Maps of North Carolina are a great resource to help learn about a place at a particular point in time. Old North Carolina maps are effective sources of geographical information and useful for historical, genealogical and territorial research.

Our collection of North Carolina maps includes many different historic and modern types of maps. The maps date from the 17th century to the present and include:

State Map of New Carolina County Boundaries and County Seats
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State Map of New Carolina County Boundaries and County Seats
  • North Carolina Township maps, including maps showing the progress of the original government surveys
  • North Carolina Road, Highway and railroad maps
  • North Carolina Maps showing the state’s geological features
  • North Carolina Nautical charts
  • North Carolina timeline of county boundaries changes
  • North Carolina Military maps
  • North Carolina Maps of specific towns, counties, islands, harbors, and bodies of water
  • Colonial era maps of North Carolina
  • Bird’s eye views of North Carolina cities and towns

Historical Maps of North Carolina are a great resource to help learn about a place at a particular point in time. North Carolina Maps are vital historical evidence but must be interpreted cautiously and carefully.

North Carolina Maps can be very useful in conducting research, especially in light of the now extinct communities. Also, because old North Carolina maps were usually commissioned by the county seat, they often display information about the county, including town names.

Old Historical Atlas Maps of North Carolina

This Historical North Carolina Map Collection are from original copies. Most historical maps of North Carolina were published in atlases and spans over 350 years of growth for the state.

Some North Carolina maps years have cities, railroads, P.O. locations, township outlines, and other features useful to the North Carolina researcher.

Jeffery’s 1776 Map of North Carolina – Southern Section

  • Map Title: 1776 Map Of Map Of North And South Carolina With Their Indian Frontiers – Southern Section
  • Map Date: 1776
  • Map Locations: South Carolina and North Carolina
  • Map Description:
  • Map Notes:
  • Map Publication: The American Atlas: Or, A Geographical Description Of The Whole Continent Of America
  • Map Type: World Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Samuel Holland and Thomas Jefferys

Jeffery’s 1776 Map of 1776 Map of North Carolina With Their Indian Frontiers – Northern Section

  • Map Title: Map of North and South Carolina With Their Indian Frontiers – Northern Section
  • Map Date: 1776
  • Map Locations: South Carolina and North Carolina
  • Map Description:
  • Map Notes:
  • Map Publication: The American Atlas: Or, A Geographical Description Of The Whole Continent Of America
  • Map Type: World Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Samuel Holland and Thomas Jefferys

Carey’s 1795 Map of North Carolina

  • Map Title: The State Map of North Carolina Compiled from the best Authorities
  • Map Date: 1795
  • Map Locations: North Carolina
  • Map Description:  
  • Map Publication: Carey’s American Atlas: Containing Twenty Maps And One Chart
  • Map Notes: Uncolored
  • Map Type: National Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Mathew Carey (1760– 1839)

Carey’s 1804 Atlas Map of  North Carolina

  • Map Title: The State Map of North Carolina Compiled from the best Authorities
  • Map Date: 1795
  • Map Description:  
  • Map Locations: North Carolina
  • Map Publication: Carey’s American Atlas: Containing Twenty Maps And One Chart
  • Map Contributor: Mathew Carey

Carey’s 1814 State Map of North Carolina

  • Map Title: The State Map of North Carolina
  • Map Date: 1814
  • Map Locations: North Carolina
  • Map Description:
  • Map Publication: Carey’s General Atlas, Improved And Enlarged; Being A Collection Of Maps Of The World And Quarters, Their Principal Empires, Kingdoms, &c
  • Map Notes:
  • Map Type: World Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Henry Charles Carey and Isaac Lea

Carey’s 1822 Atlas Map Of North Carolina

  • Map Title: Geographical, Historical and Statistical Map of North Carolina
  • Map Date: 1822
  • Map Locations: North Carolina
  • Map Description:
  • Map Publication: A Complete Historical, Chronological, And Geographical American Atlas, Being A Guide To The History Of North And South America, And The West Indies … To The Year 1822.
  • Map Notes:
  • Map Type: National Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Henry Charles Carey & Isaac Lea

Finley’s 1827 Map of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina

  • Map Title: Map of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina
  • Map Date: 1827
  • Map Locations: Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina
  • Map Description:
  • Map Publication: A New General Atlas, Comprising a Complete Set of Maps, representing the Grand Divisions of the Globe, Together with the several Empires, Kingdoms and States in the World; Compiled from the Best Authorities, and corrected by the Most Recent Discoveries, Philadelphia, 1827.
  • Map Notes: Relief shown by hachures. Prime meridian Washington. Statistical table for state.
  • Map Type: National Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Anthony Finley (1784 – 1836)

Tanner’s 1836 Antique Map of North Carolina

  • Map Title:
  • Map Date: 1836 (Entered 1833)
  • Map Locations: North Carolina
  • Map Description:
  • Map Publication: A New Universal Atlas Containing Maps of the various Empires, Kingdoms, States and Republics Of The World.
  • Map Notes: In full color by county
  • Map Type: World Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Henry Schenck Tanner (1786–1858)

Morse’s 1845 Map of North Carolina

  • Map Title:  Map of North Carolina.
  • Map Date: 1842 (Entered 1842)
  • Map Locations: North Carolina
  • Map Description:
  • Map Publication: Morse’s North American atlas. Containing the following beautifully colored maps
  • Map Notes:
  • Map Type: National Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Sidney Edwards Morse (1794-1871 ) and Samuel Breese (1802-1873)

Colton’s 1856 Map of North Carolina with Beaufort Harbor

  • Map Title:  11856 Map of North Carolina with Beaufort Harbor
  • Map Date: 1856 (Entered 1855)
  • Map Locations: North Carolina with Cities of Beaufort Harbor
  • Map Description:
  • Map Notes: In full color by county.
  • Map Publication: Colton’s Atlas Of The World, Illustrating Physical And Political Geography.
  • Map Type: World Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Joseph Hutchins Colton (1800-1893)

Mitchell’s 1880 State and County Map of North and South Carolina with Plan of Charleston

  • Map Title:  1880 State and County Map of North and South Carolina with Plan of Charleston
  • Map Date: 1880 (Entered 1879)
  • Map Locations: North Carolina, South Carolina and Charleston
  • Map Description:
  • Map Publication: Mitchell’s New General Atlas
  • Map Notes:
  • Map Type: World Atlas
  • Map Cartographer: Samuel Augustus Mitchell Jr. (1827-1901)

Map of North Carolina County Formations 1664-1965

This Interactive Map of North Carolina Counties show the historical boundaries, names, organization, and attachments of every county, extinct county and unsuccessful county proposal from the creation of the North Carolina territory in 1664 to 1965.

North Carolina County Maps of Road and Highway’s

The North Carolina D.O.T. Highway Department has prepared a series of 2016 county road maps. These maps contain more detailed information about man-made features than the geological survey maps.

In addition to roads and boundaries, these maps include rural communities, churches, and cemeteries. These North Carolina maps are Free to downloade are in PDF format.

Historical County Road Maps

The following links provide access to select sets of historical county maintenance maps that NCDOT’s Mapping Section stores in its archives

Historical State Highway Maps

Links to some of the State Transportation Maps from over the years (available in PDF format) are below.

External North Carolina Map Resources

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