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County · code 37049

Craven CountyNorth Carolina

Craven County is located in North Carolina, with its county seat at New Bern. The county was named after William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven, and established as a precinct in 1712.

  • Founded1712
  • County seatNew Bern
  • Named forWilliam Craven, 1st Earl of Craven
  • Land area707 sq mi + 67 sq mi water
  • Population100,720 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped60,025 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Craven County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

JonesPamlicoBeaufortPittLenoirCarteret New Bern Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Craven 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 CountyBeaufort CountyBertie CountyBladen CountyBrunswick CountyBuncombe CountyBurke CountyCabarrus CountyCaldwell CountyCamden CountyCarteret CountyCaswell CountyCatawba CountyChatham CountyCherokee CountyChowan CountyClay CountyCleveland CountyColumbus 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 CountyCraven County Craven
Counties of North Carolina · Craven highlighted

History

Founded in 1712

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

Archdale Precinct was created in 1705 within Bath and later renamed Craven Precinct around 1712. Craven Precinct became Craven County by legislative act in 1739. The county lost territory over time through the creation of Edgecombe County in 1741, Johnston in 1746, Dobbs in 1764, Jones in 1779, Pitt in 1787, and Lenoir in 1798.

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

  1. 1705
    Craven County created Archdale Precinct (now Craven) created within Bath (extinct); northwestern boundary limit was indefinite.
    from Bath
    · N.C. Recs., 1:629
  2. c. 1712
    Renamed Archdale Precinct renamed Craven Precinct (now Craven); northwestern boundary limit was indefinite.
    formerly Archdale Precinct
    · Corbitt, 74n
  3. 1741
    Lost territory Craven lost to creation of Edgecombe.
    to Edgecombe
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 7, secs. 1-2/23:164; N.C. Recs., ch. 9, secs. 1-2/23:168; Turner and Bridgers, 19-26
  4. 1746
    Lost territory Craven lost to creation of Johnston.
    to Johnston
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 2, secs. 1-2/23:248-249
  5. 1764
    Lost territory Craven lost to Dobbs (extinct).
    to Dobbs
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 19, secs. 1-2/23:630-631
Show all 24 changes (19 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1705
    Craven County created Archdale Precinct (now Craven) created within Bath (extinct); northwestern boundary limit was indefinite.
    from Bath
    · N.C. Recs., 1:629
  2. c. 1712
    Renamed Archdale Precinct renamed Craven Precinct (now Craven); northwestern boundary limit was indefinite.
    formerly Archdale Precinct
    · Corbitt, 74n
  3. 1721
    Changed Boundary between Craven and Beaufort Precincts defined (no change). · N.C. Recs., 2:429
  4. 1722
    Changed Craven Precinct (now Craven) expanded to cover all settlements on Neuse and Trent Rivers; northwestern boundary limit was indefinite. · N.C. Recs., 2:458-459
  5. c. 1739
    Changed Craven Precinct became Craven County by legislative act. · N.C. Recs., ch. 3, sec. 22/23: 122-127
  6. 1741
    Lost territory Craven lost to creation of Edgecombe.
    to Edgecombe
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 7, secs. 1-2/23:164; N.C. Recs., ch. 9, secs. 1-2/23:168; Turner and Bridgers, 19-26
  7. 1746
    Lost territory Craven lost to creation of Johnston.
    to Johnston
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 2, secs. 1-2/23:248-249
  8. c. 1757
    Exchanged territory Craven exchanged with Beaufort.
    with Beaufort
    · N.C. St. Recs., ch. 9, secs. 1-3/23:480
  9. 1764
    Lost territory Craven lost to Dobbs (extinct).
    to Dobbs
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 19, secs. 1-2/23:630-631
  10. 1779
    Lost territory Craven lost to creation of Jones.
    to Jones
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 18, secs. 1-2/24:225-227
  11. 1787
    Lost territory Craven lost to Pitt.
    to Pitt
    · N.C. Recs., ch. 30, sec. 1/24:825-826
  12. 1798
    Lost territory Craven lost to Lenoir.
    to Lenoir
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1798, ch. 89, sec. 1/pp. 130-131
  13. 1801
    Gained territory Craven gained from Beaufort; lost to Greene.
    from Beaufortfrom Greene
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1801, ch. 71-72, sec. 1/pp. 186-187
  14. 1804
    Lost territory Craven lost to Lenoir.
    to Lenoir
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1804, ch. 56, sec. 1/p. 253
  15. c. 1806
    Changed Boundary between Craven and Carteret defined (no change).
    Carteret
    · Corbitt, 58
  16. 1809
    Changed Boundary between Craven and Carteret defined (no change).
    Carteret
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1809, secs. 1-2/pp. 17-18
  17. 1819
    Lost territory Craven lost to Lenoir.
    to Lenoir
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1819, ch. 115, sec. 1/p. 76
  18. 1852
    Changed Boundary between Craven and Beaufort defined (no change).
    Beaufort
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1852-1853, ch. 23, sec. 1/p. 73
  19. 1872
    Lost territory Craven 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
  20. 1875
    Changed Carteret authorized to gain the area east and north of Adams Creek from Craven, dependent upon local referendum that apparently failed (no change).
    Carteret
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1874-1875, pub., ch. 122, secs. 1-3/p. 122
  21. 1875
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Craven and Pamlico clarified (no change).
    with Pamlicono change
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1874-1875, pub., ch. 182, sec. 1/p. 211
  22. 1883
    Lost territory Craven lost to Carteret.
    to Carteret
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1883, pub., ch. 409, sec. 1/pp. 584-585
  23. 1885
    Lost territory Craven lost to Carteret (amended act of 12 March 1883).
    to Carteret
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1885, pub., ch. 81, sec. 1/p. 131
  24. 1987
    Changed Boundary between Craven and Pitt defined (no change).
    Pitt
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1987, ch. 762, sec. 1/pp. 1573-1574

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Craven

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

Craven by the Census

Population
100,720 2020 Census count
Housing units
46,800 2020 Census count
Land area
707 square miles
Water area
67 square miles
People per sq mi
143 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 Craven 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 Craven County

When was Craven County founded?
Craven County was founded in 1712, and named after William Craven, 1st Earl of Craven.
What is the county seat of Craven County?
The county seat of Craven County is New Bern.
Is there an online parcel map for Craven County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 60,025 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Craven County's boundary or name changed?
Craven County was created in 1705. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 16 later changes, chiefly involving Lenoir County, Beaufort County and Carteret County. It was formerly called Archdale Precinct.
Who issues building permits in Craven 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 Craven County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Adult Health.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Craven 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