Chowan County, North Carolina

Chowan County Education, Geography, and History

Chowan County is one of the 100 counties located in the state of North Carolina. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 14,793. Its county seat is Edenton. The county was created between 1668 and 1671 as Shaftesbury Precinct and later renamed Chowan Precinct. It gained county status in 1739.

Etymology - Origin of Chowan County Name

It was named in honor of the Indian tribe Chowan, which lived in the northeastern part of the Colony.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Chowan County History

Chowan was formed in 1670 as a precinct in Albemarle County. It was named in honor of the Indian tribe Chowan, which lived in the northeastern part of the Colony. It is in the northeastern section of the State and is bounded by Albemarle Sound, Chowan River, and Bertie, Hertford, Gates and Perquimans counties. The present land area is 172.64 square miles and the 2000 population was 14,150. In 1720, Edenton, which was named in honor of Governor Charles Eden, was established. In 1722 it was designated and has continued to be the county seat.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 233 square miles (600 km²), of which 172 square miles (450 km²) is land and 61 square miles (160 km²) (26%) is water. It is the smallest county in North Carolina by land area and third-smallest by total area.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Gates County (north)
• Perquimans County (east)
• Washington County (south)
• Bertie County (west)
• Hertford County (northwest)

Education

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