Pitt County is a county in North Carolina, United States, about 85 miles east of Raleigh in the Inner Banks region. It had a population of 170,243 at the 2020 census, an estimated 182,936 by 2025, and covers 652 square miles of land (1,689.6 km2) centred near 35°35′N 77°22′W.
Greenville is the county seat and the county’s largest city; its postal code is 27858. The county holds 1 city, 9 incorporated towns and 6 unincorporated communities across 17 townships, and it runs on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 37147.
Towns & Villages in Pitt County
Pitt County has 16 named places on record: 10 incorporated cities and towns and 6 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal boundary.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville | City · seat | Greenville | 87,521 | 27858 |
| Winterville | Town | Winterville | 10,462 | 28590 |
| Ayden | Town | Ayden | 4,977 | 28513 |
| Farmville | Town | Farmville | 4,461 | 27828 |
| Grifton | Town | Grifton | 2,448 | 28530 |
| Bethel | Town | Bethel | 1,373 | 27812 |
| Simpson | Town | Simpson | 390 | 27879 |
| Grimesland | Town | Grimesland | 386 | 27837 |
| Fountain | Town | Fountain | 385 | 27829 |
| Falkland | Town | Falkland | 47 | 27827 |
| Black Jack | Unincorp. | Black Jack | — | — |
| Chicod | Unincorp. | Chicod | — | — |
| Pactolus | Unincorp. | Pactolus | — | — |
| Bell’s Fork | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| House | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Oakley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Grifton is the one confusable case: the town straddles the Pitt–Lenoir county line along Contentnea Creek. Most of Grifton, including its downtown, sits on the Pitt County side, but a small southwestern section extends into Lenoir County, so the 2,448 figure above is the town’s full population, not just the Pitt County share.
Townships
Pitt County is divided into 17 civil townships, a historical survey and tax-assessment layer that carries no local government of its own today: Arthur, Ayden, Belvoir, Bethel, Black Jack, Carolina, Chicod, Falkland, Farmville, Fountain, Greenville, Grifton, Grimesland, Pactolus, Simpson, Swift Creek and Winterville. The Census Bureau does not publish separate population counts for them, so figures are omitted below.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville | — | Greenville |
| Winterville | — | Winterville |
| Ayden | — | Ayden |
| Farmville | — | Farmville |
| Grifton | — | Grifton |
| Bethel | — | Bethel |
| Simpson | — | Simpson |
| Grimesland | — | Grimesland |
| Fountain | — | Fountain |
| Falkland | — | Falkland |
| Black Jack | — | Black Jack |
| Chicod | — | Chicod, House |
| Pactolus | — | Pactolus |
| Arthur | — | rural, no named center |
| Belvoir | — | Belvoir, Bell’s Fork |
| Carolina | — | rural, no named center |
| Swift Creek | — | Oakley |
ZIP Codes
- 27858 — Greenville (east side, includes East Carolina University)
- 27834 — Greenville (west side)
- 27833, 27835, 27836 — Greenville (Post Office box ZIPs)
- 28590 — Winterville
- 28513 — Ayden
- 27828 — Farmville
- 28530 — Grifton
- 27812 — Bethel
- 27879 — Simpson
- 27837 — Grimesland
- 27829 — Fountain
- 27827 — Falkland
Black Jack, Chicod, Pactolus, Bell’s Fork, House and Oakley have no ZIP code of their own; mail to these communities is delivered under the nearest incorporated town’s code.
Geography
Pitt County lies on North Carolina’s Coastal Plain, in the Inner Banks region east of the fall line. Of its roughly 655 square miles of total area, about 652 are land and 2.6 are water, close to 0.4 percent — low for the region, since the county has no large natural lake. The Tar River crosses the county from northwest to southeast, running directly through Greenville and forming much of the historic core of the city’s downtown waterfront.
Martin County lies to the north, Beaufort County to the east, Craven County to the southeast, Lenoir County to the south, Greene County to the southwest, Wilson County to the west, and Edgecombe County to the northwest. Martin County, Craven County, Lenoir County, Greene County, Wilson County and Edgecombe County all border Pitt directly; Beaufort County has no live page on this site to link to.
Demographics
Pitt County had a population of 170,243 at the 2020 census, and a 2025 estimate puts the county near 182,936 residents. Greenville and Winterville are by far the two largest communities, together holding well over half the county’s population. Median household income runs $58,188 (2024), below North Carolina’s 2023 ACS statewide figure of $70,804. Population density works out to roughly 261 people per square mile of land, driven mostly by Greenville and its immediate suburbs inside the Greenville metropolitan area.
Economy & Local Life
Health care and social assistance employs the most workers in the county, about 15,476 people, followed by educational services at 10,414 and retail trade at 9,616. ECU Health, the regional hospital system anchored by ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, is the county’s largest single employer at roughly 6,760 workers. East Carolina University employs about 5,672 people and Pitt County Schools about 3,699. Thermo Fisher Scientific and Hyster-Yale Materials Handling each run manufacturing operations in the Greenville area with over 1,200 workers apiece. The county’s biggest annual event is the Ayden Collard Festival, held the week after Labor Day each September since 1975, drawing crowds for its parade, Miss Ayden contest and collard-cooking competitions.
History
North Carolina’s colonial assembly formed Pitt County in 1760, carving it out of Beaufort County. It was named for William Pitt the Elder, then Secretary of State for the Southern Department in the British government and a vocal supporter of the American colonies. Greenville was established as the county seat soon after.
Hurricane Floyd struck eastern North Carolina in September 1999, and the Tar River’s crest afterward exceeded 500-year flood levels along its lower stretches. Damages in Pitt County alone were estimated at $1.6 billion, and parts of Greenville flooded so severely that residents had to swim underwater to reach their own front doors. Additional rain from Hurricane Irene the following month kept some low-lying areas flooded for nearly two months.
Getting There
No interstate highway crosses Pitt County. US 13, US 258 and US 264 are the principal through routes, along with NC 11, NC 33, NC 43 and NC 903.
- Raleigh — about 85 miles west
- Rocky Mount — about 35 miles northwest
- Wilson — about 35 miles west
- New Bern — about 40 miles southeast
Pitt-Greenville Airport, on the city’s northeast side, offers commercial flights to regional hubs. The nearest Amtrak station is in Rocky Mount, served by the Silver Star and Silver Meteor lines running between New York and Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pitt County located?
It sits in North Carolina’s Inner Banks region on the Coastal Plain, about 85 miles east of Raleigh, bordered by Martin, Beaufort, Craven, Lenoir, Greene, Wilson and Edgecombe counties.
What is the population of Pitt County?
170,243 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 182,936.
How big is Pitt County?
About 655 square miles in total, of which roughly 652 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Pitt County?
Greenville, the county’s largest city and home to East Carolina University.
How many towns and cities are in Pitt County?
Ten incorporated places — Greenville, Ayden, Bethel, Falkland, Farmville, Fountain, Grifton, Grimesland, Simpson and Winterville — plus six unincorporated communities: Black Jack, Chicod, Pactolus, Bell’s Fork, House and Oakley.
What ZIP codes does Pitt County use?
27833 through 27836 and 27858 for Greenville; 28590 for Winterville; 28513 for Ayden; 27828 for Farmville; 28530 for Grifton; 27812 for Bethel; 27879 for Simpson; 27837 for Grimesland; 27829 for Fountain; and 27827 for Falkland.
What is Pitt County known for?
East Carolina University and ECU Health in Greenville, the Ayden Collard Festival each September, and the severe 1999 Hurricane Floyd flooding along the Tar River.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.