The North Carolina
By October 1668 Chowan, Currituck, Pasquotank, and Perquimans precincts had been formed in Albemarle County. In 1689, Albemarle County as a unit of government ceased to exist, although the name continued intermittently in use for at least a further ten years.
Currituck County, established in 1668, was one of the original counties and also just one of five original ports in North Carolina.
For some strange reason (apparently lost to history), the Lords Proprietors decided to rename all four of the original precincts within Albemarle County around the year 1680. Currituck Precinct was renamed to Carteret Precinct (not to be confused with the later creation of Carteret County in a different location). However, the citizens objected and the new name was never really accepted nor used by many other than those in official capacities. By the mid-1680s, the name was changed back to the original name - Currituck - which has remained ever since.
Click Here to see the approximate boundaries of the short-lived Carteret Precinct.
Corolla and Currituck Beach Lighthouse are across the Currituck Sound, east of the mainland. Currituck Sound is shallow, 35 miles long and varies from four to 15 miles wide.
In the early 1700s, Currituck County's original courthouse was constructed. This building was replaced in 1842 and is still in use today. A jail was built in 1776, and together with the courthouse these are two of the oldest buildings in North Carolina.
The Albemarle Chesapeake Waterway, which opened in 1859 and became part of the Intracoastal Waterway from Maine to Florida, is today used by both commercial watermen and pleasure-boaters. Coinjock, on its banks near the center of the county, is a very popular stopover for the snowbirds - power cruisers and sailboats heading south.
By the late 1800s, Currituck, an Indian name for Land of the Wild Goose, was known as the premiere duck hunting region of the East Coast. Wealthy visitors discovered the enormous numbers of ducks and geese wintering on the sound. Sportsmen from all over the United States came to hunt, either in guided parties or as members or guests of the many hunt clubs - including the legendary Whalehead Club.
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,190 people, 6,902 households, and 5,204 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile (27/km²). There were 10,687 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile (16/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.41% White, 7.25% Black or African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 1.43% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
There were 6,902 households out of which 33.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.60% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.60% were non-families. 19.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.98.
The age distribution was 25.30% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 25.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,822, and the median income for a family was $46,382. Males had a median income of $32,619 versus $22,641 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,908. 10.70% of the population and 8.90% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.10% are under the age of 18 and 8.90% are 65 or older.- Soource: Wikipedia