Chowan County, North Carolina

{{Infobox U.S. county

| ex image = Chowan County Courthouse.jpg

| ex image cap = Chowan County Courthouse

| county = Chowan County

| state = North Carolina

| seal = Chowan County Seal.jpg

| founded = 1668

| named for = Chowanoke Indian Tribe

| seat wl = Edenton

| largest city wl = Edenton

| city type = community

| area_total_sq_mi = 233.65

| area_land_sq_mi = 172.66

| area_water_sq_mi = 60.99

| area percentage = 26.10

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 13708

| pop_est_as_of = 2023

| population_est = 13891 {{gain}}

| population_density_sq_mi = 79.39

| coordinates = {{coord|36.13|-76.60|type:adm2nd_region:US-NC_source:USCensusBureau2020gazetteerfiles|display=inline,title}}

| web = www.chowancounty-nc.gov

| district = 1st

| time zone = Eastern

| flag = Chowan County Flag.gif

}}

Chowan County ({{IPAc-en|tʃ|oʊ|ˈ|w|ɒ|n}} {{respell|choh|WON}})[http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ref/resources/tlth.html Talk Like A Tarheel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622041633/http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ref/resources/tlth.html |date=June 22, 2013 }}, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 8, 2013. is one of the 100 counties located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,708. Its county seat is Edenton.{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509170006/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 9, 2015 }} The county was created between 1668 and 1671 as Shaftesbury Precinct and later renamed Chowan Precinct. It gained county status in 1739.{{cite web|url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/NC_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|title=North Carolina: Individual County Chronologies|work=North Carolina Atlas of Historical County Boundaries|publisher=The Newberry Library|date=2009|access-date=January 22, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115449/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/NC_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |last=Powell |first=William S. |year=2006 |title=Chowan County |url=https://ncpedia.org/geography/chowan |access-date=January 22, 2015 |website=NCpedia |publisher=University of North Carolina Press}}

History

File:The Bond Home Edenton North Carolina.jpeg, Chowan County, c. 1920]]

Chowan was formed in 1670 as a precinct, originally called Shaftesbury, in Albemarle County. By 1685 it had been renamed for the Chowan Indian tribe, which lived in the northeastern part of the Carolina Colony.

Chowan County is in the northeastern section of the State and is bounded by Albemarle Sound, Chowan River, and the counties of Bertie, Hertford, Gates, and Perquimans. The present land area is 172.64 square miles and the 2000 population was 14,150.

In 1720, Edenton, which was named in honor of Governor Charles Eden, was established. In 1722 it was designated, and has continued to be, the county seat.{{cite web| url = https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Chowan_County,_North_Carolina#History| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120715144532/https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Chowan_County,_North_Carolina| archive-date = July 15, 2012| title = Chowan County, North Carolina {{!}} Learn {{!}} FamilySearch.org}}

During the American Civil War, the Albemarle Artillery was recruited in 1862 from Chowan and Tyrrell men at Edenton by local attorney William Badham, Jr. After cannons were recast from bronze donated as bells from local courthouses and churches to arm the battery, the unit was renamed the Edenton Bell Battery. They named their cannon: Columbia, St. Paul, Fannie Roulac, and Edenton. Two of the guns, long thought lost, have been returned to Edenton in recent years. The St. Paul and the Edenton now can be seen on display at Edenton's waterfront park.{{cite web|title=Edenton Bell Battery |url=http://www.edentonhistoricalcommission.org/history/bellbattery |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726013844/http://www.edentonhistoricalcommission.org/history/bellbattery |publisher=Edenton Historical Commission |access-date=July 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 26, 2011 }}

The county was named after the historical Chowanoc American Indian tribe, also called Chowan.{{cite web

|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=19191

|title=Chowan County Profile

|work=Website

|publisher=epodunk

|access-date=February 19, 2010

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104051813/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=19191

|archive-date=November 4, 2012

|url-status=dead

}}{{cite news |title=Chowanoc Indian Tribe |work=Website |publisher=AccessGenealogy |url=http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/chowanoc/chowanochist.htm |access-date=February 19, 2010}}

Geography

{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q943772|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Chowan County}}

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|233.65|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|172.66|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|61.99|sqmi}} (26.10%) is water.{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} It is the smallest county in North Carolina by land area and third-smallest by total area.

=State and local protected sites=

=Major water bodies=

=Adjacent counties=

Gates County – north
Perquimans County – east
Tyrrell County – southeast
Washington County – south
Bertie County – west
Hertford County – northwest

=Major highways=

{{Jct|state=NC|I-Future|87}}
{{Jct|state=NC|US|17}}
{{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|17|dab1=Edenton}}
{{Jct|state=NC|NC|32}}
{{Jct|state=NC|NC|37}}
{{Jct|state=NC|NC|94}}

=Major infrastructure=

Northeastern Regional Airport

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1790= 4988

|1800= 5132

|1810= 5297

|1820= 6464

|1830= 6697

|1840= 6690

|1850= 6721

|1860= 6842

|1870= 6450

|1880= 7900

|1890= 9167

|1900= 10258

|1910= 11303

|1920= 10649

|1930= 11282

|1940= 11572

|1950= 12540

|1960= 11729

|1970= 10764

|1980= 12558

|1990= 13506

|2000= 14526

|2010= 14793

|2020= 13708

|estyear=2023

|estimate=13891

|estref=

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 13, 2015}}
1790–1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 13, 2015|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}} 1900–1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=January 13, 2015}}
1990–2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=January 13, 2015}} 2010{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37041.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606235027/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37041.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011|url-status=dead}} 2020{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chowancountynorthcarolina|title=QuickFacts: Chowan County, North Carolina|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 21, 2024}}

}}

=2020 census=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right" \|+Chowan County racial composition{{Cite web\|title=Explore Census Data\|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US37041&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2\|access-date=December 23, 2021\|website=data.census.gov}} !scope="col"\| Race !scope="col"\| Number !scope="col"\| Percentage
scope="row"\| White (non-Hispanic) \| 8,268 \| 60.32%
scope="row"\| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) \| 4,376 \| 31.92%
scope="row"\| Native American \| 43 \| 0.31%
scope="row"\| Asian \| 39 \| 0.28%
scope="row"\| Pacific Islander \| 1 \| 0.01%
scope="row"\| Other/Mixed \| 451 \| 3.29%
scope="row"\| Hispanic or Latino \| 530 \| 3.87%

class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"

|+Chowan County racial composition{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0500000US37041&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 23, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}

!scope="col"| Race

!scope="col"| Number

!scope="col"| Percentage

scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)

| 8,268

| 60.32%

scope="row"| Black or African American (non-Hispanic)

| 4,376

| 31.92%

scope="row"| Native American

| 43

| 0.31%

scope="row"| Asian

| 39

| 0.28%

scope="row"| Pacific Islander

| 1

| 0.01%

scope="row"| Other/Mixed

| 451

| 3.29%

scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino

| 530

| 3.87%

As of the 2020 census, there were 13,708 people, 6,133 households, and 3,986 families residing in the county.

=2010 census=

At the 2010 census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} there were 14,793 people, 5,580 households, and 4,006 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|84|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 6,443 housing units at an average density of {{convert|37|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 62.0% White, 34.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. 3.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,580 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 15.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,928, and the median income for a family was $36,986. Males had a median income of $29,719 versus $19,826 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,027. About 13.70% of families and 17.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.50% of those under age 18 and 16.70% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Chowan County is a member of the Albemarle Commission regional council of governments.

Chowan County is represented by Bobby Hanig in the 1st district of the North Carolina Senate.

{{PresHead|place=Chowan County, North Carolina|whig=no|source1={{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 15, 2018}}}}