Wanchese, North Carolina

Wanchese, North Carolina
Entrance to Wanchese Harbor
Entrance to Wanchese Harbor
Location in Dare County and the state of North Carolina.
Location in Dare County and the state of North Carolina.
Wanchese is located in North Carolina
Wanchese
Wanchese
Wanchese is located in the United States
Wanchese
Wanchese
Coordinates: 35°50′42″N 75°38′22″W / 35.84500°N 75.63944°W / 35.84500; -75.63944
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyDare
Named forWanchese[1]
Area
 • Total4.71 sq mi (12.20 km2)
 • Land4.67 sq mi (12.08 km2)
 • Water0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2)
Elevation
7 ft (2 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,522
 • Density326.26/sq mi (125.97/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
27981
Area code252
FIPS code37-70920[3]
GNIS feature ID0996765[4]

Wanchese (/ˈwɒnz/) is a census-designated place (CDP) on Roanoke Island in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. It was named after Wanchese, the last known ruler of the Roanoke Native American tribe encountered by English colonists in the sixteenth century. The population was 1,642 at the 2010 census. Today, Wanchese is the center of commercial fishing and boatbuilding on the Outer Banks.

The residents of Wanchese are governed by the Dare County Board of Commissioners. Wanchese is part of District 1, along with Manteo, Roanoke Island and Manns Harbor.

  1. ^ "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.