Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City is a town of 9,806 people in Carteret County, North Carolina, founded in 1855.
Why visit Morehead City
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 20 parks and trails, 50 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Atlantic Station Cinema, Morehead City Municipal Building, Beaufort Historic District and Morehead City Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Morehead City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Morehead City
Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007. It forms part of the Crystal Coast.
From the Wikipedia article Morehead City, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks10
Morehead City Municipal Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Rathaus in Morehead City, United States of America
Beaufort Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Jacob Henry House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
Building in Beaufort, North Carolina, United States
Morehead City Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
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Old Burying Ground
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Cemetery in Beaufort, North Carolina, USA
Carteret County Historical Society
Museum · 1.2 mi
1008 Arendell Street, Morehead City
Tu-Fr 10:00-16:00
Morehead City Waterfront
Monument and historic site · 1.5 mi
714-798 Shepard Street, Morehead City
Parks, trails and playgrounds20
Portside Marina
Marina and boat launch · 1.9 mi
209 Arendell Street, Morehead City
8 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes50
Mug Shot Caffeine and Cocktails
Cafe · Coffee Shop
2302 Arendell Street
Mo-Fr 07:30-22:00; Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 08:00-14:00
Sanitary Fish Market and Restaurant
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.7 mi
501 Evans Street, Morehead City
Mo-Su 11:30-20:00+
Thai Sticky Rice
Restaurant · Thai · 2.3 mi
4426 Arendell Street, Morehead City
Tu-Fr 11:00-14:30,17:00-21:00; Sa 12:00-21:00
The Shark Shack
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.9 mi
100 South Durham Avenue
Tu-We 11:00-15:00; Th-Sa 16:00-20:00
Amos Mosquito's
Restaurant · 2.0 mi
703 East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach
Mo-We 16:45-21:30; Th-Sa 16:45-21:45
Nacho Brewery
Bar and pub
2900 Arendell Street
Mo-Th 14:00-21:00; Fr 14:00-22:00; Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Filipina Cuisine
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.9 mi
4119 Hwy 70 W, Morehead City
Tu-Sa 11:00-20:00
Jack's Waterfront Bar
Bar and pub · 1.6 mi
513 Evans Street, Morehead City
Th 16:00-22:00, Fr 16:00-02:00, Sa 14:00-02:00, Su 12:00-21:00
Nacho's Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.0 mi
1010 West Fort Macon Road
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:30
38 more on the map.
History
By the early 1850s, a group of investors had been formed and incorporated a land development project known as the "Shepard Point Land Company," which purchased 600 acres (2.4 km2) of land on the eastern tip of the peninsula bordering the Newport River, known then as "Shepards Point," which is the present location of Morehead City. The Shepard Point Land Company's objective was to take advantage of the natural deep channel of Topsail Inlet, known today as Beaufort Inlet, which splits Bogue Banks from Shackleford Banks and provides access to Morehead City, Beaufort, North Carolina, the Newport River and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Shepard Point Land Company was established to construct a deepwater port to allow another access point for North Carolina timber products to relieve pressure at the port located in Wilmington. To make the port accessible to the interior of North Carolina, the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad line between Goldsboro and New Bern was completed on April 29, 1858.
North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead, for whom the city of Morehead City is named, was a principal member of the Shepard Point Land Company investment group. Fully operational rail service began in July 1858 connecting the town to points west, north, and south.
From the History section of Morehead City, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Bask Hotel Big Rock Landing, Trademark Collection by Wyndham
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
814 Shepard Street, Morehead City
Hollowell's Motel
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
108 East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach
Oceanana Family Motel
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
700 E Fort Macon Rd, Atlantic Beach
Sea Shore Motel
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
120 East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach
Churches and places of worship5
Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.5 mi
2005 Arendell Street, Morehead City
Shopping10
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Marine Sci. And Tech. Early College Hs
School · 1.2 mi
3505 Arendell St, Morehead City
Healthcare2
Map of Morehead City
125 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 36°F | 4.5 in | 0.3 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 38°F | 3.9 in | 0.2 in |
| Mar | 62°F | 44°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 52°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 77°F | 62°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 70°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 74°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 72°F | 7.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 68°F | 8.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 56°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 46°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 40°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Morehead City 2 Wnw Hcn (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Carteret County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-10-19: Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-06: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-10-14: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Marine Corps Outlying Field (MCOF) Atlantic (12NC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 25 miles away.
- Atlantic Beach 2 mi south, about 3 min by car
- Beaufort 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Brandywine Bay 5 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Newport 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Broad Creek 10 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Havelock 16 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Emerald Isle 17 mi west, about 28 min by car
- Cape Carteret 19 mi west, about 30 min by car
- Cedar Point 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Swansboro 23 mi west, about 37 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Morehead City, Bz3rk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Morehead City - panoramio (cropped), James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Morehead City - panoramio, James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greetings from Morehead City, North Carolina - Large Letter Postcard (8474853715), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Shepard St. Morehead City (34250882721), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Morehead City Historic District (Carteret County, North Carolina) 1, Carl Griffith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shepard St. Morehead City, NC (34381724335), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Shepard St. Morehead City (34381724765), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Shepard St Morehead City (34250881421), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Shepard St, Morehead City (34381725475), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Morehead City (34250880271), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Morehead City Municipal Building, Carl Griffith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Burying Ground Beaufort, North Carolina, Carl Griffith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jacob Henry House, Carl Griffith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historical Beaufort NC, Carl Griffith, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Channel Marker Restaurant Atlantic Beach (34381726525), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Channel Marker Restaurant (34250883781), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Channel Marker Restaurant (34381741045), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 9th and Bay St (34250886071), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 9th and Bay St (34340495656), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Martha's Mission Cupboard (34381742345), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 9th and Bay St, Martha's Mission Cupboard on left (34250880621), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Martha's Mission Cupboard (34250881111), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Martha's Mission Cupboard (34381741815), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 9th and Bay St, Martha's Mission Cupboard (34381729075), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 9th and Bay St, Martha's Mission Cupboard on right (34340495076), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Matha's Mission Cupboard (34340495266), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- IPixie, Growinnc from Beaufort, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Series of rooms, Fort Macon IMG 4384, DaisyJane1, CC0
- Amphibalanus amphitrite 64966310, Austin Pursley, CC0
- Amphibalanus amphitrite 64966301, Austin Pursley, CC0
- El Zarape Atlantic Beach (34340494156), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- El Zarape Atlantic Beach (34250884031), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fisherman's Inn Atlantic Beach (34250887831), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fisherman's Inn Atlantic Beach (34381733525), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Fisherman's Inn Atlantic Beach (34340496396), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Anchorage Marina Atlantic Beach (34250889351), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Anchorage Marina Atlantic Beach (34340499976), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Anchorage Marina (34381735255), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Anchorage Marina Atlantic Beach (34381735685), King Tides, CC BY-SA 2.0
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