Tyrrell County, North Carolina

Tyrrell County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,245, making it the least populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Columbia. The county was created in 1729 as Tyrrell Precinct and gained county status in 1739.

History
The county was formed in 1729 as Tyrrell Precinct of Albemarle County, from parts of Bertie Precinct, Chowan Precinct, Currituck Precinct, and Pasquotank Precinct. It was named for Sir John Tyrrell, one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina.

With the abolition of Albemarle County in 1739, all of its constituent precincts became counties. In 1774, the western part of Tyrrell County was combined with part of Halifax County to form Martin County. In 1799, the western third of what remained of Tyrrell County became Washington County. In 1870, the half of Tyrrell County east of the Alligator River was combined with parts of Currituck County and Hyde County to form Dare County.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 597.18 sqmi, of which 390.78 sqmi is land and 206.40 sqmi (34.56%) is water. Tyrrell County, due to its proximity to the Outer Banks, has been designated as part of the Inner Banks.

Wildlife in the county includes bears, red wolves, and pitcher plants.

National protected area

 * Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (part)

State and local protected areas

 * Alligator River Game Land
 * Alligator River Area Outstanding Resource Water (part)
 * Buckridge Coastal Reserve Dedicated Nature Preserve
 * Buckridge Game Land
 * Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Coastal Reserve
 * Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Reserve (part)
 * J. Morgan Futch Game Land
 * Lantern Acres Game Land (part)
 * New Lake Game Land
 * Palmetto-Peartree Preserve
 * Pettigrew State Park (part)
 * Texas Plantation Game Land

Major water bodies

 * Albemarle Sound
 * Alligator River
 * The Frying Pan
 * Intracoastal Waterway
 * Lake Phelps
 * Scuppernong River

Adjacent counties

 * Perquimans County – north
 * Pasquotank County – north
 * Camden County – north
 * Currituck County – northeast
 * Dare County – east
 * Hyde County – south
 * Washington County – west
 * Chowan County – northwest

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 3,245 people in Tyrrell, making it North Carolina's least-populous county.

Demographic change
Tyrrell County's population peaked in 1940 with 5,556 residents. The population subsequently declined to about 4,000 residents, where it remained for several decades before shrinking further due to outmigration fueled by diminished job opportunities. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Tyrrell's population dropped by 26 percent, the largest population drop by percentage in the state.

Government and politics
Tyrrell County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners. The elections for County Commissioners are partisan and at large. To save money, some of Tyrrell's government services are consolidated with other neighboring rural counties such as Hyde and Washington.

Tyrrell County is a member of the Albemarle Commission, a regional economic development organization which serves several counties in eastern North Carolina.

In 2022, Tyrrell County is represented by Ed Goodwin in the 1st district in the North Carolina House of Representatives and Bobby Hanig in the 1st district in the North Carolina Senate.

In the 2020 elections in Tyrrell County, Republicans took more votes than Democrats in federal and statewide contests.

Economy
Tyrrell County's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture—with its largest crop being potatoes — as well as forestry and fishing. The county also hosts a small tourism industry centered around hunting, fishing, and bird watching. It suffers from high poverty and food insecurity rates.

Town

 * Columbia (county seat and largest community)

Townships

 * Alligator
 * Columbia
 * Gum Neck
 * Scuppernong
 * South Fork

Unincorporated communities

 * Fort Landing
 * Frying Pan
 * Jerry
 * Pleasant View
 * Kilkenny