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Roanoke Colony

Ghost town · Dare County, North Carolina

Manteo quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1953, 1:24,000)
Manteo quadrangle, USGS topographic map (1953, 1:24,000) · U.S. Geological Survey, Historical Topographic Map Collection · Public domain

Roanoke Colony is a ghost town in Dare County, North Carolina, recorded as former colony in present-day Dare County, North Carolina, US (1585–1590). It is one of 3 former communities in Dare County on the federal names register. That ranks the county 24th among the 48 North Carolina counties with a vanished settlement on record.

Roanoke Colony was established in 1584, in the colonial and early republic era.

The U.S. Geological Survey lists Roanoke Colony as a historical populated place: the name is no longer in official use for a community, whether the settlement was abandoned, absorbed into a neighbouring town or renamed. The recorded location is 35.9369° N, 75.7089° W.

Key facts

Founded1584
Elevation15 ft
Nearest living townManteo, NC
Distance to it4.2 miles
Coordinates35.93694, -75.70889

Open the location on a map

What's there now

Roanoke Colony is no longer a community in its own right. The nearest living town is Manteo, NC (population 1,853), about 4.2 miles away in a straight line, and the site sits at roughly 15 feet above sea level. Much of the land around former townsites is private; check access before you visit.

Images

The First Colony Foundation conducts an archaeological dig in autumn 2009 at Fort Raleigh National Historical Site, to find artifacts related to the English col
The First Colony Foundation conducts an archaeological dig in autumn 2009 at Fort Raleigh National Historical Site, to find artifacts related to the English col · National Park Service / Wikimedia Commons · public-domain

Nearby places

Questions

Where is Roanoke Colony?

Roanoke Colony is in Dare County, North Carolina, at 35.9369, -75.7089.

How many ghost towns are in Dare County?

Dare County, North Carolina has 3 ghost towns on record at Wayfarrow.

Sources and licences

Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.