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Beaufort County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  North Carolina
Founded 1712
Named for Henry, Duke of Beaufort
Seat Washington
Largest community Washington
Area
 • Total 962.85 sq mi (2,493.8 km2)
 • Land 832.74 sq mi (2,156.8 km2)
 • Water 130.11 sq mi (337.0 km2)  13.51%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 44,652
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 44,481
 • Density 53.62/sq mi (20.70/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 3rd

Beaufort County (/ˈboʊfərt/ BOH-fərt) is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,652. Its county seat is Washington. The county was founded in 1705 as Pamptecough Precinct. Originally included in Bath County, it was renamed Beaufort Precinct in 1712 and became Beaufort County in 1739.

Beaufort County comprises the Washington, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greenville-Washington, NC Combined Statistical Area.

History

Beaufort County was first called Pamptecough. The name was changed about 1712 to Beaufort, named for Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort (1684–1714), who became one of Carolina's Lords Proprietor around 1709.

Beaufort County was the site of a proposed Navy outlying landing field. This practice airfield would have allow pilots to simulate landings on an aircraft carrier. Construction was controversial due to its potential ecological impact.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 962.85 square miles (2,493.8 km2), of which 832.74 square miles (2,156.8 km2) is land and 130.11 square miles (337.0 km2) (13.51%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by total area. The county split in half by the Pamlico River.

State and local protected areas/sites

  • Goose Creek Game Land (part)
  • Goose Creek State Park
  • Historic Bath
  • Van Swamp Game Lands (part)
  • Voice of America Game Land (part)

Major water bodies

Adjacent counties

Major highways

  • US 17

  • US 17 Bus.
  • US 264

  • US 264 Bus.
  • NC 32
  • NC 33
  • NC 45
  • NC 92
  • NC 99
  • NC 102
  • NC 171
  • NC 306

Major infrastructure

  • Bayview–Aurora Ferry
  • Washington-Warren Field Airport

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1790 5,405 —
1800 6,242 15.5%
1810 7,203 15.4%
1820 9,850 36.7%
1830 10,969 11.4%
1840 12,225 11.5%
1850 13,816 13.0%
1860 14,766 6.9%
1870 13,011 −11.9%
1880 17,474 34.3%
1890 21,072 20.6%
1900 26,404 25.3%
1910 30,877 16.9%
1920 31,024 0.5%
1930 35,026 12.9%
1940 36,431 4.0%
1950 37,134 1.9%
1960 36,014 −3.0%
1970 35,980 −0.1%
1980 40,355 12.2%
1990 42,283 4.8%
2000 44,958 6.3%
2010 47,759 6.2%
2020 44,652 −6.5%
2023 (est.) 44,481 −6.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010 2020

2020 census

Beaufort County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 29,431 65.91%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 10,195 22.83%
Native American 90 0.2%
Asian 164 0.37%
Pacific Islander 16 0.04%
Other/Mixed 1,323 2.96%
Hispanic or Latino 3,433 7.69%

As of the 2020 census, there were 44,652 people, 19,701 households, and 12,638 families residing in the county.

Ancestry

As of 2010, the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Beaufort County were:

Ancestry Percent
(2010)
English England 14.4%
American United States 11.9%
German Germany 6.6%
Irish Republic of Ireland 6.0%
Scottish Scotland 2.5%
French France 1.6%
Italian Italy 1.5%

Education

Beaufort County Schools is the local public school system.

Communities

Map of Beaufort County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Beaufort County with municipal and township labels

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Townships

  • Bath
  • Chocowinity
  • Long Acre
  • Pantego
  • Richland
  • Washington

Other unincorporated communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Beaufort County.

† = county seat

Rank Name Type Population
(2020 census)
1 † Washington City 9,875
2 River Road CDP 4,048
3 Belhaven Town 1,410
4 Chocowinity Town 722
5 Aurora Town 455
6 Washington Park Town 392
7 Bayview CDP 298
8 Bath Town 245
9 Pantego Town 164
10 Pinetown CDP 147

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Beaufort (Carolina del Norte) para niños

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