Kure Beach, North Carolina
Kure Beach is a town of 2,466 people in New Hanover County, North Carolina.
Why visit Kure Beach
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 9 places to eat and 6 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Fort Fisher and Joy Lee Apartment Building and Annex.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Kure Beach
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kure Beach
Kure Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States, approximately 15 miles south of Wilmington. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,191 at the 2020 census. It is found on Pleasure Island directly south of the Wilmington Beach annex of Carolina Beach and just north of Fort Fisher.
From the Wikipedia article Kure Beach, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks11
Fort Fisher
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Confederate fort in Wilmington, North Carolina
Joy Lee Apartment Building and Annex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Apartment building in Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Newton Homesite and Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
A remnant of the earliest settlement of the outer coast of North Carolina near Carolina Beach
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Fort Fisher Visitor Center
Museum · 2.0 mi
Visitor center in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes9
Granny's Country Kitchen (Carolina Beach)
Restaurant · 1.5 mi
1310 South Lake Park Boulevard, Carolina Beach
Beach House Burgers
Fast food
118 Fort Fisher Boulevard North, Kure Beach
Mo-Su 08:00-19:00
Where to stay6
Moran Motel
Motel and hotel
118 Fort Fisher Boulevard South, Kure Beach
Oceaneer Motel
Motel and hotel · 1.1 mi
1621 S Lake Park Blvd, Carolina Beach
History
A post office called Kure Beach has been in operation since 1942. The town was named for a family of settlers.
The Kure Beach Fishing Pier is one of the oldest on the Atlantic Coast. The original pier was built in 1923 and has been rebuilt and restored several times since then due to wear and tear over the years.
On the night of July 24–25, 1943, a German U-boat fired at least three shells to attack the Ethyl-Dow Chemical Company plant at Kure's Beach (post-war: Kure Beach), but instead hit the Cape Fear River. The plant was the only one on the East Coast producing bromine from seawater for use in aviation gasoline.
Other historians dispute whether the attack actually occurred, and there is no corroborating physical evidence or logs from the German Navy.
From the History section of Kure Beach, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Schools, colleges and libraries1
Map of Kure Beach
31 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60°F | 36°F | 3.7 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 38°F | 3.3 in |
| Mar | 68°F | 43°F | 4.0 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 51°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 82°F | 60°F | 3.4 in |
| Jun | 88°F | 69°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 73°F | 5.5 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 71°F | 6.8 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 66°F | 8.2 in |
| Oct | 79°F | 54°F | 5.4 in |
| Nov | 70°F | 44°F | 3.4 in |
| Dec | 63°F | 38°F | 3.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Southport 5 N Hcn (6 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
New Hanover County has had 24 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)
- 2020-10-14: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wilmington International Airport (ILM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Carolina Beach 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Myrtle Grove 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Boiling Spring Lakes 11 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Wilmington 15 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Belville 16 mi north, about 26 min by car
- Leland 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Kings Grant 19 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Murraysville 21 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Bayshore 21 mi north, about 34 min by car
- Hampstead 27 mi north, about 43 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
- Kure Beach NC, Alexisrael, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kure Beach Town Hall (July 2023), DiscoA340, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kure Beach, Johnmcmains, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Joy Lee Apartments Front, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, Eric T. Gunther, CC BY 3.0
- Fort Fisher Visitor Center 02, TomasVial, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Brown Pelican at Pleasure IslandJM, John R. McMains, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Argopecten gibbus 509008841, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Anadara brasiliana 509008834, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Anadara brasiliana 509008821, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Anadara transversa 509008627, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Anadara transversa 509008615, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Anadara transversa 509008773, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Anadara transversa 509008780, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- ISS049-E-29727 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS049-E-30440 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-340534 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Anomia simplex 509008688, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Anomia simplex 509008695, Cricket Raspet, CC BY 4.0
- Lightning Welk 2013, Bigroger27509, CC BY 3.0
- Sunrise at Carolina Beach, North Carolina, Bigroger27509, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Fisher USAF Radar Station Camp Ground - panoramio, Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Fisher Camp Ground Seaward view - panoramio, Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greetings from Carolina Beach, North Carolina - Large Letter Postcard (8502254957), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Roswell - Merritt Field Fort Fisher Memorial - panoramio, Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 05, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 04, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 06, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 07, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 08, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 02, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 01, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newton Homesite and Cemetery 03, Edward Orde, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cargo Ship on the Intracoastal, Keyboardbrooks, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort Fisher Military Equipment Display - panoramio, Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cory Fishing in Sea (2569540488), Walt Stoneburner, CC BY 2.0
- Cory Carrying Boots (2605720459), Walt Stoneburner, CC BY 2.0
- Cory Fishing and Stomping (2569540324), Walt Stoneburner, CC BY 2.0
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Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.