Sunset Beach, North Carolina
Sunset Beach is a town of 4,351 people in Brunswick County, North Carolina.
Why visit Sunset Beach
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 7 parks and trails, 10 places to eat and 2 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Old Bridge Museum, Sea Trail Golf Links and Bald Beach.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 36°F.
Weather in Sunset Beach
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is a seaside town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,572 at the 2010 census, up from 1,824 in 2000 census. It is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area and the southernmost beach in the state.
From the Wikipedia article Sunset Beach, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes10
The Bridge Grill
Diner · American · 0.6 mi
305 Sunset Boulevard North, Sunset Beach
11:00-21:00
Mavericks Java
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.6 mi
303 Sunset Boulevard North, Sunset Beach
Rustic Reel Bar & Grill
Diner · American · 0.5 mi
310 Sunset Boulevard North, Sunset Beach
Joey O’s Pizzeria
Fast food · Pizza · 1.3 mi
1637 Seaside Road Southwest, Ocean Isle Beach
Th-Su 11:00-21:00
Where to stay2
Continental Motel & Apartments
Motel and hotel · 1.6 mi
431 Sunset Boulevard South, Sunset Beach
History
The seaside town of Sunset Beach got its start in 1955 when the land it occupies was bought by Mannon C. Gore. Impressed by the sunsets the southeast-facing island offered, he renamed 'Bald Beach,' as it had been called previously, to 'Sunset Beach.' Development began in earnest with the completion of a bridge connecting the beach island to the mainland in 1958, modeled by Gore and operated by him until 1961 when it was taken over by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. With the help of his son, Edward, Gore began selling property on the island in 1958. Additionally, Gore built the original pier on the island, named the 'Vesta Pier' for the beached civil war blockade-runner which sat beneath the structure, though is now completely covered by sand. Sunset Beach was later incorporated as a town in 1963.
On February 15, 2021, an EF3 tornado hit the north side of town around midnight, damaging multiple homes in several neighborhoods, including some that were completely destroyed. Three people were killed and 10 others were injured.
From the History section of Sunset Beach, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping6
Island Hoppers Bicycle Sales, Service & Rentals
Shop · 2.5 mi
570 Meadow Summit Drive, Ocean Isle Beach
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Sunset Beach
31 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 36°F | 3.8 in |
| Feb | 58°F | 39°F | 3.6 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 44°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 53°F | 3.5 in |
| May | 78°F | 62°F | 3.8 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 69°F | 4.5 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 73°F | 5.2 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 72°F | 6.9 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 67°F | 9.7 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 56°F | 4.2 in |
| Nov | 65°F | 45°F | 3.5 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 39°F | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Shallotte Ag (7 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
Grand Strand Airport (CRE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Calabash 3 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Carolina Shores 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Little River 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Shallotte 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- North Myrtle Beach 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Oak Island 22 mi east, about 36 min by car
- St. James 24 mi east, about 38 min by car
- Myrtle Beach 25 mi southwest, about 40 min by car
- Carolina Forest 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
- Boiling Spring Lakes 26 mi northeast, about 42 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- SeagullOverWave, Chris Currivan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Sunset Beach Roundabout, shortly after opening, 2014 07 16, NCDOTcommunications, CC BY 2.0
- Sunset Beach, North Carolina - View from beach at 36th street access - panoramio, hackamac, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Royal Terns, Sunset Beach, North Carolina RWD, DickDaniels ( http://carolinabirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS067-E-289823 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS048-E-28538 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-187420 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-187418 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-187419 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-267665 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS067-E-289824 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-187803 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS042-E-267666 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-187802 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Ingram Planetarium, 3, Willthacheerleader18, CC0
- Ingram Planetarium, 2, Willthacheerleader18, CC0
- Ingram Planetarium, 1, Willthacheerleader18, CC0
- Stairway to the Stars (53082389879), Jim Vajda from Oxford, Ohio, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) RWD4, Dick Daniels ( http://carolinabirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) RWD3, Dick Daniels ( http://carolinabirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) RWD1, Dick Daniels ( http://carolinabirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) RWD2, Dick Daniels ( http://carolinabirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Clubhouse of Sandbpiper Bay Golf Club, Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gymnura lessae, bunnymom20, CC0
- Anadara brasiliana 533079882, bunnymom20, CC0
- Anomia simplex 533079473, bunnymom20, CC0
- Limulus polyphemus 479139807, JSReiff, CC BY 4.0
- Cabot's Tern RWD, DickDaniels ( http://theworldbirds.org/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Relief (Unsplash), Spencer Pugh mrredbeardjr, CC0
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