New Bern
Sign in to saveAlso known as New Bern, North Carolina, New Bern, NC, New Bern, N.C., New Bern, N. C., Newbern, Newbern, North Carolina
county seat of Craven County, North Carolina, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- North Carolina
- County
- Craven
- Founded
- October 1710 ( 1710-10 )
- Chartered
- November 23, 1723 ( 1723-11-23 )
- Founded by
- Baron of Bernberg
- Named after
- Bern , Switzerland
- Mayor
- Jeffrey T. Odham
- Total
- 29.95 sq mi (77.56 km )
- Land
- 28.46 sq mi (73.70 km )
- Water
- 1.49 sq mi (3.86 km )
- Elevation
- 13 ft (4.0 m)
- Density
- 1,099.6/sq mi (424.56/km )
- Time zone
- UTC-5 ( Eastern (EST) )
- Summer dst
- UTC-4 (EDT)
- Zip codes
- 28560, 28562
- Fips code
- 37-46340
- Website
- newbernnc .gov
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official name
- New Bern
- Population
- 31291
- Area
- 76.857991
- Elevation
- 3
- Official website
- www.newbernnc.gov
- Image
- New Bern Municipal Building (City Hall).jpg
- Households
- 13666
- Dialing code
- 252
Show 8 more facts
- postal code
- 28561
- Commons category
- New Bern, North Carolina
- inception
- 1710-10-00
- native label
- New Bern
- P8168
- Super Junior
- water as percent of area
- 4.8707
- per capita income
- 30483
- official map URL
- www.newbernnc.gov/departments/development_services/maps.php
Sources (15)
via Wikidata · CC0
~20 min read
Article
New Bern (pronounced /'nu bərn/ NEW-bern , is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 31,291 at the 2020 census. It is located at the confluence of the Neuse and the Trent Rivers, near the headwaters of Pamlico Sound on the North Carolina coast. It lies 112 miles (180 km) east of Raleigh, 89 miles (143 km) north of Wilmington, and 162 miles (261 km) south of Norfolk, Virginia.
New Bern was founded in October 1710 by the Palatines and Swiss under the leadership of Christoph von Graffenried. The new colonists named their settlement after Bern, the Swiss region from which many of the colonists and their patron had emigrated. New Bern is the second-oldest European-settled colonial town in North Carolina, after Bath. It served as the capital of North Carolina from 1770 to 1792. After the American Revolution (1775–1783), New Bern became wealthy and quickly developed a rich cultural life. At one time, New Bern was called "the Athens of the South", renowned for its Masonic Temple and Athens Theater. These are both still very active today.