County outline
Where Onslow County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 84.2% of Onslow County’s measured area and water for 15.8%. Its combined area converts to 2,344.4 square kilometers or approximately 579,324 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 762.118 | 1,973.877 | 487,755.5 |
| Water | 143.076 | 370.565 | 91,568.6 |
| Total | 905.194 | 2,344.442 | 579,324.2 |
How Onslow County compares
By original Census land area, Onslow County ranks #12 of 100 in North Carolina and #1145 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.656 times the North Carolina county-equivalent median of 460.3 square miles. It accounts for 1.6% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete North Carolina ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
What stands out about Onslow County?
Onslow County has more land than 2,077 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Onslow County at #951 nationally by total area, 194 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 15.8%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 14.6 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Onslow County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1144 | Iowa County, Wisconsin | 762.7 | Compare |
| #1145 | Onslow County, North Carolina | 762.1 | This county |
| #1146 | Allen Parish, Louisiana | 762.1 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 34.761525, -77.496315. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,973,875,657 m²; AWATER: 370,564,647 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How many acres of land are in Onslow County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 487,756 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 579,324 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.