Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina
Lake Waccamaw is a town of 1,770 people in Columbus County, North Carolina.
Why visit Lake Waccamaw
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks and 4 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Lake Waccamaw Depot and Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 32°F.
Weather in Lake Waccamaw
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Waccamaw
Lake Waccamaw is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,296 at the 2020 census. European settlers established their first settlements at Lake Waccamaw in the 18th century. Following their settlement and later establishment of naval stores, the discovery of turpentine oil led to the Wilmington-Manchester railroad track's creation.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Lake Waccamaw Depot
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Railway station in Lake Waccamaw, the United States of America
Restaurants and cafes4
Angelina's Pizza and Subs
Restaurant · Italian · 0.6 mi
120 Sam Potts Highway, Lake Waccamaw
China Garden
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.6 mi
112 Sam Potts Highway, Lake Waccamaw
Dale's Seafood
Restaurant · Seafood · 0.7 mi
100 Lake Shore Drive, Lake Waccamaw
El Juan Mariscos & Grill
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.5 mi
206 Sam Potts Highway, Lake Waccamaw
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping1
Hills Food Stores
Grocery · 0.6 mi
126 Sam Potts Highway, Lake Waccamaw
History
Charles the Second of England granted proprietors individual grants to allow them to sail to the new world to bring him back riches and news. By the mid-eighteenth century, Lake Waccamaw’s settler population had increased. People like John Powell, from Virginia, brought cattle. John Powell's son Absalom Powell started to buy land near Lake Waccamaw. John Powell's other son Issac Powell was made the first major of the Brandon, County Durham militia in 1804 and justice of peace in 1806. Issac owned most of Lake Waccamaw.
Lake Waccamaw and nearby city Flemington grew slowly with the help of the Wilmington-Manchester railroad being built. The railroad brought the rural town access to the world. The addition of the railroad also made the settlement grow when the actual freshwater lake was then discovered. However, this growth increased rapidly when the naval stores and turpentine business began to grow.
On January 26, 1869, Charles Oscar Beers started his shingle industry along the southern shore of Lake Waccamaw. Another company also started south of the lake by Henry Bascom Short after Beers started his company. These two companies came together and formed a new company named Short and Beers, which brought more business to the town and created more jobs. Over time, the company went from producing shingles to becoming the North Carolina Lumber Company.
From the History section of Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Rube Mc Cray Memorial Library
Library · 0.7 mi
301 Flemington Drive, Lake Waccamaw
Map of Lake Waccamaw
14 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 32°F | 3.5 in | 0.5 in |
| Feb | 58°F | 34°F | 3.3 in | 0.3 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 40°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 48°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 81°F | 58°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 66°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 70°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 68°F | 5.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 63°F | 6.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 75°F | 51°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 40°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 35°F | 3.5 in | 0.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Whiteville 7 Nw (17 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
Columbus County has had 21 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter 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)
- 2020-08-02: 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, 35 miles away.
- Chadbourn 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Elizabethtown 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Leland 28 mi east, about 45 min by car
- Carolina Shores 29 mi south, about 46 min by car
- Calabash 29 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Belville 30 mi east, about 48 min by car
- Little River 31 mi south, about 50 min by car
- Boiling Spring Lakes 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- Wilmington 36 mi east, about 59 min by car
- North Myrtle Beach 36 mi south, about 58 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
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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
- Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum, Cat person, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS028-E-9930 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS014-E-10742 - View of North Carolina, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-13813 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-38675 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS023-E-37569 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-38674 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS028-E-9931 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS036-E-8410 - View of South Carolina, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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