Hertford County is a county in North Carolina, United States, part of the Inner Banks region near the Virginia line. It had a population of 21,552 at the 2020 census and covers 360 square miles (933 km2) centred near 36°22′N 76°59′W.
Winton is the county seat, and its postal code is 27986. The county has five incorporated towns, one village, and several unincorporated communities, grouped into six townships. Hertford County is in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Hertford County
Hertford County has five incorporated towns, one village, and a scatter of unincorporated crossroads communities. Ahoskie is the county’s largest town and its commercial center; Winton, much smaller, has served as seat since the county’s formation. CDP = Census-Designated Place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahoskie | Town | Ahoskie | 4,891 | 27910 |
| Murfreesboro | Town | Murfreesboro | 2,619 | 27855 |
| Winton | City · seat | Winton | — | 27986 |
| Como | Town | Murfreesboro | — | 27818 |
| Harrellsville | Town | Harrellsville | — | 27942 |
| Cofield | Village | Winton | — | 27922 |
| Menola | Unincorp. | Maneys Neck | — | — |
| Millennium | Unincorp. | St. John’s | — | — |
| Bethlehem | Unincorp. | Maneys Neck | — | — |
| Pleasant Plains | Unincorp. | St. John’s | — | — |
| Union | Unincorp. | Ahoskie | — | — |
| Tunis | Unincorp. | Harrellsville | — | — |
Como and Winton sit close together along the Chowan River; Como is a separate incorporated town in Murfreesboro township, not a neighborhood of Winton. A handful of names from older gazetteers — Barretts Crossroads, Bartonsville, Brantleys Grove, Brinkleyville, Buena Vista, California, Chowan Beach, Dildys Mill, Earleys, Fraziers Crossroads, Harrells Mill, High Hill, Lloyd Crossroads, Mapleton, Mill Neck, Mount Gallows, Newsome Store, Oak Villa, Pettys Shore, Pilands Crossroads, Poor Town, Proctors Corner, Riddicks Landing, Riddicksville, Saint John, South Tunis, and Tuscarora Beach — are rural crossroads or river landings that could not be independently confirmed for this rewrite and are omitted from the table; see notes.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Ahoskie | — | Ahoskie, Union |
| Murfreesboro | — | Murfreesboro, Como |
| Winton | — | Winton, Cofield |
| Harrellsville | — | Harrellsville, Tunis |
| Maneys Neck | — | Menola, Bethlehem |
| St. John’s | — | Millennium, Pleasant Plains |
ZIP Codes
- 27910 — Ahoskie
- 27855 — Murfreesboro
- 27986 — Winton (also serves Cofield and 27922)
- 27818 — Como
- 27942 — Harrellsville
- 27922 — Cofield
Six ZIP codes cover Hertford County; smaller unincorporated places share the ZIP of the nearest post office town rather than having their own code.
Geography
Hertford County lies in the Coastal Plain along the Chowan and Meherrin rivers, flat and low-lying with extensive farmland and pockets of pocosin wetland. The Chowan River forms much of the county’s eastern edge on its way to Albemarle Sound. Hertford County borders Southampton County, Virginia to the north, Gates County to the east, Chowan County to the southeast, Bertie County to the south, and Northampton County to the west.
Demographics
Hertford County had 21,552 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 61 people per square mile. Ahoskie (4,891) and Murfreesboro (2,619) are the two largest communities, together home to more than a third of the county’s population. Median household income runs well below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting the county’s agricultural and light-industrial economy.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, particularly peanuts, cotton, soybeans, and hogs, remains central to the county’s economy alongside food processing and manufacturing. Major employers include Nucor’s steel mill near Cofield, Perdue Farms poultry operations, Rivers Correctional Institution in Winton, and Chowan University in Murfreesboro, a private Baptist-affiliated college that anchors the town’s economy and cultural life.
History
Hertford County was formed on December 19, 1759, from parts of Bertie, Chowan, and Northampton counties, and named for Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford. During the Civil War, Union troops burned Winton in February 1862, destroying the courthouse and much of the town’s early records — the reason few pre-1862 county documents survive today.
Getting There
US Highway 13 and US Highway 158 cross the county through Winton and Ahoskie, connecting to US 17 toward the Virginia line.
- Murfreesboro — 12 miles northwest of Winton
- Ahoskie — 10 miles southeast of Winton
- Franklin, Virginia — 20 miles north via US 158
- Elizabeth City, N.C. — 45 miles southeast
The nearest commercial airport is Norfolk International Airport (ORF) in Virginia, about 75 miles northeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hertford County, North Carolina?
It sits in the northeastern part of the state, in the Inner Banks region along the Chowan River near the Virginia border.
What is the population of Hertford County?
21,552 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Hertford County?
360 square miles (933 km2), of which about 353 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Hertford County?
Winton is the county seat.
How many towns are in Hertford County?
Five incorporated towns — Ahoskie, Como, Harrellsville, Murfreesboro, and Winton — plus the village of Cofield and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Hertford County?
27910 (Ahoskie), 27855 (Murfreesboro), 27986 (Winton), 27818 (Como), 27942 (Harrellsville), and 27922 (Cofield).
What is Hertford County’s largest employer sector?
Agriculture and food/steel manufacturing, with Nucor, Perdue Farms, and Chowan University among the county’s largest employers.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.