Swansboro, North Carolina
Swansboro is a town of 3,997 people in Onslow County, North Carolina, founded in 1783.
Why visit Swansboro
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 13 places to eat and 4 places to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Swansboro Historic District, William Edward Mattocks House, Pirates Den Park and Swansboro Municipal Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 88°F; January lows average 32°F.
Weather in Swansboro
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Swansboro
Swansboro is a resort town in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. It is located along the Crystal Coast. The population was 3,744 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Swansboro, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Swansboro Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic district in Swansboro, North Carolina
William Edward Mattocks House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Pirates Den Park
Park · 0.8 mi
Pirates Den Park is a .62-acre play area located at the junction of Broad Street and Shore Drive, just one block off NC 24 in the...
640 West Shore Drive, Swansboro
Swansboro Municipal Park
Park · 0.6 mi
The park’s amenities include soccer fields, a picnic pavilion, tennis courts, a basketball court, a beach volleyball court, a...
830 Main Street, Swansboro
Restaurants and cafes13
Trattoria Gourmet Pizza & Italian Cuisine
Restaurant · Italian, Pizza · 1.4 mi
108 West Corbett Avenue, Swansboro
Santorini's Mediterranean Grille
Restaurant · 1.6 mi
114 E Corbett Avenue, Swansboro
Taco Bell
Fast food · Tex-Mex · 0.7 mi
652 West Corbett Avenue, Swansboro
Mo-Th 07:00-02:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-03:00; Su 07:00-02:00
1 more on the map.
Where to stay4
History
Swansboro started as a settlement around the plantation of Theophilus Weeks. In 1783, Swansboro was incorporated as a town, taking its name from Samuel Swann, a Speaker in the North Carolina House of Commons and a resident of Onslow County. In 1818, Otway Burns built the Prometheus, the first river steamboat constructed in North Carolina.
The town, originally spelled Swannsborough, is sometimes called "The Friendly City by the Sea". M.N. Lisk, a popular Swansboro mayor, initiated the annual Mullet Festival, one of the first coastal seafood festivals in North Carolina.
The town is featured as the setting of Nicholas Sparks' novel The Guardian.
The Swansboro Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
In 2018, Swansboro was among the hardest hit cities by Hurricane Florence. A record 30.58 inches (77 cm) of rain fell at Swansboro, North Carolina, breaking the previous state record of 24.06 inches (61 cm).
From the History section of Swansboro, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.8 mi
42 Old Hammock Road, Swansboro
Saint Peter's by the Sea Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.0 mi
503 West Broad Street, Swansboro
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare1
Map of Swansboro
53 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55°F | 32°F | 4.5 in |
| Feb | 58°F | 33°F | 3.9 in |
| Mar | 64°F | 38°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 73°F | 47°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 79°F | 55°F | 3.9 in |
| Jun | 85°F | 64°F | 5.9 in |
| Jul | 88°F | 68°F | 6.8 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 66°F | 7.2 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 62°F | 8.4 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 50°F | 4.1 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 39°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 57°F | 34°F | 3.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hofmann Forest (14 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
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
Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Cedar Point 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Cape Carteret 5 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Emerald Isle 7 mi east, about 10 min by car
- Piney Green 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Broad Creek 13 mi east, about 21 min by car
- Pumpkin Center 14 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Jacksonville 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Maysville 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Newport 16 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Havelock 20 mi northeast, about 33 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
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
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