County · code 37117
Martin CountyNorth Carolina
Martin County is in North Carolina, with its seat in Williamston. It was created on March 19, 1774, and named after Josiah Martin.
- Founded1774
- County seatWilliamston
- Named forJosiah Martin
- Land area456 sq mi + 0.3 sq mi water
- Population22,031 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped16,599 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Martin 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 1774 from Halifax County and Tyrrell County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Martin County was created from Halifax and Tyrrell in 1774. The county has changed boundaries several times: it lost land to Edgecombe in 1794, gained from Pitt in 1805, and gained from Beaufort in 1816.
- 1774Martin County created Martin created from Halifax and Tyrrell. · N.C. Recs., ch. 32, sec. 1/23:976
- 1794Lost territory Martin lost to Edgecombe. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1793, ch. 32, sec. 1/pp. 49-50
- 1805
- 1816Gained territory Martin gained from Beaufort. · N.C. Sess. Laws 1816, ch. 18, sec. 1/pp. 12-13
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Martin
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Fallback
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 16,599 parcels from Martin County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey. This copy is a fallback, not the county's own: use it as a guide and check the official record.
edited 19 July 2022 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 14,362 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
Martin 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
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.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Martin County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Martin 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 Martin County
- When was Martin County founded?
- Martin County was founded in 1774, formed from Halifax County and Tyrrell County, and named after Josiah Martin.
- What is the county seat of Martin County?
- The county seat of Martin County is Williamston.
- Is there an online parcel map for Martin County?
- Yes. Martin County publishes a parcel map of 16,599 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Martin County's boundary or name changed?
- Martin County was created in 1774 from Halifax County and Tyrrell County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Beaufort County, Edgecombe County and Pitt County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Martin County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby