Blog · October 13, 2026 · North Carolina
Carteret County, North Carolina: GIS Map Guide
A practical guide to the Carteret County GIS map: the official link, towns and land across the county, property lines, and where deeds are recorded.
Main page: Carteret County, NC GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Carteret County facts and neighboring maps).
Platbookmapper is an Amazon Associate. If you buy through an Amazon link on this page, we earn a commission. The link is a product, not the county map.
This page covers the Carteret County GIS map: the official link, what each part of the parcel record tells you, and which North Carolina land records to pull when the map isn't enough.
We'll start with the official link, then cover Bogue and the other towns, land types, property lines and records.
Finding a parcel in Carteret County
Go straight to the Carteret County parcel viewer, the county's own public parcel viewer. Zoom until the lot lines show up around Cedar Point, then click; the pop-up gives the parcel ID, owner and acreage. If the official link ever moves, the Carteret County page on Platbookmapper keeps the current version.
Towns, terrain and land across Carteret County
On the map, Beaufort anchors the county as its seat, with Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Bogue, and Cape Carteret spread around it. You'll also find unincorporated communities, among them Atlantic, Brandywine Bay, and Broad Creek. Carteret County was created in 1722 and takes its name from Sir George Carteret. Carteret County covers about 508 square miles of land; its 2023 population estimate from the Census Bureau was 69,615. Neighborhood lots cluster near Bogue, while the countryside toward Davis still holds larger parcels. Along the Back Sound Outstanding Resource Water and Bogue Sound Outstanding Resource Water, expect long, irregular tracts whose lines follow the water rather than a road. Cape Lookout National Seashore, Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Croatan National Forest are a big draw, and the private tracts that border public land are often the first ones hunters and cabin buyers ask about.
Who uses the Carteret County parcel map
- Someone house hunting in Atlantic Beach can check whether a yard really is as big as the listing implies, and who owns the open lot behind it.
- Contractors quoting work near Davis check frontage and lot depth on the map before they drive out.
- If you hunt the country around Davis, the owner layer tells you who to ask and where the next property begins.
Acreage and vacant lot search
Try this the next time you're looking for land near Cape Carteret:
- Turn on the photo basemap and work outward from Cedar Point one road at a time, flagging parcels with no buildings.
- A tax bill mailed far from Davis usually means an absentee owner, so note the mailing address on each record.
- Compare the record's land value against similar parcels on the same road out of Cedar Point.
- Confirm legal access. In Carteret County, as anywhere, a parcel with no road frontage depends on an easement.
- Rural lots near Davis may need a septic permit and a well, so ask before you commit.
To double-check acreage on a parcel near Davis, see how to find the acreage of a property.
Reading property lines on the Carteret County GIS map
Parcel boundaries on the Carteret County viewer are drawn to keep tax accounts straight, so small offsets from the true line are expected. In Carteret County, a rural deed may describe a line running to a creek, a stone or a neighbor's corner, which is why the map lines wander. A survey is the only document that settles where a Carteret County boundary actually runs.
Behind the map: land records in Carteret County
For land near Beaufort, the Register of Deeds holds the recorded documents, and the parcel map reflects them once they're processed for taxes. For a lot near Morehead City, the recorded plat and deed are with the Carteret County Register of Deeds. Rural tracts near Davis may go back through several deeds; the instrument number on the record is the first link in that chain.
Work and land use in Carteret County
Of the 2,187 establishments the Census Bureau counted in Carteret County for 2022, the biggest groups were retail trade, construction, and accommodation and food services. What stands out is scenic and sightseeing transportation, water transportation, and transportation equipment manufacturing: those sectors make up a much larger slice of local businesses than they do nationally. A buyer looking for a cabin lot near Beaufort may find recreation buyers in the mix too.
Nearby parcel maps
A farm that runs from Carteret County into Hyde County will have separate parcel records on each side; the other neighbors are Craven County, Jones County, Onslow County, and Pamlico County. The North Carolina county list links every neighboring map from Carteret County.
Carteret County parcel map FAQ
Who records deeds in Carteret County, North Carolina?
The Register of Deeds records deeds, mortgages and plats for Carteret County.
What's the best way to locate a boundary in Carteret County?
Map first, then the recorded plat or deed, then a survey: that order works for any boundary question in Carteret County.
What is the county seat of Carteret County?
Beaufort is the county seat.
Is the Carteret County, NC parcel map free to use?
Free. The Carteret County map is a public record tool, and no sign-up is needed.
Can I find the owner of a vacant lot in Carteret County?
Search by address if the lot near Atlantic Beach has one; otherwise click the tract on the map to see the owner of record.
Open the official Carteret County, NC parcel map Carteret County in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.