Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk is a town of 3,724 people in Dare County, North Carolina.
Why visit Kitty Hawk
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 33 places to eat, 9 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Wright Memorial Bridge, Theatre of Dare, Kitty Hawk Life-Saving Station and Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station #7.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Kitty Hawk
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Bodie Island within the state's Outer Banks. The population was 3,708 at the 2020 United States census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk.
From the Wikipedia article Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Wright Memorial Bridge
Bridge · 2.5 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Museums and landmarks4
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Kitty Hawk Life-Saving Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Life-saving station on Kitty Hawk, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina
Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station #7
Monument and historic site · 1.7 mi
3800 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Restaurants and cafes33
Black Pelican Seafood Company
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.5 mi
This unique building was constructed in 1874 and used as a U.S Lifesaving Station. Legend has it that a black pelican assisted the...
3848 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk
Tu-Su 11:30-21:00
Shore Coffee Roasters
Cafe · Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Tea · 2.2 mi
1 Ocean Boulevard
Mo-Fr 07:00-15:00; Sa-Su 08:00-14:00
Southern Shores Pizza & Deli
Restaurant · Pizza, Sandwich · 2.2 mi
1 Ocean Boulevard, Southern Shores
John's Drive In
Restaurant · Fish, Burger, Friture · 1.7 mi
3716 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk
Th-Tu 11:00-19:00; We off
Bad Bean Baja Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.1 mi
4146 North Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk
21 more on the map.
History
There are a number of folk legends regarding the origin of the name Kitty Hawk, which has also been spelled Chickahawk, Ketterhock, etc. Roger Payne concludes that it was an Algonquin word chicahauk meaning "a place to hunt geese". The spelling "Kitty Hawk" was adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1959.
Kitty Hawk became world-famous after the Wright brothers made the first controlled powered airplane flights at Kill Devil Hills, four miles (6.4 km) south of the town, on December 17, 1903. After the four flights in their Wright Flyer, the brothers walked back to Kitty Hawk. Here, they sent a telegram from the Weather Bureau office to their father informing him of their success. Kitty Hawk is usually credited as the site of the powered flights because it was the nearest named settlement at the time of the flight; the modern town of Kill Devil Hills did not exist until 50 years after the flights. The Wrights chose the area because its frequent winds and soft sandy surfaces were suitable for their glider experiments, which they conducted over three years before they made the powered flights.
From the History section of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay9
Holiday Inn Express Kitty Hawk - Outer Banks by IHG
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
3915 North Croatan Highway, Kitty Hawk
Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
5353 North Virginia DareTrail, Kitty Hawk
the sands inn
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
5228 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk Pier
Motel and hotel · 2.2 mi
5353 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk
Saltaire Cottages
Motel and hotel · 1.4 mi
4618 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk
Churches and places of worship4
All Saints Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 2.1 mi
40 Pintail Trail, Southern Shores
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries5
First Flight Elementary School
School · 5.3 mi
107 Veterans Drive, Kill Devil Hills
Healthcare1
Walgreens
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.1 mi
5312 North Virginia Dare Trail, Kitty Hawk
Map of Kitty Hawk
75 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51°F | 36°F | 3.8 in | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 52°F | 37°F | 3.2 in | 0.4 in |
| Mar | 59°F | 43°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 68°F | 51°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 60°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 69°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 73°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 72°F | 5.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 68°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 71°F | 58°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 48°F | 2.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 40°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Manteo Ap (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Dare County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-10-19: Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-06: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
First Flight Airport (FFA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Southern Shores 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Kill Devil Hills 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Duck 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Grandy 15 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Camden 31 mi northwest, about 49 min by car
- Elizabeth City 33 mi northwest, about 53 min by car
- Hertford 42 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Edenton 49 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Virginia Beach 52 mi north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Chesapeake 53 mi northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kitty Hawk Airfield, Wusel007, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station, Jasonspsyche, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wright Memorial Bridge (2022), engineerchange, CC BY 2.0
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