Currituck County is a county in North Carolina, United States, the northeasternmost county in the state, bordered by Virginia and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a population of 28,100 at the 2020 census and covers 526 square miles (1,363 km2), of which 262 square miles (678 km2) are land, centred near 36°22′N 75°56′W.
Currituck is the county seat, and its postal code is 27929. The county has no incorporated towns or cities — it is governed entirely as unincorporated territory, organized into three census-designated places (Moyock, Coinjock, Grandy) and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities. It observes Eastern Time (UTC−5, UTC−4 in summer).
Towns & Villages in Currituck County
Currituck County has no incorporated municipalities. The table below lists its census-designated places and named unincorporated communities, drawn from the county’s mainland and Outer Banks sections. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no separate census population figure.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moyock | CDP | 5,670 | 27958 |
| Coinjock | CDP | — | 27923 |
| Grandy | CDP | — | 27939 |
| Currituck | Unincorp. · seat | — | 27929 |
| Corolla | Unincorp. | — | 27927 |
| Knotts Island | Unincorp. | — | 27950 |
| Powells Point | Unincorp. | — | 27966 |
| Aydlett | Unincorp. | — | 27916 |
| Barco | Unincorp. | — | 27917 |
| Harbinger | Unincorp. | — | 27941 |
| Jarvisburg | Unincorp. | — | 27947 |
| Maple | Unincorp. | — | 27956 |
| Point Harbor | Unincorp. | — | 27964 |
| Poplar Branch | Unincorp. | — | 27965 |
| Shawboro | Unincorp. | — | 27973 |
| Carova | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Waterlily | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Snowden | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sligo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spot | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tulls | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bertha | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gregory | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Guinea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mamie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Morse | Unincorp. | — | — |
| New Providence | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Olds | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Corys | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Corner Gum | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greentown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walnut Island | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Panther Landing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beechwood Shores | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ocean Hills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wedgewood Lakes | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two of the county’s Outer Banks communities, Corolla and Carova, sit on a barrier-island strip only reachable from the north by a 4×4 beach route, since NC 12 stops paved travel at the northern edge of Corolla — both are genuinely part of Currituck County despite feeling separate from the mainland towns across Currituck Sound.
ZIP Codes
- 27929 — Currituck (also serves the county seat area)
- 27958 — Moyock
- 27923 — Coinjock
- 27939 — Grandy
- 27950 — Knotts Island
- 27966 — Powells Point
- 27916 — Aydlett
- 27927 — Corolla
- 27973 — Shawboro
- 27947 — Jarvisburg
- 27917 — Barco
- 27965 — Poplar Branch
- 27941 — Harbinger
- 27964 — Point Harbor
- 27956 — Maple
Smaller communities such as Carova, Waterlily, Snowden and Sligo have no post office of their own and are served by the nearest listed ZIP.
Geography
Currituck County occupies the mainland peninsula between Currituck Sound and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, plus a long slice of the northern Outer Banks barrier islands. Nearly half the county’s area is water — Currituck Sound, the North River, the Northwest River and the North Landing River all cross or border it, and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge sits just across the state line to the north. The mainland is flat, low-lying farmland and marsh; the Outer Banks section is dune and maritime forest.
The county borders Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, Virginia, to the north; the Atlantic Ocean to the east; Dare County to the south across Currituck Sound; and Camden County to the southwest.
Demographics
Currituck County had 28,100 residents at the 2020 census, up sharply from earlier decades as it absorbed commuter growth from the Hampton Roads, Virginia metro area to its north. Moyock, on the Virginia line, is the largest community with 5,670 people; Coinjock and Grandy are its next-largest census-designated places. Median household income runs above the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting the county’s Hampton Roads commuter base. Population density is light for a coastal North Carolina county given how much of its area is water.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism drives the Outer Banks section of the county — Corolla and Carova are vacation-rental and beach-driving destinations, with the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla as the area’s best-known landmark. On the mainland, agriculture (grain and soybeans) and Hampton Roads commuting are the main economic threads; many residents work in Virginia’s Norfolk-Chesapeake-Virginia Beach shipbuilding and military economy and drive south across the state line daily.
History
Currituck County was created in 1668 as part of Albemarle County, becoming a separate county in 1739. Its name is traditionally said to derive from an Algonquian word for wild geese, reflecting the enormous waterfowl populations historically drawn to Currituck Sound. The county’s Outer Banks section, remote and accessible only by boat or 4×4 for much of its history, developed as a hunting and fishing destination before paved-road tourism reached Corolla in the late 20th century.
Getting There
US 158 and NC 168 carry most through-traffic across the mainland; NC 12 runs the length of the county’s Outer Banks section as far as Corolla.
- Elizabeth City, N.C. — 20 miles southwest
- Chesapeake, Va. — 10 miles north
- Virginia Beach, Va. — 20 miles north
- Kitty Hawk, N.C. — 15 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Norfolk International Airport (ORF) in Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Currituck County?
It is the northeasternmost county in North Carolina, on the Virginia state line along the Atlantic coast.
What is the population of Currituck County?
28,100 at the 2020 census.
How big is Currituck County?
526 square miles (1,363 km2), of which about half is water.
What is the Currituck County seat?
Currituck is the county seat.
How many towns are in Currituck County?
None are incorporated; the county has three census-designated places (Moyock, Coinjock, Grandy) and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Currituck County?
15 ZIP codes serve the county, including 27929 (Currituck), 27958 (Moyock) and 27927 (Corolla).
How do you get to Corolla without a paved road?
North of Corolla’s paved section, Carova and other beach communities are reachable only by 4×4 vehicle driving on the open beach.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.