Tyrrell County, North Carolina

County in North Carolina, United States

County in North Carolina

Tyrrell County

County

Tyrrell County Courthouse in Columbia

Flag

Seal

Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina

North Carolina's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 35°52′N 76°10′W﻿ / ﻿35.87°N 76.17°W﻿ / 35.87; -76.17
Country|  United States
State|  North Carolina
Founded| 1729
Named after| Sir John Tyrrell[1]
Seat| Columbia
Largest community| Columbia
Area

• Total

| 597.18 sq mi (1,546.7 km2)
• Land| 390.78 sq mi (1,012.1 km2)
• Water| 206.40 sq mi (534.6 km2)  34.56%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 3,245

• Estimate

(2023)

| 3,461
• Density| 8.30/sq mi (3.20/km2)
Time zone| UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district| 1st
Website| tyrrellcounty.org

Tyrrell County (/ˈtɛərɪl/ TAIR-il)[2][3] is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,245,[4] making it the least populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Columbia.[5] The county was created in 1729 as Tyrrell Precinct and gained county status in 1739.[6]

## History

[edit]

The county was formed in 1729 as Tyrrell Precinct of Albemarle County, from parts of Bertie Precinct, Chowan Precinct, Currituck Precinct, and Pasquotank Precinct. It was named for Sir John Tyrrell, one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina.

With the abolition of Albemarle County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became counties. In 1774, the western part of Tyrrell County was combined with part of Halifax County to form Martin County. In 1799, the western third of what remained of Tyrrell County became Washington County. In 1870, the half of Tyrrell County east of the Alligator River was combined with parts of Currituck County and Hyde County to form Dare County.

## Geography

[edit]

Interactive map of Tyrrell County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 597.18 square miles (1,546.7 km2), of which 390.78 square miles (1,012.1 km2) is land and 206.40 square miles (534.6 km2) (34.56%) is water.[7] Tyrrell County, due to its proximity to the Outer Banks, has been designated as part of the Inner Banks.[8]

Wildlife in the county includes bears, red wolves, and pitcher plants.[9]

### National protected area

[edit]

* Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (part)[9]

### State and local protected areas

[edit]

* Alligator River Game Land[10]
* Alligator River Area Outstanding Resource Water (part)
* Buckridge Coastal Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
* Buckridge Game Land[10]
* Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Coastal Reserve
* Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Reserve (part)
* J. Morgan Futch Game Land[11]
* Lantern Acres Game Land (part)[10]
* New Lake Game Land[10]
* Palmetto-Peartree Preserve[11]
* Pettigrew State Park (part)
* Texas Plantation Game Land[10]

### Major water bodies

[edit]

* Albemarle Sound
* Alligator River
* The Frying Pan[12]
* Intracoastal Waterway
* Lake Phelps
* Scuppernong River

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Perquimans County – north
* Pasquotank County – north
* Camden County – north
* Currituck County – northeast
* Dare County – east
* Hyde County – south
* Washington County – west
* Chowan County – northwest

### Major highways

[edit]

* US 64[9]

US 64 Bus.
* NC 94[11]

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1790| 4,826| | —
1800| 3,395| | −29.7%
1810| 3,364| | −0.9%
1820| 4,319| | 28.4%
1830| 4,732| | 9.6%
1840| 4,657| | −1.6%
1850| 5,133| | 10.2%
1860| 4,944| | −3.7%
1870| 4,173| | −15.6%
1880| 4,545| | 8.9%
1890| 4,225| | −7.0%
1900| 4,980| | 17.9%
1910| 5,219| | 4.8%
1920| 4,849| | −7.1%
1930| 5,164| | 6.5%
1940| 5,556| | 7.6%
1950| 5,048| | −9.1%
1960| 4,520| | −10.5%
1970| 3,806| | −15.8%
1980| 3,975| | 4.4%
1990| 3,856| | −3.0%
2000| 4,149| | 7.6%
2010| 4,407| | 6.2%
2020| 3,245| | −26.4%
2023 (est.)| 3,461| [4]| 6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15]
1990–2000[16] 2010[17] 2020[4]

### 2020 census

[edit]

Tyrrell County racial composition[18] Race  | Number  | Percentage

|
|

White (non-Hispanic)  | 1,879  | 57.9%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)  | 934  | 28.78%
Native American | 5  | 0.15%
Asian | 43  | 1.33%
Other/Mixed | 112  | 3.45%
Hispanic or Latino | 272  | 8.38%

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,245 people in Tyrrell, making it North Carolina's least-populous county.[19]

### Demographic change

[edit]

Tyrrell County's population peaked in 1940 with 5,556 residents. The population subsequently declined to about 4,000 residents, where it remained for several decades before shrinking further due to outmigration fueled by diminished job opportunities.[9] Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Tyrrell's population dropped by 26 percent, the largest population drop by percentage in the state.[19]

## Government and politics

[edit]

Tyrrell County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners. The elections for County Commissioners are partisan and at large.[20] To save money, some of Tyrrell's government services are consolidated with other neighboring rural counties such as Hyde and Washington.[9]

Tyrrell County is a member of the Albemarle Commission, a regional economic development organization which serves several counties in eastern North Carolina.[21]

In 2022, Tyrrell County is represented by Ed Goodwin in the 1st district in the North Carolina House of Representatives and Bobby Hanig in the 1st district in the North Carolina Senate.

United States presidential election results for Tyrrell County, North Carolina[22] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No.  | % | No.  | % | No.  | %
2024 | 1,057  | 60.16% | 680  | 38.70%  | 20  | 1.14%
2020 | 1,044  | 57.46% | 758  | 41.72%  | 15  | 0.83%
2016 | 975  | 56.07% | 720  | 41.40%  | 44  | 2.53%
2012 | 930  | 52.16% | 837  | 46.94%  | 16  | 0.90%
2008 | 960  | 50.26% | 933  | 48.85%  | 17  | 0.89%
2004 | 855  | 53.77% | 731  | 45.97%  | 4  | 0.25%
2000 | 706  | 45.08%  | 849  | 54.21% | 11  | 0.70%
1996 | 488  | 32.25%  | 908  | 60.01% | 117  | 7.73%
1992 | 553  | 33.03%  | 928  | 55.44% | 193  | 11.53%
1988 | 637  | 44.70%  | 785  | 55.09% | 3  | 0.21%
1984 | 774  | 48.89%  | 807  | 50.98% | 2  | 0.13%
1980 | 466  | 34.01%  | 887  | 64.74% | 17  | 1.24%
1976 | 403  | 30.88%  | 900  | 68.97% | 2  | 0.15%
1972 | 676  | 59.30% | 459  | 40.26%  | 5  | 0.44%
1968 | 291  | 22.61%  | 581  | 45.14% | 415  | 32.25%
1964 | 374  | 27.30%  | 996  | 72.70% | 0  | 0.00%
1960 | 349  | 27.37%  | 926  | 72.63% | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 420  | 40.58%  | 615  | 59.42% | 0  | 0.00%
1952 | 385  | 29.59%  | 916  | 70.41% | 0  | 0.00%
1948 | 336  | 30.19%  | 732  | 65.77% | 45  | 4.04%
1944 | 281  | 31.50%  | 611  | 68.50% | 0  | 0.00%
1940 | 415  | 26.69%  | 1,140  | 73.31% | 0  | 0.00%
1936 | 304  | 22.47%  | 1,049  | 77.53% | 0  | 0.00%
1932 | 258  | 22.69%  | 873  | 76.78% | 6  | 0.53%
1928 | 505  | 51.53% | 475  | 48.47%  | 0  | 0.00%
1924 | 442  | 40.89%  | 638  | 59.02% | 1  | 0.09%
1920 | 532  | 42.56%  | 718  | 57.44% | 0  | 0.00%
1916 | 392  | 48.51%  | 416  | 51.49% | 0  | 0.00%
1912 | 224  | 35.84%  | 297  | 47.52% | 104  | 16.64%

In the 2020 elections in Tyrrell County, Republicans took more votes than Democrats in federal and statewide contests.[23]

## Economy

[edit]

Tyrrell County's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture—with its largest crop being potatoes[9] — as well as forestry and fishing.[24] The county also hosts a small tourism industry centered around hunting, fishing, and bird watching.[9][24] The local police department utilizes "speed traps" to generate funds, taking advantage of tourists on their way to the Outer Banks. There are countless billboards facing East offering legal services to tourists heading home after their vacation, after they've been victimized by these predatory practices. It suffers from high poverty and food insecurity rates.[24]

## Communities

[edit]

Map of Tyrrell County with municipal and township labels

### Town

[edit]

* Columbia (county seat and largest community)

### Townships

[edit]

* Alligator
* Columbia
* Gum Neck
* Scuppernong
* South Fork

### Unincorporated communities

[edit]

* Fort Landing
* Frying Pan
* Jerry
* Pleasant View
* Kilkenny

## See also

[edit]

* List of counties in North Carolina
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Tyrrell County, North Carolina
* Roanoke Colony, first attempted permanent English settlement in the Americas, now located in Dare County

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Bangma, Peter (2006). Powell, William S. (ed.). "Tyrrell County". NCpedia. University of North Carolina Press. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
2. ^ "NC Pronunciation Guide". WRAL. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
3. ^ Talk Like a Tarheel Archived June 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, from the North Carolina Collection website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
4. ^ a b c "QuickFacts: Tyrrell County, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
6. ^ "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 25, 2015.
7. ^ "2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. August 23, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
8. ^ "Series: The New Waterfront". News and Observer. July 31, 2006. Archived from the original on July 1, 2006.
9. ^ a b c d e f g Campbell, Colin (October 31, 2021). "Tiny Tyrrell County wants to grow". Business North Carolina. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
10. ^ a b c d e "NCWRC Game Lands". www.ncpaws.org. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
11. ^ a b c Kozak, Catherine (April 28, 2019). "Increased Flooding Plagues Tyrrell County". Coastal Review. North Carolina Coastal Federation. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
12. ^ Fuss, J. David (October 11, 2001). "Restoration And Management Plan For The Emily And Richardson Preyer Buckridge Coastal Reserve, Tyrrell County, North Carolina". www.deq.nc.gov. p. 4. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
13. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
14. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
15. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
16. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
17. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
18. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
19. ^ a b Tester, Brandon (August 12, 2021). "2020 Census: Beaufort County's population decreased by 6.5%". Washington Daily News. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
20. ^ "About Us". tyrrellcounty.org. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
21. ^ "Report: COG Director Had Conflict of Interest". Coastal Review. North Carolina Coastal Federation. February 1, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
22. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
23. ^ McClees, Ray (November 10, 2020). "Republicans led Tyrrell vote results". Washington Daily News. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
24. ^ a b c Igelman, Jack (September 15, 2021). "Changing climate poses burden as people count on fishing". Carolina Public Press. Retrieved September 13, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tyrrell County, North Carolina.

* Geographic data related to Tyrrell County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap
* Official website
* NCGenWeb Tyrrell County, genealogy resources for the county

Places adjacent to Tyrrell County, North Carolina

|  | Albemarle Sound |

|
|

|  |
Washington County |

Tyrrell County, North Carolina

| Dare County
|  |
| Hyde County |

* v
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Municipalities and communities of Tyrrell County, North Carolina, United States

County seat: Columbia

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communities|

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