What is the population of Oriental, North Carolina?

Oriental has a population of approximately 873 according to the latest available open data.

Where is Oriental, North Carolina located?

Oriental is located in North Carolina, United States, at approximate coordinates 35.0309°, -76.6808°.

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Oriental

North Carolinatown

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Oriental

Total population

873

Elevation3 m

Land area4.24 km²

Coordinates35.03°, -76.68°

Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

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City facts

Elevation

3 m

Area

4.24 km²

Official website

www.townoforiental.com

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Oriental is one of nine incorporated municipalities in Pamlico County, North Carolina, United States. Oriental is also known as "The Sailing Capital of North Carolina"

History & geography

History

The area was settled by Native Americans, who fished and farmed in the creeks and river long before Europeans arrived. Land records date grants from the King of England to colonial farmers, although the King didn't actually own the land, and several current residents of the area can trace their family's genealogy to these times. The area was the haunt of pirates in the early days of European dominance. The famous pirate Edward Teach, or Blackbeard made his home in Bath, to the north of Oriental. The Midgettes (also Midyettes) and other old families who still have descendants in the town came much later, in the late 19th century. The town of Oriental was named after the steamship Oriental. Built in Philadelphia in 1861, the ship was used as a Federal transport ship in the American Civil War. She met her fate a year after being launched, run aground in May 1862, when she was wrecked off Bodie Island, 33 miles north of Cape Hatteras. Her passengers and crew were saved. The United States Post Office Department established a post office in 1886 in what had been called Smith's Creek. Lou Midyette was named postmaster. Postmaster Midyette's wife, Rebecca, thought the village needed a better name. One story says that she had found the nameplate from the wrecked sailing steamer "Oriental" on the beaches of the Outer Banks and thought that name was more suitable. Another version of the story says she just saw the nameplate in a Manteo home. Either way the name "Oriental" made an impression on her. The village became known as Oriental a few years after the post office was established and was incorporated in 1899. From the early 20th century, Oriental's economy was supported by lumber, fishing and farming. Train service stopped in the 1950s. The last sawmill closed in the early…