Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City, North Carolina | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 37-44320[3] | | |
GNIS feature ID | 2406191[2] | |
Website | moreheadcitync |
Morehead City is a port town in
History
By the early 1850s, a group of investors had been formed and incorporated a land development project known as the "Shepard Point Land Company," which purchased 600 acres (2.4 km2) of land on the eastern tip of the peninsula bordering the Newport River, known then as "Shepards Point," which is the present location of Morehead City. The Shepard Point Land Company's objective was to take advantage of the natural deep channel of Topsail Inlet, known today as the Beaufort Inlet, which splits Bogue Banks from Shackleford Banks and provides access to Morehead City, Beaufort, North Carolina, the Newport River and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Shepard Point Land Company was established to construct a deepwater port to allow another access point for North Carolina timber products to relieve pressure at the port located in Wilmington. To make the port accessible to the interior of North Carolina, the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad line between Goldsboro and New Bern was completed on April 29, 1858.
North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead, for whom the city of Morehead City is named, was a principal member of the Shepard Point Land Company investment group. Fully operational rail service began in July 1858 connecting the town to points west, north, and south.
The town of Morehead City was laid out using a grid plan, whereby city blocks were equally laid out with each block consisting of 16 equally divided lots. The city blocks stretched from 1st Street to 15th Street, incorporating a system of alleys forming an "H" shape that enabled businesses and residential homes to be served from the alleys behind them.
Morehead City was officially incorporated by the North Carolina Senate in 1860, at which time the total number of households consisted of only 300 individual families.
The town continued to prosper until the Civil War, when in 1862 it was occupied by Federal troops. The war disrupted commerce, and the economy of the port declined along with the town's population. It was not until the 1880s, with the construction of the Atlantic Hotel at the tip of the peninsula and its promotion by the railroad as the "Summer Capital by the Sea," that the area began to experience a resurgence. The popularity of this particular hotel, with its train depot entrance, grand ballroom, piers, sailing, and ferries to the beaches of Bogue Banks, helped to establish Morehead City as a summer destination.
It was also during the 1880s and 1890s that fishermen who had lived on the island of Shackleford Banks moved on to the mainland (often transporting their houses by boat from the outer banks), settling in the areas between 10th and 15th streets and calling it the Promised Land. These fishermen became the nucleus of the fishing industry that has remained an important part of the town's economy.
The
The Morehead City Historic District and Morehead City Municipal Building are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]
Today's community
Morehead City's economy is based predominantly on a variety of ecotourism activities, a growing retirement community, and the Port of Morehead City. The local economy is based further on the Port of Morehead City, light industry and manufacturing, land development, light commercial fishing, sport fishing, and other service-oriented businesses. The town is within easy access of New Bern, Havelock and Jacksonville, North Carolina. Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Morehead City in Havelock, and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is 30 miles (48 km) west of Morehead City near Jacksonville.
Morehead City is one of two existing ports in North Carolina which primarily export
Higher education and marine research
Morehead City also is home to the Research and Compliance Branch North Carolina Marine Fisheries Division, a governmental organization.[12]
Inshore and offshore recreational fishing
Morehead City and the surrounding area is an excellent venue for fishermen of all varieties. There are many opportunities for
Established in 1957, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament draws large crowds of sporting enthusiasts of all types to Morehead City each year to witness some of the largest Atlantic blue marlin catches in North America.[13]
Scuba diving
Morehead City and surrounding areas are a popular scuba diving destination, particularly for the many shipwrecks that have led the waters off North Carolina to be nicknamed the "Graveyard of the Atlantic". Morehead City sits between a number of famous wrecks, including the German submarine U-352, discovered in part by the late Morehead resident George Purifoy.[14]
Traditional sports
Morehead City is home to the Morehead City Marlins of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Marlins play at O'Neal Field at Big Rock Stadium in Morehead City, and began playing in the 2010 season.
Youth sports in Morehead City include Little League Baseball, soccer leagues, and basketball leagues.
Geography
Morehead City is located southwest of the center of Carteret County. It occupies a peninsula bordered to the south by Bogue Sound and to the north and east by the tidal Newport River. Across the river to the east is the town of Beaufort, while to the south across Bogue Sound is Atlantic Beach.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Morehead City has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22.1 km2), of which 6.8 square miles (17.7 km2) is land and 1.7 square miles (4.3 km2), or 19.55%, is water.[4]
Climate
Morehead City has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with long, hot summers and short, cool winters.
Climate data for Morehead City, North Carolina (1981–2010 normals),[a]
| |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 78 (26) |
77 (25) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
97 (36) |
103 (39) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
84 (29) |
79 (26) |
103 (39) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
70 (21) |
74 (23) |
80 (27) |
86 (30) |
90 (32) |
93 (34) |
92 (33) |
89 (32) |
84 (29) |
79 (26) |
72 (22) |
95 (35) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.3 (13.5) |
58.6 (14.8) |
64.1 (17.8) |
71.5 (21.9) |
77.8 (25.4) |
84.3 (29.1) |
87.5 (30.8) |
86.9 (30.5) |
83.3 (28.5) |
76.1 (24.5) |
67.7 (19.8) |
59.5 (15.3) |
72.8 (22.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.2 (2.3) |
38.1 (3.4) |
43.6 (6.4) |
51.7 (10.9) |
60.8 (16.0) |
69.6 (20.9) |
73.4 (23.0) |
72.3 (22.4) |
67.1 (19.5) |
56.7 (13.7) |
47.5 (8.6) |
39.3 (4.1) |
54.7 (12.6) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | 17 (−8) |
21 (−6) |
27 (−3) |
34 (1) |
45 (7) |
57 (14) |
63 (17) |
62 (17) |
53 (12) |
39 (4) |
30 (−1) |
21 (−6) |
15 (−9) |
Record low °F (°C) | 1 (−17) |
8 (−13) |
12 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
35 (2) |
40 (4) |
54 (12) |
53 (12) |
41 (5) |
27 (−3) |
19 (−7) |
3 (−16) |
1 (−17) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.65 (118) |
3.84 (98) |
4.36 (111) |
3.13 (80) |
4.56 (116) |
4.31 (109) |
6.06 (154) |
7.49 (190) |
7.34 (186) |
4.47 (114) |
4.57 (116) |
4.24 (108) |
59 (1,500) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.3 (0.76) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 102 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: NOAA (North Carolina Observed Climate Normals)[15] |
Note
- ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1981 to 2010.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 316 | — | |
1870 | 267 | −15.5% | |
1880 | 520 | 94.8% | |
1890 | 1,064 | 104.6% | |
1900 | 1,379 | 29.6% | |
1910 | 2,039 | 47.9% | |
1920 | 2,958 | 45.1% | |
1930 | 3,483 | 17.7% | |
1940 | 3,695 | 6.1% | |
1950 | 5,144 | 39.2% | |
1960 | 5,583 | 8.5% | |
1970 | 5,233 | −6.3% | |
1980 | 4,359 | −16.7% | |
1990 | 6,046 | 38.7% | |
2000 | 7,691 | 27.2% | |
2010 | 8,661 | 12.6% | |
2020 | 9,556 | 10.3% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[16] |
2020 census
Race | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic)
|
7,492 | 78.4% |
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)
|
738 | 7.72% |
Native American
|
39 | 0.41% |
Asian
|
123 | 1.29% |
Pacific Islander
|
3 | 0.03% |
Other/Mixed
|
420 | 4.4% |
Latino
|
741 | 7.75% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,556 people, 4,428 households, and 2,276 families residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the census
There were 3,597 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.8% were non-families. 39.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.73.
In the town the age distribution of the population shows 20.2% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,737, and the median income for a family was $39,290. Males had a median income of $26,852 versus $21,995 for females. The
Transportation
Highways
Future Interstates
- Interstate 42[19]
Train
Amtrak provides a Thruway Bus to Wilson that connects with the daily Palmetto train to New York City and Savannah, Georgia, as well as the daily Carolinian train to New York City and Charlotte.[20]
Into the early 1950s, the
The North Carolina Department of Transportation as of 2007 was studying the resumption of intercity passenger train service from Raleigh through Goldsboro to Morehead City. [24]
Hospital
Education
Elementary schools
- Morehead City Primary School
- Morehead City Elementary School at Camp Glenn
Middle schools
- Morehead Middle School
High schools
Higher learning
- Carteret Community College
- UNC-Chapel HillInstitute of Marine Sciences
- NCSUCenter for Marine Sciences and Technology
Private schools
- St. Egbert's Catholic School
Media
Newspapers
The
Television
Morehead City is part of the
- WITN-TV, the (7), Washington (NBC affiliate)
- WNCT-TV, the (9), Greenville (CBS affiliate) the CW on their digital subchannel
- WCTI-TV, the (12), New Bern (ABC affiliate, independent "ENC-TV" On Digital)
- Fox affiliate)
- PBS affiliate of the PBS North CarolinaNetwork)
- My Networkaffiliate)
Radio stations
- 88.3 FM: WXBEAFR (Christian)
- 89.3 FM: WTEBPublic Radio East (NPR/Classical)
- 90.7 FM: WOTJFBN (Sacred Christian)
- 91.5 FM: WBJDPublic Radio East (NPR)
- 92.3 FM: WQSL
- 92.7 FM: WBNK 92.7 The Beacon (Contemporary Christian)
- 94.1 FM: WNBU (Oldies)
- 95.1 FM: WRNS-FM 95.1 WRNS (Country)
- 96.3 FM: WRHT (Talk Radio)
- 97.9 FM: WNBB The Bear (Classic Country)
- 98.7 FM: WRMR Modern Rock 98.7 (Modern Rock)
- 99.5 FM: WMJV (Hot Adult Contemporary)
- 100.3 FM: WLGP GNN (Christian)
- 101.9 FM: WIKS 101.9 Kiss FM (Urban)
- 103.3 FM: WMGV V 103.3 Soft Rock (AC)
- 104.5 FM: WSTK
- 105.1 FM: WLGV K-LOVE 105.1 (Contemporary Christian)
- 106.5 FM: WSFL-FM 106.5 WSFL (Classic Rock)
- 107.1 FM: WTKF The Talk Station 107.1 (News/Talk)
- 107.9 FM: WNCT-FM 107.9 WNCT (Classic Hits)
- 1120 AM: WSME (Classic Country/Bluegrass)
Notable people
References
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Morehead City, North Carolina
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ a b "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Morehead City town, North Carolina". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Stephens, Dean-Paul (January 1, 2020). "SpaceX vessel makes pit stop at Morehead City". Carteret County News-Times. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Rice, Tony (November 12, 2019). "See SpaceX hardware in the sky and a North Carolina port". Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ Cornwell, Gavin. "The recovery fleet is sheltering from Tropical Storm Arthur". Twitter. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ ims.unc.edu/
- ^ "Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST)". www.cmast.ncsu.edu. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ "Marine Lab Homepage - Nicholas School". www.nicholas.duke.edu. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/
- ^ "Big Rock - Blue Marlin Tournament". www.thebigrock.com. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ "U-352". Archived from the original on April 5, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ "NOAA 1981-2010 Climate Normals". University of Washington. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ "Morehead City". GlobalSecurity.org. April 26, 2005. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
- ^ Medlin, Eric (September 14, 2023). "Long a destination, Morehead City on road to change". Coastal Review. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- ^ "Silver Service / Palmetto". Amtrak. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
- ^ "Atlantic and East Carolina Railway". Official Guide of the Railways. 82 (8). National Railway Publication Company. January 1950.
- ^ "Atlantic and East Carolina Railway". Official Guide of the Railways. 87 (7). National Railway Publication Company. December 1954.
- ^ "Southern Railway, Table 8". Official Guide of the Railways. 82 (8). National Railway Publication Company. January 1950.
- ^ "NCDOT PURCHASES GOLDSBORO'S UNION PASSENGER STATION" (Press release). North Carolina Department of Transportation, Rail Division. August 17, 2007. Archived from the original on August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
- ^ "Carolina Coast Online". Carolina Coast Online. Retrieved April 2, 2018.