County · code 37055
Dare CountyNorth Carolina
Dare County, North Carolina, is a county in the eastern part of the state with its seat in Manteo. The county was created in 1870 from Currituck, Hyde, and Tyrrell counties.
- Founded1870
- County seatManteo
- Named forVirginia Dare
- Land area383 sq mi + 1,159 sq mi water
- Population36,915 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped40,084 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Dare 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.
History
Formed in 1870 from Currituck County, Hyde County and Tyrrell County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Dare County was named after Virginia Dare. The county gained barrier islands from Currituck County in 1919.
- 1870Dare County created Dare created from Currituck, Hyde, and Tyrrell. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1869-1870, pub., ch. 36, secs. 1, 4, 16/pp. 71-75
- 1873Lost territory Dare lost small area to Currituck. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1872-1873, pub., ch. 127, sec. 1/p. 206
- 1919Gained territory Dare gained from Currituck. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1919, pub., ch. 163, secs. 1-4/pp. 339-340; N.C. Sess. Laws 1927, pub.-loc., ch. 382, sec. 1/pp. 404-405
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Dare
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 40,084 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 5 August 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 38,962 in all from NC Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (CGIA, NC Dept of Information Technology) for NC OneMap, with the North Carolina 911 Board (AddressNC program).
checked 14 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- 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
Dare by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Dare County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Dare County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Dare 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.
Questions
Common questions about Dare County
- When was Dare County founded?
- Dare County was founded in 1870, formed from Currituck County, Hyde County and Tyrrell County, and named after Virginia Dare.
- What is the county seat of Dare County?
- The county seat of Dare County is Manteo.
- Is there an online parcel map for Dare County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 40,084 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Dare County's boundary or name changed?
- Dare County was created in 1870 from Currituck County, Hyde County and Tyrrell County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Currituck County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Dare County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby