Tyrrell County is located on the southern shore of Albemarle Sound, in the Coastal Plain [5] of northeastern North Carolina. Named for Sir John Tyrrell, one of the Lords Proprietors [10], the county was formed in 1729 from Chowan [11], Bertie [12], Currituck [13] and Pasquotank [14] Counties. It is bordered to the east by the intracoastal waters of the Alligator River. Its county seat, Columbia [15], was incorporated in 1793 as Elizabeth Town and renamed in 1801. Other communities in the county include Gum Neck, Kilkenny, Fort Landing, Frying Pan Landing, Newfoundland, and Woodley.

Tyrrell County is dominated by its coastlands and its swamps, and the terrain has limited development and population growth since the county was founded. In 2004 Tyrrell County was the state's least populous, with an estimated 4,100 residents. But it is a popular location for fishing and other water sports, hunting, and bird watching. The 110,000-acre Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge [16] was established in 1990 and is headquartered in Columbia. The refuge and surrounding county lands are home to one of the last large habitats for black bears [17] on the eastern seaboard. Pocosin Arts in Columbia is among the premier arts organizations [18] in the state.