Happy TravellerWelcome to Wilmington, a charming port city located in coastal southeastern North Carolina. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth-most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the principal city of the Cape Fear-Wilmington metropolitan statistical area, which includes New Hanover and Pender Counties in southeastern North Carolina, which had a population of 301,284 at the 2020 census.
Wilmington’s historic downtown has a 1.75-mile (2.82 km) riverwalk, developed as a tourist attraction in the late 20th century. In 2014, Wilmington’s riverfront was ranked as the Best American Riverfront by readers of USA Today. The National Trust for Historic Preservation selected Wilmington as one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
City residents live between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, with four nearby beach communities just outside Wilmington: Fort Fisher, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach, all within half-hour drives from downtown Wilmington. The city is home to University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), which provides a wide variety of programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and adult learners, in addition to cultural and sports events open to the community.
Wilmington is a city with a rich history. Toward the end of the 19th century, Wilmington was a majority-black, racially integrated, prosperous city, and the largest city in North Carolina. In the Wilmington massacre of 1898, white supremacists launched a coup that overthrew the legitimately elected local Fusionist government. They expelled opposition black and white leaders from the city, destroyed the property and businesses of black citizens built up since the Civil War, including the only black newspaper in the city, and killed an estimated 60 to more than 300 people. This coincided with broader efforts of disenfranchisement at the state level. Whereas North Carolina had 125,000 registered black voters in 1896, it had 6,000 black voters by 1902. By 1910, Charlotte overtook Wilmington as North Carolina’s largest city.
Wilmington is also known for its film and television production. It is the home of EUE/Screen Gems Studios, the largest domestic television and movie production facility outside California. Numerous movies and television shows, in a range of genres, have been produced here, including Iron Man 3, Super Mario Bros., The Conjuring, A Walk to Remember, The Crow, Sleepy Hollow, Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, and The Summer I Turned Pretty.
One of the top attractions in Wilmington is the World War II battleship USS North Carolina, now a war memorial, which is moored across from the downtown port area and is open to the public for tours. Other attractions include the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, The Children’s Museum of Wilmington, and the Wilmington Hammerheads United Soccer Leagues soccer team.
Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or just soaking up the sun on the beach, Wilmington has something for everyone. Come visit this charming city and discover why it’s one of North Carolina’s hidden gems.
