Morehead City, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Morehead City skyline | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Morehead City, North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:34°43′49″N76°44′21″W / 34.73028°N 76.73917°W /34.73028; -76.73917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Carteret |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gerald A. Jones, Jr. |
| • City Manager | Ryan Eggleston |
| • City Council | David A. Horton George W. Ballou William F. Taylor Diane C. Warrender Keri V. McCann |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.58 sq mi (27.39 km2) |
| • Land | 7.41 sq mi (19.18 km2) |
| • Water | 3.17 sq mi (8.21 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3.0 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,556 |
| • Density | 1,290.2/sq mi (498.13/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 28557 |
| Area code | 252 |
| FIPS code | 37-44320[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2406191[2] |
| Website | moreheadcitync |
Morehead City is a port city inCarteret County,North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the2010 census.[4] Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007. It forms part of theCrystal Coast.
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 thepeninsula bordering theNewport 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 deepchannel of Topsail Inlet, known today asBeaufort Inlet, which splitsBogue Banks fromShackleford Banks and provides access to Morehead City,Beaufort, North Carolina, theNewport River and theIntracoastal Waterway. The Shepard Point Land Company was established to construct a deepwaterport to allow another access point for North Carolina timber products to relieve pressure at the port located inWilmington. To make the port accessible to the interior of North Carolina, the Atlantic andNorth Carolina Railroad line betweenGoldsboro andNew Bern was completed on April 29, 1858.
North Carolina GovernorJohn Motley Morehead, for whom the city of Morehead City is named, was a principal member of the Shepard Point Land Company investment group. Fully operationalrail service began in July 1858 connecting the town to points west, north, and south.
The city of Morehead City was laid out using agrid 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 theNorth Carolina Senate in 1860, at which time the total number of households consisted of only 300 individual families.
The city continued to prosper until theCivil War, when in 1862 it was occupied byFederal 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 ofBogue 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 ofShackleford Banks moved on to the mainland (often transporting their houses by boat from theouter banks), settling in the areas between 10th and 15th streets and calling it the Promised Land. These fishermen became the nucleus of thefishing industry that has remained an important part of the town's economy.
TheGreat Depression andWorld War II markedly altered the character of the town. The traditional downtown area had deteriorated and, as newer stores opened further west, the decay in the old center of town accelerated. Finally, in the 1980s, a renewal began when the town obtained aCommunity Development Block Grant to replace an aging infrastructure and improve the appearance of the waterfront area. Subsequent grants, private investment, and town monies have maintained the forward momentum, so that the town now has a newsea wall, underground utilities, brick paved walkways with planters along the waterfront, all in the downtown area, and tree-lined streets, renovated houses, new docks and new businesses.
TheMorehead City Historic District andMorehead City Municipal Building are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[5]
Morehead City's economy is based predominantly on a variety ofecotourism 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 ofNew Bern,Havelock andJacksonville, North Carolina.Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Morehead City in Havelock, andMarine 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 exportphosphate. The Port of Morehead City features a dry-bulk facility with a 225,000-ton capacity warehouse and extended open storage facilities.SpaceX fairing recovery vesselsMs. Tree and Ms. Chief utilize the port during launch and fairing recovery operations as a safe harbor in the event of inclement weather at sea or if there is an extended launch delay.[6][7][8]
Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City is the second largest employer in Carteret County, behind theCarteret County Public Schools.
Carteret Community College serves the undergraduate community with two-yearassociate degree programs focused primarily on trades and service sector occupations. There are several world-class postgraduate programs and research organizations in the area, including theUniversity of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences,[9]North Carolina State University's Center for Marine Sciences and Technology,[10] and theDuke University Marine Lab in nearby Beaufort.[11]
Morehead City also is home to the Research and Compliance Branch North Carolina Marine Fisheries Division, a governmental organization.[12]
Morehead City and the surrounding area is an excellent venue for fishermen of all varieties. There are many opportunities forrecreational fishing when in Morehead City because of its pristineestuaries and close proximity to theContinental Shelf andGulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a powerful, warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that originates at the tip ofFlorida and follows the coastline of the eastern United States toNewfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean, bringing large sport fish species such as theAtlantic blue marlin and otherbillfish close to the North Carolina coastline.
Established in 1957, theBig 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]
Morehead City and surrounding areas are a popularscuba 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 theGerman submarine U-352, discovered in part by the late Morehead resident George Purifoy.[14]
Morehead City is home to theMorehead City Marlins of theCoastal Plain League, acollegiate summer baseball league. The Marlins play atO'Neal Field at Big Rock Stadium in Morehead City, and began playing in the 2010 season.
Youth sports in Morehead City includeLittle League Baseball, soccer leagues, and basketball leagues.
Morehead City is located southwest of the center of Carteret County. It occupies apeninsula bordered to the south byBogue Sound and to the north and east by the tidalNewport River. Across the river to the east is the town ofBeaufort, while to the south across Bogue Sound isAtlantic Beach.
According to theUnited 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]
Morehead City has ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa) with long, hot summers and short, cool winters.
| Climate data forMorehead 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) |
| Averageprecipitation 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
| 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] | |||
| 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% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 741 | 7.75% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 9,556 people, 4,428 households, and 2,276 families residing in the town.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 7,691 people, 3,597 households, and 1,985 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,507.6 inhabitants per square mile (582.1/km2). There were 4,296 housing units at an average density of 842.1 per square mile (325.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 81.71%White, 13.98% Black (U.S. Census), 0.66%Native American, 0.77%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 1.13% fromother races, and 1.72% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.34% of the population.
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. Theper capita income for the town was $19,138. About 12.1% of families and 14.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
NC 24 (often used to transportU.S. Marines to and from Camp Lejeune)[18]
US 70Amtrak provides a Thruway Bus toWilson that connects with the dailyPalmetto train toNew York City andSavannah, Georgia, as well as the dailyCarolinian train toNew York City andCharlotte.[20]
Into the early 1950s, theAtlantic and East Carolina Railway ran a daily passenger train toGoldsboro' sUnion Station.[21][22] The connections at Goldsboro were timed to accommodate a localSouthern Railway overnight train (#111/#112, in final years, #11/#112) to parts in central and western North Carolina, comparable to the North Carolina section of theCarolina Special.[23]
TheNorth Carolina Department of Transportation as of 2007 was studying the resumption of intercity passenger train service from Raleigh through Goldsboro to Morehead City.[24]
TheCarteret County News-Times is the local newspaper, published three times a week, and is owned by Carteret Publishing Company.[25]
Morehead City is part of theGreenville–New Bern–Washingtondesignated market area, which was the 109th largest in 2007 (according toNielsen Media Research). Broadcast Television Stations serving the market include:
Municipalities and communities ofCarteret County, North Carolina,United States | ||
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