Beaufort County, North Carolina

Beaufort County Education, Geography, and History

Beaufort County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 47,759.[ 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.

Etymology - Origin of Beaufort County Name

Beaufort was first called Pamptecough, the name being changed about 1712. It was named for Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, who in 1709 became one of the Lords Proprietors.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Beaufort County History

Beaufort was first called Pamptecough, the name being changed about 1712. It was named for Henry Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, who in 1709 became one of the Lords Proprietors. It is in the eastern section of the State and is bounded by Craven, Hyde, Martin, Pamlico, Pitt, and Washington counties. The present land area is 827.97 square miles and the 2000 population was 44,958. Bath, incorporated in 1705, was the first county seat. Washington was made the county seat in 1785.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 958 square miles (2,480 km²), of which 827 square miles (2,140 km²) is land and 131 square miles (340 km²) (14%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in North Carolina by total area.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Washington County (northeast)
• Hyde County (east)
• Pamlico County (southeast)
• Craven County (southwest)
• Pitt County (west)
• Martin County (northwest)

Education

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