Nags Head, North Carolina
Nags Head is a town of 3,160 people in Dare County, North Carolina.
Why visit Nags Head
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 22 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include First Colony Inn, George Washington Creef House and Jockey's Ridge State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Nags Head
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Nags Head
Nags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. It is a busy vacation spot because of its beaches and sand dunes of Jockey's Ridge. The population was 3,146 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Nags Head, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks10
First Colony Inn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Hotel in North Carolina, United States of America
6715 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head
George Washington Creef House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
John T. Daniels House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Manteo, NC, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
Mattie Midgett Store and House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic building in North Carolina, United States
Nags Head Beach Cottages Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Sam's Diner
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Restaurant in North Carolina, United States of America
Sea Foam Motel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Motel in Nags Head, United States of America
Theodore S. Meekins House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Jockey's Ridge State Park
Park · 1.4 mi
300 West Carolista Drive, Nags Head
Nov-Feb 08:00-18:00; Mar-Apr 08:00-20:00; Sep 08:00-21:00; Oct...
Dowdy Park
Park · 2.5 mi
Newly built park in Nags Head. Grounds used to be home to a small amusement park.
3005 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head
Restaurants and cafes22
Miller's Waterfront Restaurant
Restaurant · Seafood · 2.3 mi
6916 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head
Tu-Su 11:00-21:00
Mulligan's Grille in Historic Cottage Row
Restaurant · Seafood · 0.9 mi
4005 South Croatan Highway, Nags Head
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr 11:00-23:00; Sa 10:00-23:00; Su 10:00-22:00
Surfin' Spoon Frozen Yogurt Bar
Ice cream · 2.0 mi
3408 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
Mo-Th 14:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-21:00
Sooey's BBQ & Rib Shack
Restaurant · Barbecue, Burger, American, Sandwich · 1.1 mi
3919 South Croatan Highway;South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
Tortuga's Lie
Restaurant · Regional, Sandwich, Seafood · 2.5 mi
3016 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
Blue Moon Beach Grill
Restaurant
4104 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
We-Mo 11:30-21:00
South Beach Takeout, Catering, & Delivery
Restaurant · 0.6 mi
4104 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
10 more on the map.
History
Early maps of the area show Nags Head as a promontory of land characterized by high sand dunes visible from miles at sea. The origin of the town's name is obscure but it is likely to have been named after any one of the places called Nag's Head on the English coast.
A folkloric explanation claims that mules or horses (nags) would have lights hung on their heads by nefarious wreckers in order to trick ships into running aground and then loot the ships of their valuables. The town's emblem depicts one such equine accomplice from the tale.
Around 1830, Nags Head became known as a resort area. This direction was accelerated in 1855 when Dr. W. G. Pool bought 50 acres of oceanfront land which he separated into plots and sold to friends, increasing the number of homes in the area.
Jockey's Ridge is the last vestige of the sand dunes seen by the first explorers, as the area is now highly developed. The town incorporated in 1961.
From the History section of Nags Head, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Holiday Inn Express Nags Head Oceanfront
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
4701 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
Ocean Villas II
Motel and hotel · 2.5 mi
7023 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
Surf Side Hotel
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
6701 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
Tar Heel Motel
Motel and hotel · 2.4 mi
7010 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
The Blue Heron Motel
Motel and hotel · 2.2 mi
6811 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
Churches and places of worship5
Saint Andrew's By-The-Sea Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 0.5 mi
4212 South Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head
The Ark International Church of the Assemblies of God
Church · Pentecostal · 2.2 mi
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries9
First Flight Elementary School
School · 4.9 mi
107 Veterans Drive, Kill Devil Hills
Nags Head Elementary School
School · 2.4 mi
3100 S Wrightsville Avenue, Nags Head
Healthcare1
Map of Nags Head
74 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 (5 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
Dare County Regional Airport (MEO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Manteo 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Kill Devil Hills 6 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Wanchese 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Kitty Hawk 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Southern Shores 13 mi northwest, about 22 min by car
- Grandy 25 mi northwest, about 40 min by car
- Camden 40 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Elizabeth City 42 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Moyock 49 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Buxton 49 mi south, about 1 h 15 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
- Nags Head, NC 27959, USA - panoramio, James Willamor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nags Head Inn Hotel view - West 1.JPG - panoramio, ciochond, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nags Head Inn Hotel view - West 2.JPG - panoramio, ciochond, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nags Head Inn Hotel view - North.JPG - panoramio, ciochond, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nags Head Inn Hotel view - West 3.JPG - panoramio, ciochond, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nags Head Inn Hotel view - South.JPG - panoramio, ciochond, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nags Head Inn Hotel view - East.JPG - panoramio, ciochond, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nags Head Outer Banks - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jockeys Ridge State Park, Nags Head, North Carolina (14446123794), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Remnants of shipwreck at Nags Head Town Hall 2026, Steveprutz, CC0
- U.S. Route 158, Near Jockey's Ridge State Park, Nags Head, North Carolina (14445888912), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Nags Head, United States (Unsplash), Tim Bish tjsocoz, CC0
- Jockeys Ridge State Park, Nags Head, North Carolina (14469200375), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jockeys Ridge State Park, Nags Head, North Carolina (14468043984), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jockeys Ridge State Park, Nags Head, North Carolina (14446284654), Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Nags Head Cottage Row, Jasonspsyche, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Colony Inn 4770, Herbie03, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Meekins House, Herbie03, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Creef House, Herbie03, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John T Daniels Home, Jasonspsyche, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sea Foam NRHP Dare Co NC, Flickr user sarahstierch, CC BY 2.0
- Sam's Diner 2013-10-20 14-29-40, wearlybird, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170917 0822251741085 009 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170917 0822251741085 009 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- Markham-Albertson-Stinson Cottage, Jasonspsyche, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Divalinga quadrisulcata 330169223, harrier, CC BY 4.0
- Divalinga quadrisulcata 330169267, harrier, CC BY 4.0
- The Outer Banks Hospital heliport, Packer1028, CC0
- Outer Banks Hospital, 2024, Packer1028, CC0
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170916 0822251741013 009 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170916 0822251741013 009 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170918 0822251741157 009 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170918 0822251741157 009 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- Midgett Store, Jasonspsyche, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170915 0822251740541 009 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170915 0822251740541 009 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- Morning, Eric Wettstein, CC BY 3.0
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170919 0822251741229 009 RGB2, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- 2025 Hurricane Erin-20250822a RGB-raw-170919 0822251741229 009 RGB1, NOAA / NODD, Public domain
- Hang Glider Training - panoramio, Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0
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