Editing Gates County, North Carolina (section)

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q509838|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Gates County}}
[[File:Gates Co.JPG|thumb|A welcome sign at the NC state line on [[U.S. Route 13 in North Carolina|US 13]]]]
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|345.75|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|340.61|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5.13|sqmi}} (1.48%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

===National protected area===
====Great Dismal Swamp====
{{main|Great Dismal Swamp}}
The counties of Gates, Perquimans, Camden and Currituck contain sixty percent of the Great Dismal swamp.<ref name= wester>{{cite web |last= Wester|first= Paulette Felton|title=The Great Dismal Swamp – Northeastern North Carolina |url=http://www.northeast-nc.com/dismalswamp/ |access-date=May 31, 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619110958/http://www.northeast-nc.com/dismalswamp/ |archive-date=June 19, 2009|website=Northeastern North Carolina|publisher= Northeastern North Carolina Internet Initiative}}</ref> In 1973, Union Camp donated the land which it owned in the swamp to [[the Nature Conservancy]]. The Conservancy next donated the land to the Department of The Interior, and the [[Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge]] was created. The refuge consists of {{convert|107000|acre|km2}} of swamp and [[wetlands]] surrounding [[Lake Drummond]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Great Dismal Swamp: A History|url=http://www.albemarle-nc.com/gates/greatdismal/|access-date=May 31, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626171512/http://www.albemarle-nc.com/gates/greatdismal/|archive-date=June 26, 2009}}</ref>

===State and local protected area===
* [[Chowan Swamp Game Land]] (part)<ref>{{Cite web |title=NCWRC Game Lands |url=https://www.ncpaws.org/ncwrcmaps/gamelands |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=www.ncpaws.org}}</ref>
* [[List of North Carolina state parks#State Natural Areas|Chowan Swamp State Natural Area]]
* [[Merchants Millpond State Park]]

In 1811, the Norfleet family built the first dam at the millpond. At that time, it consisted of around 750 to {{convert|1000|acre|km2}} of water. The mill ground corn. In 1856 the Millpond was sold and became known as Williams Millpond.

In 1910, Charles Lawrence purchased the Millpond. It became known as Merchants Millpond. In the 1960s A. B. Coleman purchased the Millpond. In 1973, A.B. Coleman donated {{convert|925|acre|km2}} of the land to North Carolina under the condition that it was to become a state park. Today Merchants Millpond occupies {{convert|3200|acre|km2}}.

===Major water body===
* [[Chowan River]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[City of Suffolk, Virginia]] – north
* [[Camden County, North Carolina|Camden County]] – northeast
* [[Pasquotank County, North Carolina|Pasquotank County]] – east
* [[Perquimans County, North Carolina|Perquimans County]] – south
* [[Chowan County, North Carolina|Chowan County]] – south
* [[Hertford County, North Carolina|Hertford County]] – west
* [[Southampton County, Virginia]] – northwest

===Major highways===
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|13}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|158}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US-Bus|158|dab1=Gatesville}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|32}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|37}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|137}}