[2] Dare County is included in the Kill Devil Hills, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area.

[5] Founded in 1870 from parts of Tyrrell, Currituck and Hyde counties, it consists of a large segment of the Outer Banks of North Carolina,[6] along with Roanoke Island and a peninsula of land attached to the mainland.

[7] At one time, the now-abandoned town of Buffalo City was the largest community in the county.

Dare County includes the middle part of the Outer Banks and contains Roanoke Island.

25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

No Democratic presidential nominee has carried Dare County since Jimmy Carter did so in 1976.

Dare County is a part of the Albemarle Commission regional council of governments.

[22] Dare County Library has branches in Manteo, Kill Devil Hills, and Hatteras.