Oak Island, North Carolina
Oak Island is a town of 9,030 people in Brunswick County, North Carolina, founded in 1999.
Why visit Oak Island
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 24 parks and trails, 40 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cape Fear Light, G. V. Barbee Bridge, Fort Caswell Historic District and Oak Island Life Saving Station.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Oak Island
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Oak Island
Oak Island is a seaside town located in the southeastern corner of North Carolina, United States. Part of Brunswick County, the major portion of the town is on Oak Island which it shares with Caswell Beach. Founded in 1999 as the result of the consolidation of two existing towns, Oak Island's main industry is tourism. Per the 2020 census, the town has a permanent population of 8,396 while its summer population is near 50,000.
From the Wikipedia article Oak Island, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Cape Fear Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Lighthouse in North Carolina, United States
G. V. Barbee Bridge
Bridge · 2.7 mi
Bridge on Oak Island, North Carolina
Swain's Cut Bridge
Bridge · 2.5 mi
Bridge on Oak Island, North Carolina
Museums and landmarks3
Fort Caswell Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.5 mi
Historic district in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States
Oak Island Life Saving Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
United States historic place
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Oak Island Light
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Lighthouse in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds24
Bill Smith Park
Park · 3.7 mi
Bill Smith Park is Oak Island's largest active park. It features 4 baseball fields, a football field, soccer field, walking trails, disc...
4446 Long Beach Road, Southport
Hannon A. Templeton Park
Park
Dog Park, passive natural park
4109 East Oak Island Drive, Oak Island
The Crab Dock
Park · 1.8 mi
Crab Dock and Fishing Peir
7703 East Yacht Drive Northeast, Oak Island
Veterans Park
Park · 1.7 mi
Fishing Tee, Water View boardwalk, (future- picnic shelter, butterfly garden)
1408 East Yacht Drive, Oak Island
Dutchman Creek Park
Park · 3.4 mi
Public recreation area with piers for fishing & boat access, plus play structures for kids.
12 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes40
Paul's of Oak Island
Restaurant · 0.6 mi
5419 East Oak Island Drive, Oak Island
Mo-Su 11:00-24:00
Thai Noodle House Cuisine
Restaurant · Thai · 2.4 mi
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-21:30; Su 16:00-21:00
28 more on the map.
History
Oak Island, on which much of the town sits, has been inhabited since the early 19th century when Fort Caswell was constructed on its east end in 1838. The island developed slowly, but by the late 1930s it began attracting people from nearby Southport with fox hunting popular in the areas along the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). In 1954, Hurricane Hazel struck, leaving only five buildings standing on the west end of the island The island recovered quickly however, and the towns of Long Beach and Yaupon Beach were incorporated. Along with this increasing level of development came strident demands for a reliable crossing of the ICW to provide access to the island. When the ICW was completed in the late 1930s, a swingbridge initially provided this service. Destroyed by a barge strike in 1971, construction of the high rise Barbee Bridge began almost immediately; it opened for traffic in 1975 (interim service included a ferry and pontoon bridge). A second high rise structure, the Swain's Cut Bridge, was built over the ICW to the island in 2010. In 1999, Long Beach and Yaupon Beach, decided to consolidate into the Town of Oak Island, and while Caswell Beach considered the matter, it opted to stay independent. Immediately after the new town got up and running, it began to either incorporate or obtain Extra Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) on properties located to its north on the mainland.
From the History section of Oak Island, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping8
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Healthcare1
Map of Oak Island
90 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 (8 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
Brunswick County has had 26 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-05-03: Sunset Drive Fire (Fire)
- 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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Wilmington International Airport (ILM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Boiling Spring Lakes 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Kure Beach 13 mi northeast, about 22 min by car
- Carolina Beach 15 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Myrtle Grove 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Leland 21 mi north, about 34 min by car
- Belville 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Wilmington 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Calabash 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
- Carolina Shores 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Kings Grant 28 mi northeast, about 46 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
- Oak Island Water Tower, User:Dincher, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oak Island, Patrick Reynolds, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oak Island NC (Early Morning), Doug Anderson, CC BY 2.0
- Oak Island banner, Doug Anderson, CC BY 2.0
- Oak Island Lighthouse 07.30.2001, Jsfouche, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oak Island (23784059201), Tom Long from Oak Island, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Willet, Oak Island, North Carolina (8522756514), Tom Long from Oak Island, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- SUT BRUNSWICK COUNTY OAK ISLAND FROM N901AN (7169609277), Eric Salard, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Oak Island Life Saving Station Jun 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Oak Island NC Lighthouse, Matt Trostle, CC BY 2.0
- Fort Caswell, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Captain Charlie's Station, Bald Head Island (Brunswick County, North Carolina), KudzuVine, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oak Island (Barbee) Bridge, Francisbausch, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Swain's Cut Bridge, Francisbausch, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The marshes - panoramio, James Roberts (Jampp…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS054-E-56527 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS067-E-173063 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS067-E-164539 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-4065 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-6332 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS067-E-164538 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS054-E-56528 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS067-E-173064 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Anomia simplex 537199353, Kirstie S, CC0
- Anomia simplex 537199331, Kirstie S, CC0
- Crassostrea virginica 537199722, Kirstie S, CC0
- Anadara brasiliana 537200240, Kirstie S, CC0
- Yaupon Beach Pier - panoramio, James Roberts (Jampp…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ocean View church (old view) - panoramio, James Roberts (Jampp…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ocean Crest Pier (8521647221), Tom Long from Oak Island, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- The Green Manse - panoramio, James Roberts (Jampp…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sunrising Over the ICW (8521649005), Tom Long from Oak Island, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Brown Pelican on an ICW Channel Marker (29368536026), Tom Long from Oak Island, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Beach Walk (8522758352), Tom Long from Oak Island, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Corgi Beach - panoramio, James Roberts (Jampp…, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Money Plant (8521593987), Tom Long from Oak Island, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- TownOfStJamesNCSignCrop, King Carolina, CC0
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