Plymouth is a town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest town in the county. In 2020, about 3,320 people lived there. Plymouth is the main town, also known as the county seat, of Washington County. It is located on the Roanoke River. The town is about seven miles (11 km) upriver from where the Roanoke River flows into the Albemarle Sound. This area is part of North Carolina's Inner Banks region.

Geography
Climate
Population Facts
- How Many People Live Here?
- Population in 2010
History of Plymouth
Economy
Education
Notable People
Images for kids
See also

Geography

Plymouth is a town with a total area of about 3.9 square miles (10.1 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a very small part, about 0.26%, is water.

Climate

Climate data for PLYMOUTH 5 E, NC, 1991-2020 normals
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	53.9 (12.2)	57.4 (14.1)	64.2 (17.9)	73.8 (23.2)	80.2 (26.8)	86.5 (30.3)	89.3 (31.8)	87.6 (30.9)	82.7 (28.2)	74.5 (23.6)	64.3 (17.9)	56.7 (13.7)	72.6 (22.6)
Daily mean °F (°C)	43.8 (6.6)	46.3 (7.9)	52.5 (11.4)	61.6 (16.4)	69.1 (20.6)	76.5 (24.7)	79.8 (26.6)	78.3 (25.7)	73.3 (22.9)	63.5 (17.5)	53.3 (11.8)	46.7 (8.2)	62.1 (16.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	33.6 (0.9)	35.2 (1.8)	40.8 (4.9)	49.4 (9.7)	58.1 (14.5)	66.4 (19.1)	70.4 (21.3)	69.0 (20.6)	64.0 (17.8)	52.6 (11.4)	42.3 (5.7)	36.7 (2.6)	51.5 (10.8)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.95 (100)	3.40 (86)	4.16 (106)	3.74 (95)	4.14 (105)	5.42 (138)	5.70 (145)	6.60 (168)	6.13 (156)	4.14 (105)	3.57 (91)	3.64 (92)	54.59 (1,387)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	1.0 (2.5)	0.3 (0.76)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.1 (0.25)	1.4 (3.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	12.4	10.9	11.4	10.4	11.3	11.1	12.7	12.9	11.2	9.9	10.2	11.5	135.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	0.3	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.6
Source: NOAA

Population Facts

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	951	—
1860	872	−8.3%
1870	1,389	59.3%
1880	836	−39.8%
1890	1,212	45.0%
1900	1,011	−16.6%
1910	2,165	114.1%
1920	1,847	−14.7%
1930	2,139	15.8%
1940	2,461	15.1%
1950	4,486	82.3%
1960	4,666	4.0%
1970	4,774	2.3%
1980	4,571	−4.3%
1990	4,328	−5.3%
2000	4,107	−5.1%
2010	3,878	−5.6%
2020	3,320	−14.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

How Many People Live Here?

In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 3,320 people living in Plymouth. There were 1,522 households and 678 families.

Plymouth racial composition
Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	887	26.72%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	2,259	68.04%
Native American	3	0.09%
Asian	12	0.36%
Pacific Islander	2	0.06%
Other/Mixed	100	3.01%
Hispanic or Latino	57	1.72%

Population in 2010

Back in 2010, the 2010 United States Census showed that 3,878 people lived in Plymouth. Most of the people (68.3%) were Black. About 28.9% were White. Other groups included Native American, Asian, and people of two or more races. About 1.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

History of Plymouth

Early Inhabitants

In 1585, the Moratuc tribe of American Indians lived in a large village near what is now Welch Creek. English settlers explored this area. "Moratuc" was the Indian name for the Roanoke River. The Moratuc tribe was likely an Algonquian tribe.

Founding the Town

Plymouth was started in 1787 by Arthur Rhodes. He divided 100 acres (0.4 square kilometers) of his land into 172 building lots. In 1790, the North Carolina General Assembly made Plymouth a "port of delivery." This meant ships could bring goods there. Later, in 1808, it became a "port of entry," allowing international trade.

The main government office, the county seat, of Washington County moved to Plymouth in 1823. A new courthouse was finished in 1824. This building stood until 1862. It burned down during the American Civil War from a shell fired by a Union gunboat.

Plymouth During the Civil War

Plymouth is famous for being the site of the second-largest battle in North Carolina during the American Civil War. It was also the last victory for the Confederate side. This was the Battle of Plymouth (1864).

A special Confederate ship, an ironclad warship called the CSS Albemarle, was very important in this battle. The ship was later sunk on October 27, 1864, while it was docked in Plymouth.

Plymouth in 1864 during the Civil War.

During the war, the Union forces controlled the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds. Plymouth was important because it was at the mouth of the Roanoke River. The Union wanted to go up the river to capture the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad line in Weldon, North Carolina. This railroad was a key supply line for General Robert E. Lee's army in Virginia. Cutting off this line would have greatly weakened Lee's forces.

Upriver from Plymouth, at a place called Rainbow Branch, was Fort Branch. This fort successfully stopped Union gunboats and troops from sailing further upstream. The fort held out until April 10, 1865. This was just one day after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. After Lee surrendered, the fort was abandoned, and its cannons were thrown into the Roanoke River. So, the histories of Fort Branch and Plymouth are closely linked.

Education and Landmarks

The Plymouth State Normal School was created to train African American teachers. In 1903, it moved to Elizabeth City and became Elizabeth City State University.

The Port O'Plymouth History Museum is located in the old train station downtown. It has a great collection of Civil War items. These include many belt buckles and buttons from the war. It also has a model of the ironclad ship, the CSS Albemarle.

Several historic buildings in Plymouth are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Garrett's Island House, Latham House, Perry-Spruill House, and the Washington County Courthouse. The New Chapel Missionary Baptist Church is also on this list.

Economy

The Roanoke River in Plymouth. The Domtar paper mill is in the background.

The main industry in Plymouth is Domtar Paper Company, LLC.. This company makes paper. The paper mill has been the biggest employer in the area since 1937. It used to be owned by Weyerhauser, but Domtar bought its paper business in 2007.

In 2009, Domtar announced that it would stop making paper at the mill. Instead, the mill would produce only fluff pulp. This change meant that about a third of the workers, around 360 employees, would lose their jobs.

To help with job losses, the town is trying to become a place for tourists. Plymouth is surrounded by forests and swamps, which makes it a good spot for nature lovers. A boardwalk has been built along the river, offering nice views of the Roanoke River. Plymouth also hosts the North Carolina Black Bear Festival every year in early June. This three-day event celebrates bears.

Education

Pines Elementary School
Plymouth High School
Pocosin Innovative Charter
Washington County Middle School
Washington County Early College High School

Notable People

Aaron Anderson (1811–1886), a sailor who received a special honor.
Charles Bowser (born 1959), a former player in the NFL (National Football League).
Don Brown (born 1960), an author, lawyer, and former naval officer.
Augustin Daly (1838–1899), a playwright, theater critic, and manager.
Louis C. Latham (1840–1895), who was a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Jacklyn H. Lucas (1928–2008), a marine and recipient of the Medal of Honor.
Lowes Moore (born 1957), a basketball player.
Rodney Purvis (born 1994), a basketball player.
Reddy Rowe (1887–1966), a football and baseball player and coach.
J. B. Smoove (born 1965), an actor and comedian.
Frederick W. Wurster (1850–1917), who was the Mayor of Brooklyn from 1896 to 1897.