Sea Level is an unincorporated community in northeastern Carteret County, North Carolina

Carteret County, North Carolina

Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. Most of the county is part of the Crystal Coast....

. It rests on the banks of the Core Sound

Core Sound

The Core Sound is a large and shallow body of water in eastern North Carolina located between the mainland of Carteret County and Core Banks, part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, located west of the Atlantic Ocean and north of Bogue Sound. Pamlico Sound is located to the north and east....

 and has a population of roughly 450. It is located in what was known to early settlers as Hunting Quarters

Hunting Quarters

Hunting Quarters is the original name for the area of eastern North Carolina in Carteret County currently known as the towns of Sea Level and Atlantic . The region, originally settled by the English in the early 18th century, was named Hunting Quarters because many local Coree Indians originally...

. Sea Level has one of the lowest elevations in North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

; it is approximated that 75% of the community floods when hurricanes pass through. US 70 is the major thoroughfare

Thoroughfare

A thoroughfare is a place of transportation intended to connect one location to another. Highways, roads, and trails are examples of thoroughfares used by a variety of general traffic. On land a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a rough trail to multi-lane highway with grade separated...

 through the community. The community is the location of NC 12's southern terminus.