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Surf City, North Carolina
Surf City is a town of 4,396 people in Onslow County, North Carolina, founded in 1949.
Why visit Surf City
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 3 parks and trails, 25 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Sloop Point.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 34°F.
Weather in Surf City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Surf City
Surf City is a town in Onslow and Pender counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 3,867 at the 2020 census. It is located on Topsail Island.
From the Wikipedia article Surf City, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
EMA Touch Tank Aquarium
Zoo and aquarium · 1.2 mi
106 North Topsail Drive, Surf City
Museums and landmarks1
Sloop Point
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Stevens Street Public Beach Access
Beach · 1.6 mi
Beach access, no facilities, no immediately adjacent parking lot.
522 Stevens Street, Surf City
Restaurants and cafes25
Island Delights
Restaurant · 1.4 mi
Food of the 50s, burgers and ice cream
316 North New River Drive
Mo-Su 11:00-22:00
High Waters Sports Bar and grill
Restaurant · Burger, Seafood, American, Wings · 1.7 mi
614 North New River Drive, Surf City
Mo-Fr 11:00-23:00; Sa-Su 11:00-24:00
Tortuga's Nest
Bar and pub · 2.7 mi
1713 North New River Drive, Surf City
Mo-Tu 19:00-02:00; We-Sa 19:00-02:30; Su 12:00-02:30
Fancy Sushi
Restaurant · 1.2 mi
Chinese and sushi bar
124A New River D4ive
Mo, We, Th 10:00-21:30; Fr, Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 12:00-21:30
Margaritas
Restaurant · 1.3 mi
Mexican Grill & Cantina
204F
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr, Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Buddy's Crabhouse & Oyster Bar
Restaurant · 1.3 mi
101 South Shore Road, Surf City
13 more on the map.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Surf City
58 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 34°F | 4.3 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 36°F | 3.8 in |
| Mar | 63°F | 40°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 50°F | 3.4 in |
| May | 78°F | 59°F | 4.7 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 68°F | 5.1 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 72°F | 6.1 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 70°F | 7.7 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 65°F | 9.5 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 54°F | 4.3 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 43°F | 3.6 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 36°F | 3.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Surf City (1 mi away), rain and snow from Topsail Beach 2.1 W, 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
Onslow 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, 22 miles away.
- Holly Ridge 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Sneads Ferry 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Hampstead 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Porters Neck 15 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Bayshore 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Ogden 18 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Murraysville 19 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Northchase 20 mi southwest, about 32 min by car
- Kings Grant 21 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
- Jacksonville 23 mi northeast, about 36 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
- Surfcitync, . The original uploader was Mikehelms at English Wikipedia ., CC BY 2.5
- Surf City Pier 1, Robert Bourdeaux - Kloudmedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- TopsailTurtleProjectSnooki, DocZach, CC BY 4.0
- SurfCityNC HighRiseBridge, BradBanks, CC BY-SA 4.0
- TopsailTurtleProjectBucket, DocZach, CC BY 4.0
- Strand (32935129845), Larry Lamb, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Shell ripples (32935128515), Larry Lamb, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Beached (33471098226), Larry Lamb, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cenchrus3, Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cenchrus2, Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cenchrus7, Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cenchrus1, Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cenchrus6, Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cenchrus5, Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cenchrus4, Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
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