Mackeys is a community in Washington County

Washington County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,723 people, 5,367 households, and 3,907 families residing in the county. The population density was 39 people per square mile . There were 6,174 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...

, 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...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Mackeys is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks

Inner Banks

The Inner Banks is a term used by some to describe the inland coastal region of eastern North Carolina, an area on the East Coast of the United States that is 22,227 square-miles by its broadest definition...

 regions and is located at the mouth of the Mackeys Creek on the south side of the Albemarle Sound

Albemarle Sound

Albemarle Sound is a large estuary on the coast of North Carolina in the United States located at the confluence of a group of rivers, including the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the town of Kitty Hawk is located,...

.

Geography

Mackeys is located at 35°55′52"N 76°36′52"W (35.931169, -76.614358).

Railroad history

The Norfolk Southern Railway ran through Mackeys since the turn of the 20th century. The railroad ran from Mackeys to Columbia

Columbia, North Carolina

Columbia is a town in Tyrrell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 819 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Tyrrell County.-Geography:...

 and from Mackeys to Belhaven

Belhaven, North Carolina

Belhaven is a town in Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census. Belhaven is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region....

. The trains used meet back in Mackeys and then go their ways towards Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

 via Plymouth

Plymouth, North Carolina

Plymouth is the largest town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...

 or Norfolk

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

 via Edenton

Edenton, North Carolina

Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...

 and Elizabeth City

Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County and Camden County in the State of North Carolina. With a population of 18,683 at the 2010 census, Elizabeth City is the county seat of Pasquotank County....

. Prior to the Albemarle Sound Trestle being built, trains used to cross to Edenton

Edenton, North Carolina

Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...

 via a ferry. In 1910 the Norfolk Southern Railroad built a wooden trestle bridging the 5.05mi from Mackeys to Edenton

Edenton, North Carolina

Edenton is a town in Chowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,966 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Chowan County. Edenton is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region. In recent years Edenton has become a popular retirement location and a destination for...

http://www.norfolksouthernhs.org/NORFOLK%20&%20SOUTHERN%20RAILROAD%20AT%20MACKEYS%20FERRY.pdf.

In the late 1980s Norfolk Southern discontinued use of the Albemarle Sound Trestle due to maintenance costs and subsequently dismantled it. This created a short-line from Plymouth to Mackeys. Agriculture products were loaded at the site where the train station used to be until 2004 when the tracks were removed. Today the tracks only run a mile outside the Plymouth

Plymouth, North Carolina

Plymouth is the largest town in Washington County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...

city limits to the east into the industrial park.