Pasquotank County is a county in North Carolina, United States, on the Albemarle Sound in the state’s northeastern Coastal Plain. It had a population of 40,568 at the 2020 census and covers 289 square miles (749 km2), of which about a fifth is water, centred near 36°16′N 76°16′W.
Elizabeth City is the county seat, and its postal code is 27909. The county has one incorporated city and roughly three dozen unincorporated communities and mobile-home subdivisions. Pasquotank sits in the Eastern time zone; its FIPS county code is 37139.
Towns & Villages in Pasquotank County
Elizabeth City is the county’s only incorporated municipality and by far its largest community; it also extends slightly into neighboring Camden County. Everything else on the list below is an unincorporated place, small crossroads, or a named mobile-home park — common in this low-lying part of the Albemarle region. Population figures are shown only where the Census Bureau reports a distinct count; otherwise the cell reads —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth City | City · seat | 18,631 | 27909 |
| Nixonton | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Weeksville | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Old Weeksville | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Okisko | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Salem | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Symonds Creek | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Morgans Corners | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Lynchs Corner | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Listers Corner | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Rabbit Corner | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Jackson Corner | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Bob White Fork | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Frog Island | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Glen Cove | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Edgewood | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Forest Park | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Rosewood | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Briarwood | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Chesterfield Heights | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Oxford Heights | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Brookridge Terrace | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Ulster Gardens | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Chapell Gardens | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Pine Lakes | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Pine View | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Hickory Acres | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Winslow | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Winslow Acres | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
| Pasquotank | Unincorp. | — | 27909 |
A handful of the old scrape’s entries were named mobile-home parks rather than open communities (Amarest Manor, Brays Estate, Hickory Village, Jethro Park, Lebanon, McPhersons, Meadowland, Moonlight Bay, Riverbreeze, and Lumber Mill) — these are dropped here as unverifiable, non-standalone subdivisions rather than distinct places; see notes.md.
ZIP Codes
- 27909 — Elizabeth City (standard delivery ZIP, covers essentially all of the county)
- 27906 — Elizabeth City (PO Box only)
- 27907 — Elizabeth City (PO Box only)
Every community in the county, incorporated or not, is served out of one of Elizabeth City’s three ZIP codes — Pasquotank has no other post office town.
Geography
Pasquotank County lies on the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina’s low, flat Coastal Plain, where the Pasquotank River widens toward the sound. About 22% of the county’s area is water. The Pasquotank River and its tributary creeks (including Symonds Creek) cut through the county toward Elizabeth City and the sound. The county borders Gates County to the northwest, Camden County to the east, Perquimans County to the southwest, and Tyrrell County to the south.
Demographics
Pasquotank County had 40,568 residents at the 2020 census. Elizabeth City, with 18,631 people, is by far the largest community and the only incorporated place; every other named place in the county is unincorporated. Median household income in the county runs below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting the area’s rural, agricultural and service-sector economy. Population density is roughly 179 people per square mile of land area.
Economy & Local Life
Elizabeth City anchors the county’s economy as the commercial, educational and medical hub for the wider Historic Albemarle region. Elizabeth City State University and the College of the Albemarle are the county’s major educational employers, alongside Sentara Albemarle Medical Center. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest air stations, is a major employer and a defining feature of the local economy. Outside the city, farming (soybeans, corn, cotton) and commercial fishing on the Albemarle Sound remain part of county life. The North Carolina Potato Festival, held each May in Elizabeth City, is the county’s best-known annual event.
History
The county was first organized as Pasquotank Precinct under the Province of Carolina and gained county status in 1739. Its name comes from an Algonquian word usually translated as “where the current of the stream divides or forks,” referring to the Pasquotank River. Elizabeth City grew around a colonial-era river landing and became an important shipping and shipbuilding port on the Dismal Swamp Canal route between the Albemarle Sound and Chesapeake Bay; the Coast Guard air station was established there in the 1940s and remains a major presence today.
Getting There
US Highway 17 and US 158 both run through Elizabeth City, linking Pasquotank County north toward Chesapeake and Norfolk, Virginia, and south along the Albemarle Sound.
- Norfolk, Virginia — 45 miles north
- Chesapeake, Virginia — 35 miles north
- Edenton, North Carolina — 25 miles southwest
- Nags Head, North Carolina — 55 miles southeast
Elizabeth City Regional Airport offers general aviation service; the nearest major commercial airport is Norfolk International Airport in Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pasquotank County?
It is in the northeastern corner of North Carolina, on the Albemarle Sound near the Virginia border.
What is the population of Pasquotank County?
40,568 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Pasquotank County?
289 square miles (749 km2), of which about 227 square miles is land.
What is the Pasquotank County seat?
Elizabeth City is the county seat.
How many towns are in Pasquotank County?
Elizabeth City is the county’s only incorporated municipality; roughly two dozen more places are unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Pasquotank County?
27909 (standard delivery) plus PO-box-only 27906 and 27907, all served out of Elizabeth City.
What is Pasquotank County known for?
Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, Elizabeth City State University, and the annual North Carolina Potato Festival.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.