Portsmouth Ghost Town
Carteret County, North Carolina35.0697, -76.0639
Can you visit?
Public land, open access
Cape Lookout National Seashore · Open to visitors
- Nearest town
- 32 miBuxton, NC
- Mild months
- Mar–Dec10 of 12
- Next ghost town
- 40 miDiamond City
Portsmouth is a ghost town in Carteret County, North Carolina. The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On the map
- National Park Service
Star: Portsmouth. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.
The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Buxton, NC, about 32 miles northeast in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Jacksonville, NC, 79 miles away.
Ghost towns nearby
- Diamond City40 mi southwest
- Cape Lookout Village Historic District42 mi southwest
- Buffalo City54 mi north
- Roanoke Colony63 mi north
Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.
Who owns the land
National Park Service: Cape Lookout National Seashore
PAD-US places this spot on Cape Lookout National Seashore, land managed by the National Park Service. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.
The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.
Weather by month
Mild months here run March to December, judging by NOAA normals from Ocracoke. Snow is normal in January.
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Ocracoke station (USC00316349), 5.1 miles away. About 58.3 inches of precipitation a year.
Facts
| Location | Carteret County, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35.06972, -76.06389 |
| Protected as | National Register of Historic Places (NRHP 78000267) |
| Also known as | Portsmouth, North Carolina, Portsmouth, NC |
| Sources | Wikidata Q7232418 · Wikipedia article · NPS register file |
Questions
Where is Portsmouth ghost town?
In Carteret County, North Carolina, at 35.0697, -76.0639. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Buxton, NC, about 32 miles northeast in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Jacksonville, NC, 79 miles away.
Can you visit Portsmouth?
Public land, open access. PAD-US places this spot on Cape Lookout National Seashore, land managed by the National Park Service. PAD-US marks it as open to the public. Park rules, fees and seasonal closures can still apply.
When is the best time to visit Portsmouth?
Mild months here run March to December, judging by NOAA normals from Ocracoke. Snow is normal in January.
Are there other ghost towns near Portsmouth?
Yes. Diamond City (40 mi).
