The Tar River rises in Person County, near Roxboro, and becomes the Pamlico River at Washington, in Beaufort County. The Upper Tar River Basin includes a number of tributaries, including Fishing, Lynch, Swift, and Sandy Creeks.

Counties in the region - Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Nash, Vance, and Warren-are primarily rural in nature, with substantial areas of land devoted to agriculture and forestry.

The region is rich in culture and history. Native Americans inhabited the area before white settlers, many from Virginia, moved to the area in the eighteenth century, and the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe remains. The production of cotton, grains, livestock, lumber, and tobacco have bolstered the economy of the region.

Today, some 230 structures and sites within these counties are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. From colonial times to the present, the region's past reflects many major trends in North Carolina's history.

The Tar River Center for History and Culture (TRCHC) works with local governments, private organizations, educational institutions, and individuals to develop the region's historical and cultural assets, to foster economic development, and to promote knowledge of the past.