Carteret County, North Carolina




Carteret County, North Carolina

Year Established	County Seat		Population (2000)
1722	Beaufort		59,383

First Settled	First Settled By		Significance of County Name
~1700	Earlier settlers from Craven County		Sir John Carteret, 2nd Earl of Granville


Other Significant Towns:	Morehead City	Newport	Harker's Island	Sealevel
	Williston	Atlantic Beach	Cedar Island	Marshallberg
Click Here - To see how Carteret County evolved each decade - includes all the known towns and villages.
Click Here - To see the known battles/skirmishes in Carteret County during the US Revolution.

A History of Carteret County

Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Carteret County was established in 1722 from Craven County. Many standing structures predate that time, including Beaufort's famed Hammock House of 1709. Beaufort, the third oldest town in North Carolina, has a 21-block historic district which includes a boardwalk lined with boats on one side and unique shops and restaurants on the other.

History buffs will enjoy a visit to restored Fort Macon, which was built in 1834. Cape Lookout National Seashore runs from Beaufort to Ocracoke Inlet, consisting of a beautiful 55 miles of natural, undeveloped barrier islands. Since 1859, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse has shone its beacon as a welcoming signal to boaters and visitors alike.