Dare County, North Carolina

Dare County, North Carolina
Dare County Administration Building
Nickname: 
Land of Beginnings
Motto(s): 
"Caring for our Community: A Nurturing Place Where We All Can Live and Grow."
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Interactive map of Dare County, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°37′N 75°46′W / 35.61°N 75.77°W / 35.61; -75.77
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1870
Named afterVirginia Dare
SeatManteo
Largest municipalityKill Devil Hills
Area
 • Total
1,541.74 sq mi (3,993.1 km2)
 • Land383.23 sq mi (992.6 km2)
 • Water1,158.51 sq mi (3,000.5 km2)  75.14%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
36,915
 • Estimate 
(2024)
38,183
 • Density96.33/sq mi (37.19/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district3rd
Websitewww.darenc.com

Dare County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,915. Its county seat is Manteo.

Dare County is included in the Kill Devil Hills, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.

Because it includes much of Pamlico Sound, Dare County is the largest county in North Carolina by total area, although if considering land area only, it drops down to 68th in size among the state's 100 counties.