Carteret

Formed January 1, 1722 (9^th county)

Carteret County (67,686), Beaufort (4,459), Morehead City (9,560)

A columned red brick facility, on Cedar Street between Craven and Turner streets, was built in 1907.  Cedar Street is United States Highway 70 Business in this part of the town.  Herbert Woodley Simpson provided the Greek Revival designs.  The building was enlarged in 1968 and renovated and enlarged in 1987.  An Administrative Building was added in 1982.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was created on January 1, 1722 from Craven County as the 9^th county with Beaufort as the only county seat.  The county is named for James Carteret, Earl of Granville.  Beaufort is named for the Duke of Beaufort.  He is also the namesake of Beaufort County.  Carteret County was the birthplace for 1 North Carolina Governor, Samuel Ashe. 

Carteret County government consists of a manager, a register, a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk (executive).  It has 6 Commissioners (legislative.)  Fourteen Superior Court Judges serve Carteret, Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, and Wayne counties, Two District Court Judges serve Carteret, Craven, and Pamlico counties and a court clerk serves Carteret County (judicial.)  The county is on the east coast of the state.  Raleigh, North Carolina is northwest and Fayetteville, North Carolina is west of the county.  The county center is 18.7 miles Northeast of Beaufort nearer South River.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Craven, Pamlico, and Hyde counties and the Atlantic Ocean and Onslow and Jones counties. 

The area of the county is 1330 square miles.  It is 3 out of 100 in the state.  It ranks 39 out of 100 in population in the state.  It has a density of 50.9 persons per square mile making it 79 out of 100 in the state.  Carteret County has 45.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 70 comes into the county from the north, Craven County, and terminates.  The county is shaped like a check mark.  Beaufort is on the south-central coast of the county.  Morehead City is to the west of Beaufort.  Beaufort is the county seat and Morehead City is the largest city.  Beaufort is 6.6% of the county population while Morehead City is 14.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KAR-TE-RET.  The county seat is pronounced BOE-FORT.  This county is in the Morehead City Micropolitan Statistical Area.