Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Kill Devil Hill, Wright Brothers National Memorial | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Birthplace of Aviation | |
 Location in Dare County and the U.S. state of North Carolina. | |
| Coordinates: 36°1′32″N 75°40′12″W / 36.02556°N 75.67000°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Dare |
| Incorporated | 1953[1] |
| Named for | Unwholesome rum[1][2] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.66 sq mi (14.67 km2) |
| • Land | 5.61 sq mi (14.53 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 7 ft (2 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 7,656 |
| • Density | 1,365.19/sq mi (527.08/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 27948 |
| Area code | 252 |
| FIPS code | 37-35720[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1025849[5] |
| Website | kdhnc.com |
Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,633 at the 2020 census.[6] It is the most populous settlement in both Dare County and on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Kill Devil Hills micropolitan statistical area, consisting of all of Dare County, is part of the larger Virginia Beach–Chesapeake combined statistical area.
The town was founded and developed on the site of the Wright brothers' first controlled, powered airplane flights on December 17, 1903, chosen for its good winds.[7] It was commemorated by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which was dedicated in 1932.[8] At the time of the Wright Flyer flights, the town of Kill Devil Hills did not exist, and it did not receive its municipal charter until 1953.[9] Kitty Hawk, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north, was the nearest settlement at the time and is popularly noted as the site of the first flight.
- ^ a b "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ Ryan (February 5, 2016). "Outer Banks Town Names - Where did they come from?". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "Telegram from Orville Wright in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to His Father Announcing Four Successful Flights, December 17, 1903". World Digital Library. December 17, 1903. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- ^ "Wright Brothers National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)".
- ^ "Kill Devil Hills". Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2013.