Map of Dare County, North Carolina

Dare County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,915. Its county seat is Manteo. Dare County is named after Virginia Dare, the first child born in the Americas to English parents, who was born within the county’s current borders. Founded in 1870 from parts of Tyrrell, Currituck and Hyde counties, it consists of a large segment of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, along with Roanoke Island and a peninsula of land attached to the mainland. Most of the county consists of a string of resort communities along the Outer Banks. While lightly populated by year-round residents, the population swells during the summer with vacationers.

Dare County is included in the Kill Devil Hills, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.

At one time, the now-abandoned town of Buffalo City was the largest community in the county. Because it includes much of Pamlico Sound, Dare County is the largest county in North Carolina by total area, although if one were to consider land area only, it drops down to 68th in size among the state’s 100 counties.

Dare County overview:
Name:	Dare County
FIPS code:	37-055
State:	North Carolina
Founded:	1870
Named for:	Virginia Dare
Seat:	Manteo
Largest town:	Kill Devil Hills
Total Area:	1,563 sq mi (4,050 km²)
Land Area:	383 sq mi (990 km²)
Total Population:	36,915
Population Density:	24/sq mi (9.1/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−5 (Eastern)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−4 (EDT)
Website:	www.darenc.com

Dare County location map. Where is Dare County?

Dare County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Dare County. — Location of Dare County in the the United States.

Dare County location on the North Carolina map. Where is Dare County. — Location of Dare County in North Carolina.

Dare County Road Map

Dare CountyStreet Map. — Street map of Dare County, North Carolina. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)

Dare CountyMap — Dare Countypolitical map.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,563 square miles (4,050 km), of which 383 square miles (990 km) is land and 1,179 square miles (3,050 km) (75%) is water. It is the largest county in North Carolina by area.

Dare County includes the middle part of the Outer Banks and contains Roanoke Island.

National protected areas

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Cape Hatteras National Seashore (part)
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
Wright Brothers National Memorial

State and local protected areas/sites

Bodie Island Lighthouse
Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Dare Game Lands (part)
Hatteras Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary (part)
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Reserve
Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve
Nags Head Woods Preserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
Oregon Inlet Crab Spawning Sanctuary
Pamlico Sound Mechanical Harvesting of Oysters Prohibited Area
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Roanoke Island Marshes Dedicated Nature Preserve
Run Hill State Natural Area
Run Hill State Natural Area Dedicated Nature Preserve
Sandy Run Park

Major water bodies

Albemarle Sound
Alligator River
Atlantic Ocean
Broad Creek
Croatan Sound
Currituck Sound
East Lake
Hatteras Bight
Hatteras Inlet
Intracoastal Waterway
Long Shoal River
Oregon Inlet
Pamlico Sound
Raleigh Bay
Roanoke Sound
Shallowbag Bay
South Lake

Adjacent counties

Currituck County – north
Hyde County – southwest
Tyrrell County – west

Major highways

US 64
US 64 Byp.
US 158
US 264
NC 12
NC 345
NC 400

Major Infrastructure

Dare County Bombing Range, within Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.
Dare County Regional Airport, a general aviation airport, is located in Dare County.
First Flight Airport, inside Wright Brothers National Memorial
Hatteras – Ocracoke Ferry (To Hyde County)
Stumpy Point – Rodanthe Ferry, emergency route to the mainland during evacuations.