Speed, North Carolina

Speed, North Carolina
Town
Location in Edgecombe County and the state of North Carolina.
Coordinates: 35°58′07″N77°26′40″W / 35.96861°N 77.44444°W / 35.96861; -77.44444
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Edgecombe
Established	1894
Incorporated	1901
Named after	Dr. Eugene Travis Speed [1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.31 sq mi (0.79 km2)
• Land	0.31 sq mi (0.79 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [3]	56 ft (17 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	63
• Density	207.4/sq mi (80.07/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	27881
Area code	252
FIPS code	37-63720 [4]
GNIS feature ID	2407379 [3]

Speed is a town in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 80 at the 2010 census.

History

Speed was preceded by the community of Knight's Station; of which its existence had ended, by perhaps a generation, before the Norfolk and Carolina Railroad opened a line and added a stop in the area, in 1890. By 1894, it acquired a post office and its new name. Dr. Eugene Travis Speed (1855–1891), a local country doctor who had recently died, lent his name to the town. Speed was officially incorporated in 1901. ^{[1] [5]}

On October 14, 2025, the Town Board passed a resolution of intent to dissolve its charter. The town has until June 30, 2026, to develop a plan to distribute its assets and liabilities. ^[6]

Notable person

• Hugh Shelton – United States Army General and 14th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	95		—
1940	127		33.7%
1950	103		−18.9%
1960	142		37.9%
1970	142		0.0%
1980	95		−33.1%
1990	88		−7.4%
2000	70		−20.5%
2010	80		14.3%
2020	63		−21.2%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

As of the census ^[4] of 2000, there were 70 people, 28 households, and 15 families residing in the town. The population density was 247.3 inhabitants per square mile (95.5/km²). There were 60 housing units at an average density of 212.0 per square mile (81.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 51.43% White, 45.71% African American, 2.86% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.

There were 28 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, and 42.9% were non-families. 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.50.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,938, and the median income for a family was $46,875. Males had a median income of $33,333 versus $36,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,079. There were 22.2% of families and 26.9% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 46.2% of those over 64.

References

1. "History of Speed, Edgecombe County, North Carolina" (PDF). Federal Emergency Management Agency. May 2001. pp. 4–10. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Speed, North Carolina
4. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "Edgecombe County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
6. Thomae, Lucas (November 15, 2025). "Losing Speed. Tiny NC town on verge of dissolution". Carolina Public Press. WFAE . Retrieved November 15, 2025.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.