Currituck County

Currituck was established in 1668 as a precinct of Albemarle County, making it one of North Carolina’s earliest local jurisdictions. Located in the northeastern corner of the state along the Virginia boundary, it includes mainland territory and part of the northern Outer Banks, separated by Currituck Sound. The community of Currituck, historically known as Currituck Court House, serves as the county seat. In 1739, Currituck and the other precincts became counties when the legislature replaced the precinct designation.

Currituck’s historical boundaries extended beyond those shown on today’s maps. According to David Leroy Corbitt’s The Formation of the North Carolina Counties, 1663–1943, part of Currituck helped form Tyrrell in 1729. Territory south of New Inlet was transferred to Hyde in 1823, and portions of Currituck, Tyrrell, and Hyde were combined to create Dare County in 1870. For genealogists researching this coastal area, these changes are important: an ancestor’s home could fall within different counties over time without the family ever moving. Following the boundaries for the period being researched can help identify the appropriate county records to search.