Pamlico County is a county in North Carolina, United States, on the state’s Inner Banks between the Pamlico and Neuse rivers. It had a population of 12,276 at the 2020 census and covers 561.63 square miles (1,454.6 km2) centred near 35°09′N 76°40′W.
Bayboro is the county seat, and its postal code is 28515. The county has nine incorporated towns, one census-designated place, and several unincorporated communities, and it is divided into five numbered townships. Pamlico County runs on Eastern time and is the only county in North Carolina with no U.S. highway or Interstate passing through it.
Towns & Villages in Pamlico County
Pamlico County has nine incorporated towns, one census-designated place (CDP), and a scatter of unincorporated communities spread across its five townships. The table below carries over the settlement names from the county’s records; population figures are the 2020 census count where the place is a separate Census Bureau geography, and — marks places counted only as part of the county total.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayboro | Town · seat | Bayboro | 1,169 | 28515 |
| Oriental | Town | Township 1 | 867 | 28571 |
| Grantsboro | Town | Bayboro | 2,410 | 28529 |
| Arapahoe | Town | Township 1 | 587 | 28510 |
| Alliance | Town | Township 5 | 721 | 28509 |
| Minnesott Beach | Town | Township 1 | 473 | 28510 |
| Vandemere | Town | Township 4 | 281 | 28587 |
| Mesic | Town | Township 4 | 276 | — |
| Stonewall | Town | Township 3 | 124 | 28583 |
| Hobucken | CDP | Township 5 | 212 | 28537 |
| Merritt | Unincorp. | Township 3 | — | 28556 |
| Lowland | Unincorp. | Township 5 | — | 28552 |
| Florence | Unincorp. | Township 2 | — | — |
| Janeiro | Unincorp. | Township 2 | — | — |
| Maribel | Unincorp. | Township 3 | — | — |
| Olympia | Unincorp. | Township 4 | — | — |
| Reelsboro | Unincorp. | Township 4 | — | — |
| Whortonsville | Unincorp. | Township 4 | — | — |
| Bay City | Unincorp. | Township 1 | — | — |
| Gibbton | Unincorp. | Township 2 | — | — |
| Kershaw | Unincorp. | Township 2 | — | — |
| Silver Hill | Unincorp. | Township 3 | — | — |
Pamlico itself is a small unincorporated community near Bayboro, distinct from the county name; it is not a separate town. Two small church camps, Camp Don-Lee and Camp Seagull, sit on the Neuse River shoreline near Arapahoe and are seasonal, not year-round settlements, so they are omitted from the table above.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Bayboro | — | Bayboro, Grantsboro |
| Township 1 | — | Oriental, Arapahoe, Minnesott Beach, Bay City |
| Township 2 | — | Florence, Janeiro, Gibbton, Kershaw |
| Township 3 | — | Stonewall, Merritt, Maribel, Silver Hill |
| Township 4 | — | Vandemere, Mesic, Olympia, Reelsboro, Whortonsville |
| Township 5 | — | Alliance, Hobucken, Lowland |
The five townships trace back to the North Carolina Constitution of 1868, which replaced the old county-court districts with numbered civil townships statewide; Pamlico County’s own township-level population counts are not separately published by the Census Bureau, so only the settlements each contains are listed here.
ZIP Codes
- 28515 — Bayboro
- 28571 — Oriental
- 28529 — Grantsboro
- 28510 — Arapahoe (also serves Minnesott Beach)
- 28556 — Merritt
- 28587 — Vandemere
- 28552 — Lowland
- 28509 — Alliance
- 28537 — Hobucken
- 28583 — Stonewall
Mesic and the county’s smaller unincorporated communities have no post office of their own and are served by the ZIP code of the nearest town listed above.
Geography
Pamlico County sits on North Carolina’s Inner Banks, a low, flat peninsula bounded by the Bay River and Pamlico Sound to the east and the Neuse River to the south and west. Roughly 40 percent of the county’s total area is water, and its shoreline is cut by numerous tidal creeks. It borders Beaufort County to the north (North Carolina’s own Beaufort County has no page here yet; the bare slug on this site currently redirects to the South Carolina county of the same name), Hyde County to the northeast across the Pamlico River, Carteret County to the southeast across the Neuse, and Craven County to the northwest.
Demographics
Pamlico County had 12,276 residents at the 2020 census, with a density of about 36 people per square mile of land. Grantsboro and Bayboro are the two largest communities. The county’s median household income runs well below the North Carolina median of $70,804, reflecting its rural, retirement- and fishing-oriented economy.
Economy & Local Life
Commercial fishing and crabbing on the Pamlico Sound and Neuse River have long anchored the local economy, alongside farming, forestry, and a growing retiree and second-home population drawn by the waterfront in Oriental and Minnesott Beach. Oriental, self-styled the “Sailing Capital of North Carolina,” hosts a cluster of marinas and an annual Croaker Festival each fall. Pamlico County Schools and county government are among the largest local employers.
History
Pamlico County was organized in 1872 from parts of Beaufort and Craven counties, making it one of North Carolina’s newer counties. It takes its name from Pamlico Sound, which in turn is named for an Algonquian-speaking Native American people who lived along its shores. Bayboro was chosen as the seat at the county’s founding and remains the seat today.
Getting There
No U.S. highway or Interstate runs through Pamlico County; NC Highway 55 and NC 306 are the main routes connecting its towns to the rest of the state.
- New Bern — 20 miles northwest
- Washington — 25 miles north
- Beaufort — 30 miles southeast
- Greenville — 45 miles north
Coastal Carolina Regional Airport in New Bern is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pamlico County, North Carolina?
It is on the state’s Inner Banks between the Neuse River and Pamlico Sound, roughly 20 miles southeast of New Bern.
What is the population of Pamlico County?
12,276 as of the 2020 census.
How big is Pamlico County?
561.63 square miles (1,454.6 km2), of which about 40 percent is water.
What is the county seat of Pamlico County?
Bayboro is the county seat.
How many towns are in Pamlico County?
Nine incorporated towns, plus one census-designated place and several unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Pamlico County?
28515 (Bayboro), 28571 (Oriental), 28529 (Grantsboro), 28510 (Arapahoe), 28509 (Alliance), 28556 (Merritt), 28587 (Vandemere), 28552 (Lowland), 28537 (Hobucken), and 28583 (Stonewall).
Why does Pamlico County have no U.S. highways?
It is North Carolina’s only county with no U.S. highway or Interstate route passing through it; state routes NC 55 and NC 306 carry all through traffic instead.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Carolina.