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County · code 37013

Beaufort CountyNorth Carolina

Beaufort County is a county in North Carolina with its seat in Washington, formed in 1705.

  • Founded1705
  • County seatWashington
  • Named forHenry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort
  • Land area833 sq mi + 130 sq mi water
  • Population44,652 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped45,235 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Beaufort County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

PamlicoCravenMartinWashingtonPittHyde Washington Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Beaufort on the map of North Carolina

North Carolina has 100 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Alamance CountyAlexander CountyAlleghany CountyAnson CountyAshe CountyAvery CountyBertie CountyBladen CountyBrunswick CountyBuncombe CountyBurke CountyCabarrus CountyCaldwell CountyCamden CountyCarteret CountyCaswell CountyCatawba CountyChatham CountyCherokee CountyChowan CountyClay CountyCleveland CountyColumbus CountyCraven CountyCumberland CountyCurrituck CountyDare CountyDavidson CountyDavie CountyDuplin CountyDurham CountyEdgecombe CountyForsyth CountyFranklin CountyGaston CountyGates CountyGraham CountyGranville CountyGreene CountyGuilford CountyHalifax CountyHarnett CountyHaywood CountyHenderson CountyHertford CountyHoke CountyHyde CountyIredell CountyJackson CountyJohnston CountyJones CountyLee CountyLenoir CountyLincoln CountyMcDowell CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMartin CountyMecklenburg CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyNash CountyNew Hanover CountyNorthampton CountyOnslow CountyOrange CountyPamlico CountyPasquotank CountyPender CountyPerquimans CountyPerson CountyPitt CountyPolk CountyRandolph CountyRichmond CountyRobeson CountyRockingham CountyRowan CountyRutherford CountySampson CountyScotland CountyStanly CountyStokes CountySurry CountySwain CountyTransylvania CountyTyrrell CountyUnion CountyVance CountyWake CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWatauga CountyWayne CountyWilkes CountyWilson CountyYadkin CountyYancey CountyBeaufort County Beaufort
Counties of North Carolina · Beaufort highlighted

History

Founded in 1705

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

The county began as Pamptecough Precinct within Bath in 1705, and was renamed Beaufort Precinct around 1712. Beaufort Precinct became Beaufort County in 1739, and the county went through multiple boundary changes with neighboring counties over the following century. The county was named after Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1705
    Beaufort County created Pamptecough Precinct (now Beaufort) created within Bath (extinct); northern boundary limit was indefinite.
    from Bath
    · N.C. Recs., 1:629
  2. c. 1712
    Renamed Pamptecough Precinct renamed Beaufort Precinct (now Beaufort).
    formerly Pamptecough Precinct
    · Corbitt, 74n
  3. 1761
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to creation of Pitt.
    to Pitt
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 3, secs. 1-2/23:531-534
  4. 1785
    Gained territory Beaufort gained from Pitt.
    from Pitt
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 36, sec. 1/24:758
  5. 1801
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to Craven.
    to Craven
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1801, ch. 72, sec. 1/pp. 186-187
Show all 17 changes (12 more)
  1. 1705
    Beaufort County created Pamptecough Precinct (now Beaufort) created within Bath (extinct); northern boundary limit was indefinite.
    from Bath
    · N.C. Recs., 1:629
  2. c. 1712
    Renamed Pamptecough Precinct renamed Beaufort Precinct (now Beaufort).
    formerly Pamptecough Precinct
    · Corbitt, 74n
  3. 1721
    Changed Boundary between Beaufort and Craven Precincts defined (no change). · N.C. Recs., 2:429
  4. c. 1739
    Changed Beaufort Precinct became Beaufort County by legislative act. · N.C. Recs., ch. 3, sec. 22/23: 122-127
  5. 1741
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to creation of Edgecombe; boundary between Beaufort and Tyrrell defined (no change).
    to Edgecombeto Tyrrell
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 7, secs. 1-2/23:164; N.C. Recs., ch. 9, secs. 1-3/23:168; Turner and Bridgers, 19-26
  6. c. 1757
    Exchanged territory Beaufort exchanged with Craven.
    with Craven
    · N.C. St. Recs., ch. 9, secs. 1-3/23:480
  7. 1761
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to creation of Pitt.
    to Pitt
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 3, secs. 1-2/23:531-534
  8. 1785
    Gained territory Beaufort gained from Pitt.
    from Pitt
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 36, sec. 1/24:758
  9. 1801
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to Craven.
    to Craven
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1801, ch. 72, sec. 1/pp. 186-187
  10. 1816
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to Martin.
    to Martin
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1816, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 12-13
  11. 1819
    Gained territory Beaufort gained from Hyde.
    from Hyde
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1819, ch. 114, sec. 1/p. 76
  12. 1833
    Changed Boundary between Beaufort and Washington defined (no change).
    Washington
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1832, ch. 42, secs. 1-2/p. 43
  13. 1852
    Changed Boundary between Beaufort and Craven defined (no change).
    Craven
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1852-1853, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 73
  14. 1872
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to creation of Pamlico.
    to Pamlico
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1871-1872, pub., ch. 132, secs. 1-2/pp. 180-181, and ch. 182, secs. 2, 6/pp. 285-286
  15. 1874
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to Pamlico.
    to Pamlico
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1873-1874, pub., ch. 152, secs. 1-2/p. 233
  16. 1875
    Lost territory Beaufort lost to Pamlico.
    to Pamlico
    · N.C. Sess Laws 1874-1875, pub., ch. 129, sec. 1/pp. 129-130
  17. 1891
    Gained territory Beaufort gained from Pamlico.
    from Pamlico
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1891, pub., ch. 307, secs. 1, 3/pp. 260-261

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Beaufort

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Beaufort by the Census

Population
44,652 2020 Census count
Housing units
24,090 2020 Census count
Land area
833 square miles
Water area
130 square miles
People per sq mi
54 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

GIS and maps

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Beaufort County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Beaufort County

When was Beaufort County founded?
Beaufort County was founded in 1705, and named after Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort.
What is the county seat of Beaufort County?
The county seat of Beaufort County is Washington.
Is there an online parcel map for Beaufort County?
Yes. Beaufort County publishes a parcel map of 45,235 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Beaufort County's boundary or name changed?
Beaufort County was created in 1705. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, chiefly involving Pamlico County, Craven County and Pitt County. It was formerly called Pamptecough Precinct.
Who issues building permits in Beaufort County?
The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Beaufort County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Public Health.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Beaufort County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door