Currituck County was established around 1668. It was one of the five original ports for North Carolina and one of the original counties. The Currituck County Courthouse and Jail are two of the oldest buildings in North Carolina. The original Courthouse was constructed in 1723. This building was replaced in 1842. It has since been renovated and currently houses the County's government offices. In 1776, the Colonial Legislature granted permission to build a jail in Currituck County. The Currituck County Jail is one of the five oldest jails in North Carolina.

The word "Currituck" in the Algonquian Indian language means "The Land of the Wild Goose." The abundant waters, marshes, and woods still available in the County enable Currituck to enjoy a national and international reputation as a "Sportsman's Paradise." Hunting and fishing guides still operate in Currituck as they have for centuries.

One of the oldest hunt clubs in the County is the Currituck Shooting Club, organized in the 1850's. Another outstanding Currituck hunt club was the Whalehead Club. It was built in the 1920's by the wealthy industrialist Edward C. Knight at a cost $400,000 to construct.

The Whalehead Club has been called the "Crown Jewel of the Outer Banks." In October 1992 this "Crown Jewel" and 28.5 acres of land were purchased by Currituck County in order that the structure might be adaptively restored to house the Currituck Wildlife Museum. This Museum will house a northeastern North Carolina collection of antique decoys. The Whalehead Club is open to the public during the Summer season.

Next to the Whalehead Club stands two additional restored structures, the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the Lighthouse Keeper's House. The red brick lighthouse located in Corolla is made up of over 1 million bricks and has 214 steps to the top. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was the last lighthouse to be built on the North Carolina coast. The lighthouse is the original structure and towers 163 feet in the air. It was first lit on December 1, 1865. Tours of the lighthouse are held daily during the Summer season.

The Albemarle Chesapeake Waterway opened in 1859. It is now the Intracoastal Waterway. This waterway separates the southern mainland from the northern mainland in Currituck County. This waterway is a vital and busy water passage from Maine to Florida for both pleasure and commercial vessels. Currituck has several marinas, restaurants, and boat facilities along its portion of the Intracoastal Waterway.

The County has Highways 168 and 158 running through it as its major transportation arteries. Along these highways are more than 50 beautiful parcels of land which are zoned for commercial use. These parcels are visible to traffic ranging from 10,400 annual average to 60,000 travelers in one week during peak tourism season.

Currituck has three industrial parks available for new and expanding businesses. The Moyock Industrial Park is privately owned and is zoned for Heavy Manufacturing. It has major road, rail, and County water access. The Harbinger Industrial Park is located in the Southern portion of the County. It has many lots remaining and is zoned for Light Manufacturing. The Harbinger Industrial Park is conveniently located near to the Wright Memorial Bridge and the Dare County beaches. Finally, Currituck County operates an industrial park located at the County Airport site as part of its Maple Complex.