Hyde County Located on the coast of northeastern South Carolina , Hyde County is situated south of Dare County and Route 64 , approximately 140 miles east of Seymour Johnson AFB and about 20 miles southwest of DCR . Hyde County covers approximately 1,424 square miles ; of this area 57 percent or 811 square miles is water . The County is the second largest county in North Carolina by area . Bordering Hyde County is Tyrrell County to the north , Dare County to the northeast , Carteret County to the southwest , Beaufort County to the west , Washington County to the northwest , and Atlantic Ocean to the south .
Surrounded by various bodies of water , swamps , and national wildlife refuges , the area consists of mostly farmlands and open space . The county also attracts tourists to the area , especially Ocracoke , which features a lighthouse and Fort Ocracoke .
Hyde County Government Center
Hyde County was created in 1705 and went through various boundary changes throughout its history . As of the 2010 Census , the population was 5,810 , making it the second‐least populous county in North Carolina . The unincorporated community of Swan Quarter serves as its county seat . Hyde County has no incorporated municipalities , but contains four censusdesignated places , Engelhard , Fairfield , Ocracoke , and Swan Quarter , and four unincorporated communities , Germantown , Last Chance , Nebraska , and Scranton .
Source : http :// www . northcarolinahistory . org / encyclopedia / 555 / entry
Background Report