Beaufort, North Carolina

Beaufort (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell, different from that of Beaufort, South Carolina)<ref name="pronounce">Template:Cite web</ref> is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Established in 1713 and incorporated in 1723, Beaufort is the fourth oldest town in North Carolina (after Bath, New Bern and Edenton).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population was 4,464 at the 2020 census.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref>

Beaufort is located in North Carolina's "Inner Banks" region. The town is home to the North Carolina Maritime Museum, the Duke University Marine Laboratory (Nicholas School of the Environment), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research. It is also the location of the Rachel Carson Reserve, part of the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve system.<ref>Rachel Carson Template:Webarchive from North Carolina Coastal Reserve</ref> It is sometimes confused with a city of the same name in South Carolina; the two are distinguished by different pronunciations.<ref name="pronounce"/>

History

The Beaufort Historic District, Carteret County Home, Gibbs House, Jacob Henry House, and Old Burying Ground are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="nris">Template:NRISref</ref> In June 1718 Blackbeard the pirate ran his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge and his sloop Adventure, aground near present-day Beaufort Inlet, NC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Queen Anne's Revenge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 with the reference number 04000148. Thirty two years later, in August 1750, at least three Spanish merchantmen ran aground in North Carolina during a hurricane. One of the three, the El Salvador, sank near Cape Lookout.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

Beaufort is located south of the center of Carteret County. It is located on Beaufort Inlet, a channel leading south to the Atlantic Ocean. To the west is the tidal Newport River, separating the town from Morehead City. To the east is the unincorporated neighborhood of Lenoxville, extending to the North River, another tidal river.

U.S. Route 70 passes through Beaufort, leading west across the Newport River to Morehead City and northeast Template:Convert to its end in the town of Atlantic.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Beaufort has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 17.75%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/>

Climate

Beaufort has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), which is characterized by long, hot summers, and short, cool winters.

Demographics

File:Carteret County Courthouse.jpg

Carteret County Courthouse in Beaufort

2020 census

Beaufort racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	3,608	80.82%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	499	11.18%
Native American	7	0.16%
Asian	44	0.99%
Pacific Islander	4	0.09%
Other/Mixed	181	4.05%
Hispanic or Latino	121	2.71%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,464 people, 2,156 households, and 1,071 families residing in the town.

2008

As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2008,Template:Update after there were 4,189 people, 1,780 households, and 1,048 families residing in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,187 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 75.87% White, 19.99% African American, 0.37% Asian, 0.11% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.39% from other races, and 1.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.77% of the population.

There were 1,780 households, out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.65.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,763, and the median income for a family was $39,429. Males had a median income of $30,859 versus $22,955 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,356. About 13.3% of families and 16.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.0% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Beaufort uses a council-manager form of government. The community elects a mayor and five council members. Mayors serve two-year terms, and council members serve staggered four-year terms.

Education

K-12 education

Carteret County Public Schools is the county school district.

Zoned schools include:

• Beaufort Elementary School<ref>Welcome To Beaufort Elementary School! Home of the Seadogs! Template:Webarchive</ref> - There is also a former Beaufort Elementary Campus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Beaufort Middle School<ref>Beaufort Middle School Template:Webarchive</ref>
• Beaufort students attend East Carteret High School,<ref>Template:Cite web - Explains that the Beaufort Elementary and Middle Schools have the same zone, and that East Carteret High includes students in the Beaufort Middle zone.</ref> - located north of town<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Charter schools include:

• Tiller School<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Middle school

High school

Higher education

• Nicholas School of the Environment Marine Lab<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Transportation

Highways

• US 70
• NC 101

Airport

• Michael J. Smith Field

Culture

File:Horses by Museum.JPG

A horse-drawn carriage in front of the North Carolina Maritime Museum

Beaufort hosts several annual events, including:

• Beaufort Music Festival
• North Carolina Maritime Museum Wooden Boat Show
• BARTA Fishing Tournament
• Beaufort Pirate Invasion
• Beaufort Wine and Food Festival

Beaufort is also home to the Carteret County main public library.<ref>Cartert County Library Template:Webarchive</ref>

Honors and designations

• On February 1, 2012, Beaufort was ranked as "America's Coolest Small Town" by readers of Budget Travel Magazine.<ref name="coolest">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Beaufort NC was named a 2015 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Sister cities

According to Beaufort Sister Cities, Inc., the city of Beaufort has 19 sister cities:<ref>Template:Cite web </ref> Template:Div col

• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Victoria, Australia
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Haute-Garonne, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Hérault, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Isère, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Jura, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Nord, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort-Blavincourt, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort-en-Argonne, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort-en-Santerre, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort-en-Vallée, France   
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort-sur-Doron, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort-sur-Gervanne, France
• Template:Flagdeco Chapdes-Beaufort, France
• Template:Flagdeco Montmorency-Beaufort, France
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, County Kerry, Ireland
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Luxembourg
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Sabah, Malaysia
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort West, Western Cape, South Africa
• Template:Flagdeco Beaufort, Wales, United Kingdom

See also

• Beaufort Historic Site
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Carteret County, North Carolina

External links

• Template:Wikivoyage-inline
• Template:Official website
• Beaufort, NC info on InsiderInfo.Us
• NOAA Beaufort Laboratory