Discover the Currituck Mainland - Currituck Mainland

Unspoiled Beauty & Rich Heritage

authentic experiences away from the ordinary

The Currituck Mainland, contrasts the Currituck Outer Banks with its rural charm and natural splendor. It's a nature lover's paradise, featuring the Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge on Knotts Island,and Northwest River camping platforms. The Mainland is enriched by historical sites such as the Currituck Historic Courthouse and Jail and the Historic Jarvisburg Colored School.

While offering serene water activities like kayaking and fishing, the Currituck Mainland also delights with its local Southern and seafood cuisine, agri-tourism, and golfing experiences. The region's unique shopping, especially in antiques and crafts, further adds to its appeal, making it a perfect destination for those seeking a quieter, more authentic experience away from the typical tourist spots.

The Northern Mainland serves as a primary gateway into North Carolina and Currituck County. With its proximity to Virginia’s greater Hampton Roads region, the northern mainland is an attractive place for young families and military retirees to relocate. Consequently, the Moyock area is experiencing significant residential and commercial growth. Moyock aspires to be a community that balances growth and development in a way that enhances a small town, main street feel at its core while sustaining a rural atmosphere along its perimeter.

The Shawboro and Sligo areas are predominantly rural and agricultural. National Register of Historic Places listings the Culong House, Shaw House, and Twin Houses are located in the Shawboro. Currituck, situated on the Currituck Sound, is the county seat where both the Historic Courthouse and Jail are located. The North Carolina Department of Transportation Currituck Ferry Terminal to Knotts Island is also located in Currituck.

Maple and Barco are centrally located in the mainland at the intersection of U.S. Highways 158 and 168. Due to this area’s central geographic location, accessibility to main transportation corridors, and the presence of the Currituck County Regional Airport, this area has the potential to emerge as a principal community center for the mainland. Currituck Community Park features six tournament quality sports fields for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, and softball, as well as miles of walking trails, a signature skate park, a unique high ropes/challenge course, and fully accessible playground.

Community Park is also home to the College of the Albemarle – Currituck Campus. Maple Commerce Park is located adjacent to the airport and community park and meets the standards of North Carolina's Certified Sites program and is "shovel ready" for immediate development.
The Coinjock community is situated along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway with several commercial uses accessible for boaters.

Lower Currituck is comprised of the area west of the Currituck Sound and south of the Intracoastal Waterway. This area includes the communities of Aydlett, Poplar Branch, Grandy, Jarvisburg, Powells Point, Harbinger, and Point Harbor. Agricultural fields dominate segments of Lower Currituck’s landscape along with pockets of neighborhood-scale commercial uses. This region of the mainland has experienced growth for support services for the Outer Banks’ beaches, along with visitor attractions such as the local vineyard, NC’s oldest microbrewery, sound accesses, farm markets, golf courses, and an outdoor waterpark.

The proposed seven-mile Mid-Currituck Bridge mainland terminus is located in Aydlett. The existing commercial area in Grandy presents a significant opportunity for establishing a mixed-use village with higher residential density and multi-story buildings constructed to architectural design standards to enhance village aesthetics.

Gibbs Woods and Knotts Island are rural communities dominated by the presence of conservation lands and are geographically isolated from the Currituck Mainland. Gibbs Woods is defined by the Northwest River and Northwest River Marsh Game Land. The community of Knotts Island is adjacent to the 9,000+ acre Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge directly south of the Virginia border. Both communities are sparsely developed with single family homes.

How do I get to Gibbs Woods? Knotts Island?

Gibbs Woods is accessed by driving north through Virginia. Knotts Island is accessed by driving north through Viriginia or by a 45-minute ferry ride from the dock near the Historic Currituck Courthouse across the Currituck Sound. The ferry schedule is available on the NC Department of Transportation website: https://www.ncdot.gov/divisions/ferry/