Elizabeth Cty, North Carolina Statistic: Population, Charts, Map, Steets and More

The population of Elizabeth City, North Carolina is about 17,905. There are around half of the residents that are African American. Another quarter of the residents are white. The remainder is made up of people from all other racial groups. The median age is 31.3 years. The majority of residents speak only English. Five percent speak Spanish. Most residents were born in the United States.

Elizabeth City, North Carolina is situated along the coast in the Inner Banks region. It is a major economic and cultural center of the Albemarle Region. Its total land area is 31.7 square kilometers. The city lies at an elevation of 3.7 meters above sea level.

The city was established in 1794. Early in its history, it thrived due to its proximity to the Dismal Swamp Canal. Later, it shifted its focus to a more diverse industrial and commercial focus. However, it retains an extensive waterfront property. It is also home to one of the largest United States Coast Guard bases in the country.

Elizabeth City was once a major deep water port that rivaled the cities of Baltimore and Norfolk, Virginia. In the late 1820s, improvements in the Dismal Swamp Canal made the city an important commercial center. Meanwhile, the Elizabeth City and Norfolk Railroad - later renamed Norfolk Southern Railway - provided transportation by land and made the area more accessible to counties beyond. Despite its small size, Elizabeth City had rapid growth throughout the antebellum period.