When was Hyde County founded?

Hyde County was founded in 1705, and named after Edward Hyde.

What is the county seat of Hyde County?

The county seat of Hyde County is Swan Quarter.

Is there an online parcel map for Hyde County?

Yes. Hyde County publishes a parcel map of 7,794 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Hyde County's boundary or name changed?

Hyde County was created in 1705. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving Carteret County, Currituck County and Beaufort County. It was formerly called Wickham Precinct.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Hyde County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 37095

Hyde CountyNorth Carolina

Hyde County is a county in North Carolina, formed in 1705 as Wickham Precinct and later renamed Hyde Precinct before becoming a county in 1739, with its seat at Swan Quarter.

Founded1705
County seatSwan Quarter
Named forEdward Hyde
Land area612 sq mi + 847 sq mi water
Population4,589 2020 Census
Parcels mapped7,794 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Hyde County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Founded in 1705

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

Wickham Precinct was created in 1705 in Bath and renamed Hyde Precinct around 1712, then became Hyde County by legislative act in 1739. The county's boundaries changed several times through exchanges and transfers with neighboring counties, including gains from Currituck and Carteret, and a loss to the creation of Dare County in 1870.

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

1705
Hyde County created Wickham Precinct (now Hyde) created in Bath; northern boundary limit was indefinite.
from Bath
3 December 1705 · N.C. Recs., 1:629
c. 1712
Renamed Wickham Precinct renamed Hyde Precinct (now Hyde).
formerly Wickham Precinct
31 December 1712 · Corbitt, 74n
1745
Gained territory Hyde gained from Currituck.
from Currituck
20 April 1745 · N.C. Recs., ch. 8, secs. 1-2/23:232
1819
Lost territory Hyde lost to Beaufort.
to Beaufort
24 December 1819 · N.C. Sess. Laws 1819, ch. 114, sec. 1/p. 76
1870
Lost territory Hyde lost to creation of Dare.
to Dare
3 February 1870 · N.C. Sess. Laws 1869-1870, pub., ch. 36, secs. 1, 4, 16/pp. 71-75

Show all 13 changes (8 more, mostly small adjustments)

1705
Hyde County created Wickham Precinct (now Hyde) created in Bath; northern boundary limit was indefinite.
from Bath
3 December 1705 · N.C. Recs., 1:629
c. 1712
Renamed Wickham Precinct renamed Hyde Precinct (now Hyde).
formerly Wickham Precinct
31 December 1712 · Corbitt, 74n
1729
Changed Hyde Precinct's northern boundary (previously an indefinite limit) first defined in definition of Tyrrell Precinct's southern boundary. 27 November 1729 · N.C. Recs., ch. 4, secs. 1-2/25:212-213
c. 1739
Changed Hyde Precinct became Hyde County by legislative act. 6 March 1739 · N.C. Recs., ch. 3, sec. 22/23: 122-127
1745
Gained territory Hyde gained from Currituck.
from Currituck
20 April 1745 · N.C. Recs., ch. 8, secs. 1-2/23:232
1771
Lost territory Hyde lost to Carteret.
to Carteret
26 January 1771 · N.C. Recs., ch. 16, sec. 18/23:809; Powell, 217
1784
Boundary clarified Boundary between Hyde and Tyrrell clarified (no change).
with Tyrrellno change
25 November 1784 · N.C. Recs., ch. 45, secs. 1-2/24:705
1819
Lost territory Hyde lost to Beaufort.
to Beaufort
24 December 1819 · N.C. Sess. Laws 1819, ch. 114, sec. 1/p. 76
1823
Gained territory Hyde gained from Currituck.
from Currituck
8 December 1823 · N.C. Sess. Laws 1823, ch. 43, secs. 1,3/pp. 39-40
1845
Gained territory Hyde gained from Carteret.
from Carteret
6 January 1845 · N.C. Sess. Laws 1844-1845, pub., ch. 25, sec. 1/p. 31
1870
Lost territory Hyde lost to creation of Dare.
to Dare
3 February 1870 · N.C. Sess. Laws 1869-1870, pub., ch. 36, secs. 1, 4, 16/pp. 71-75
1890
Exchanged territory Hyde exchanged with Tyrrell.
with Tyrrell
5 May 1890 · Corbitt, 267-268; N.C. Sess. Laws 1921, pub., ext. sess., ch. 43, sec. 1/pp. 81-82
1921
Changed Boundary agreement between Hyde and Tyrrell, of 5 May 1890, confirmed and ratified by legislature (no change).
Tyrrell
19 December 1921 · Corbitt, 267-268; N.C. Sess. Laws 1921, ext. sess., pub., ch. 43, sec. 1/pp. 81-82

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Hyde

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 7,794 parcels from Hyde County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 2 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 4,222 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

Hyde by the Census

Population

4,589 2020 Census count

Housing units

3,146 2020 Census count

Land area

612 square miles

Water area

847 square miles · 58% of the county, including large bodies of water

People per sq mi

7 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

Hyde 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 Hyde County.
hydecountync.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Hyde 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Hyde County

When was Hyde County founded?: Hyde County was founded in 1705, and named after Edward Hyde.
What is the county seat of Hyde County?: The county seat of Hyde County is Swan Quarter.
Is there an online parcel map for Hyde County?: Yes. Hyde County publishes a parcel map of 7,794 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Hyde County's boundary or name changed?: Hyde County was created in 1705. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving Carteret County, Currituck County and Beaufort County. It was formerly called Wickham Precinct.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Hyde County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby