Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington: The largest city in the state of North Carolina. It is located on the Cape Fear River in southeastern North Carolina. Wilmington is known for its many historic buildings, its many parks and green spaces, and its many attractions, such as the USS North Carolina battleship and the Cape Fear Museum.

About

Wilmington is a city located in the county of New Hanover in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population at the 2010 census was 106,476. After 10 years in 2020 city had an estimated population of 124,794 inhabitants.

The city was created 386 years ago in 1637.

Wilmington is a port city situated along the Cape Fear River in southeastern North Carolina. With a population of over 125,000, it is the largest city in North Carolina east of Raleigh.

History

Wilmington was settled in the 1720s and chartered in 1739. Its coastal location fueled early growth as a major seaport, facilitating trade of goods like tobacco and naval stores.

During the Civil War, Wilmington was a vital port for running the blockade for the Confederacy. The city saw intense fighting during the war's final months.

Wilmington later grew into a commercial center for agriculture and emerging industries like paper mills, fertilizer plants, and textile production.

Economy

The Port of Wilmington remains a major employer and economic engine. Other large employers are PPD, GE, UNCW, New Hanover Health, and Walmart. Tourism is also a thriving industry.

Wilmington enjoys a diverse business mix including healthcare, retail, construction, finance, communications, and corporate services. A moderate cost of living attracts many new residents.

Attractions

Popular sites include the historic USS North Carolina battleship, Wrightsville Beach, the North Carolina Aquarium, Screen Gems Studios, and the Cotton Exchange waterfront.

Annual festivals like the Azalea Festival and Riverfest celebrate Wilmington’s culture and heritage. Wilmington also has a lively arts scene and trendy culinary destinations.

Conclusion

Offering coastal charm, a rich history, historic architecture, diversified economy, and excellent quality of life – Wilmington emerges as one of the most vibrant and exciting places to live in North Carolina.

Wilmington locator map
Location of Wilmington on North Carolina map.

Quick Facts about Wilmington

Population : 124,794 (2020)
Country : United States of America
State : North Carolina (United States)
County : New Hanover County
Postal code : 19801-19810, 19850, 19880, 19884-19887, 19889-19899
Phone Area Codes : 302
Water as percent of area : 35.65%
Land as percent of area : 64.35%
Altitude : 92 feet / 28 meters
Capital city : Wilmington is capital of New Castle County
Establishment : January 01, 1638 (386 years ago)
Time Zone : America/New_York
Local time : 23:30:57 (17th December 2024)
Population growth : 14.68% (2010-2020)
Wilmington Delaware skyline image
Wilmington Delaware skyline
Wilmington Delaware skyline image

Geography

Wilmington is located at 34°13'33"N 77°56'41"W (34.2257300, -77.9447100).

Wilmington map

  • James M. Baker , 2012 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z
  • Dennis P. Williams , 3 January, 2017 2013-01-08T00:00:00Z
  • Mike Purzycki , 2017-01-03T00:00:00Z

  • Fulda
  • Kalmar Municipality (1963 )
  • Olevano sul Tusciano
  • Watford

Demographics

The population of Wilmington increased by 14.68% in 10 years.

Year Population % Change Method
2010 106,476 - census
2011 108,141 1.54% estimation process
2012 109,658 1.38% estimation process
2013 111,686 1.82% estimation process
2014 113,320 1.44% estimation process
2015 115,050 1.5% estimation process
2016 118,770 3.13% estimation process
2017 120,836 1.71% estimation process
2018 122,616 1.45% estimation process
2019 123,744 0.91% estimation process
2020 124,794 0.84% estimation process

Demographic Facts

Estimated population as of July 1, 2019 : 7,560
Based on demographic estimates as of April 1, 2010 : 7,715
Based on demographic estimates as of 1 April 2010 : -2.0%
April 1, 2020 Population : 7,446
April 1, 2010 Population : 7,698
People under 5 years old, percentage : 5.8%
People under 18 years old, percentage : 24.0%
People over 65 (%) : 19.9%
Female persons, % : 51.8%
White only, percent : 95.4%
Black or African American alone, percent : 0.5%
American Indian and Alaska Native only, % : 0.5%
Asians alone % : 0.1%
Only Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, % : 0.0%
% of people who have participated in two or more races : 3.4%
% of Hispanic or Latino : 5.1%
White people, not Hispanic or Latino people, make up the majority of the population. : 91.1%
2015-2019 Veterans : 510
Percentage of foreign-born people, 2015-2019 : 0.9%
Rate of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 : 70.5%

Wilmington zip code is 28401. County name: New Hanover, County fips: 37129

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Economic Facts

Rate of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 : 70.5%
Owner-occupied housing unit median value, 2015-2019 : $109,000
From 2015 to 2019, the median selected monthly owner costs - with a mortgage : $1,135
Monthly owner costs, without a mortgage, at the median, 2015-2019 : $449
2015-2019 median gross rent : $615
2015-2019 Households : 3,286
Population per household, 2015-2019 : 2.23
Living in the same house a year ago, percentage of people aged one year and up, 2015-2019 : 83.6%
Languages other than English spoken at home, as a percentage of people aged 5 and up, 2015-2019 : 1.4%
Households with computers, %, 2015-2019 : 87.9%
Percentage of households with a broadband Internet subscription, 2015-2019 : 80.9%
Percentage of people aged 25 and up with a high school diploma or higher, 2015-2019 : 93.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher, proportion of people aged 25 and up, 2015-2019 : 20.5%
Percentage of people under the age of 65 who have a disability, 2015-2019 : 8.8%
Persons under the age of 65 who do not have health insurance, as a percentage : 10.7%
Total civilian labor force, percent of population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 69.8%
Female labor force participation in the civilian labor force, as a percentage of the population aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 66.3%
Manufacturers' total shipments in 2012 ($1,000) : 138,102
2012 total retail sales per capita : NA
Mean commute time to work (in minutes), workers aged 16 and up, 2015-2019 : 11.8
2015-2019 median household income (in 2019 dollars) : $48,133
Income per capita in the previous 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 : $26,915
Percentage of people living in poverty : 10.2%
Total number of businesses in 2012 : 1,054
Men-owned businesses in 2012 : 460
Women-owned businesses in 2012 : 230
Minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 29
Non-minority-owned businesses in 2012 : 952
Veteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 170
Nonveteran-owned businesses in 2012 : 659
2010 population per square mile : 1,427.1
2010 land area in square miles : 5.39

Best Things to Do in Wilmington

1 Battleship North Carolina

Rating: 4.8 (7195)

1 Battleship Rd NE, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103999100 🔗 Url

Battleship North Carolina

2 Long Leaf Park

Rating: 4.7 (2382)

314 Pine Grove Dr, Wilmington, NC 28409, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107987275 🔗 Url

Long Leaf Park

3 Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park

Rating: 4.4 (1979)

5320 Oleander Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107910666 🔗 Url

Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park

4 Airlie Gardens

Rating: 4.7 (1753)

300 Airlie Rd, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107987700 🔗 Url

Airlie Gardens

5 DEFY Wilmington

Rating: 4.5 (1503)

6431 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19104441002 🔗 Url

DEFY Wilmington

Where ot Eat in Wilmington

1 Cook Out

Rating: 4.3 (1821)

5615 Carolina Beach Rd, Wilmington, NC 28412, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103994680 🔗 Url

Cook Out

2 IHOP

Rating: 3.8 (1475)

5628 Carolina Beach Rd, Wilmington, NC 28412, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19108597010 🔗 Url

IHOP

3 Mellow Mushroom Wilmington

Rating: 4.5 (1285)

4311 Oleander Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19104523773 🔗 Url

Mellow Mushroom Wilmington

4 Jason's Deli

Rating: 4.4 (1093)

5301 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107954164 🔗 Url

Jason's Deli

5 Burger King

Rating: 3.5 (1091)

819 S 3rd St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107634484 🔗 Url

Burger King

Where to Stay in Wilmington

1 Hampton Inn Wilmington-Medical Park

Rating: 4.4 (818)

2320 S 17th St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107968881 🔗 Url

Hampton Inn Wilmington-Medical Park

2 Holiday Inn Wilmington-Market St., an IHG Hotel

Rating: 4 (711)

5032 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103921101 🔗 Url

Holiday Inn Wilmington-Market St., an IHG Hotel

3 Red Roof Inn Wilmington, NC

Rating: 2.9 (670)

5107 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103955045 🔗 Url

Red Roof Inn Wilmington, NC

4 Courtyard by Marriott Wilmington Downtown/Historic District

Rating: 4.3 (658)

229 N 2nd St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19106322900 🔗 Url

Courtyard by Marriott Wilmington Downtown/Historic District

5 Best Western Plus Coastline Inn

Rating: 4.3 (644)

503 Nutt St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107632800 🔗 Url

Best Western Plus Coastline Inn

Other Places in Wilmington

1 City Council

Rating: 2.3 (3)

102 N 3rd St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103417800 🔗 Url

City Council

2 Wilmington Parks & Recreation

Rating: 5 (3)

302 Willard St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103417855 🔗 Url

Wilmington Parks & Recreation

3 Wilmington City Manager

Rating: 5 (1)

102 N 3rd St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103417810 🔗 Url

Wilmington City Manager

4 Mayfield City

5523 Forest Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403 ➦ Show Map

☎ 🔗 Url

5 Wilmington Budget Office

320 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103417827 🔗 Url

6 New Hanover County Parks & Gardens

896 Airlie Rd, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States ➦ Show Map

☎ +19107987275 🔗 Url

New Hanover County Parks & Gardens

7 Wilmington Code Enforcement

305 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103413266 🔗 Url

8 Wilmington City Garage

900 Fanning St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103417881 🔗 Url

9 Wilmington Finance Department

305 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103417822 🔗 Url

10 Wilmington City Development

305 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401 ➦ Show Map

☎ +19103413258 🔗 Url

People born in Wilmington (200)

People born in Wilmington, including lawyer Frederic Kimber Seward, chemist Robert W. Field, computer scientist Marshall Kirk McKusick, .

List

Schools in Wilmington

College & universities near Wilmington, NC

Code Name City ZIP
198154 Cape Fear Community College Wilmington (NC) 28401-3910
199078 College of Wilmington Wilmington (NC) 28403
198978 Platt College-Miller-Motte-Wilmington Wilmington (NC) 28405
199218 University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington (NC) 28403-5963
198084 Brunswick Community College Bolivia (NC) 28422-9021

Stations (4)

Amtrak & bus stations near Wilmington, NC

Code Name Address Type
WMN Wilmington, NC 505 Cando St BUS
JNC Jacksonville, NC 850 New Bridge Street BUS
KNC Kinston, NC 101 East New Bern Road BUS
HVL Havelock, NC 201 Tourist Center Drive BUS

Post offices near Wilmington

Post Office Name City ZIP
Wilmington Post Office Wilmington (NC) 28401
Wilmington Main Post Office Wilmington (NC) 28401
Azalea Post Office Wilmington (NC) 28403
Dogwood Post Office Wilmington (NC) 28405
Leland Post Office Leland (NC) 28451

Other places with the same name (10)

  • Wilmington , Delaware The largest city in New Castle County, Delaware. It is located on the Delaware River in the northeastern United States. Wilmington is known for its many parks and green spaces, its many historical sites, and its many attractions, such as the Nemours Mansion and Gardens and the Delaware Art Museum. with a population of 70,376 people.
  • Wilmington , Massachusetts town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA with a population of 23,287 people.
  • Wilmington , Ohio city in Clinton County, Ohio, United States with a population of 12,399 people.
  • Wilmington , Illinois town in Will County, Illinois, United States with a population of 5,597 people.
  • Wilmington , Indiana unincorporated community in Dearborn County, Indiana with a population of 4,193 people.
  • Wilmington , Vermont town in Vermont, USA with a population of 1,786 people.
  • Wilmington , New York town in New York, USA with a population of 1,269 people.
  • Wilmington , Kansas city in United States of America with a population of 686 people.
  • Wilmington , Minnesota unincorporated community in Houston County, Minnesota with a population of 430 people.

Other cities in New Hanover County

Cities, towns, neighborhoods & other populated places in New Hanover County , NC. (more)

City Name Population Title
Masonboro 14,826 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Murraysville 14,215 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Myrtle Grove 8,875 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Kings Grant 8,278 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Ogden 6,766 Place in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States of America
Carolina Beach 6,369 Town of the United States
Silver Lake 5,598 City in Shawnee County, Kansas, United States
Wrightsboro 4,896 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Seagate 4,590 Census-designated place in the U.
Northchase 3,747 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Bayshore 3,393 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Skippers Corner 2,785 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina
Wrightsville Beach 2,516 City in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States of America
Kure Beach 2,077 City in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States of America
Sea Breeze 1,969 Census designated place
Castle Hayne 1,202 Township in New Hanover County, North Carolina

Distance to Other Cities

Wilmington distances to largest North Carolina cities