Nags Head, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Nags Head in 2013 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location in Dare County, North Carolina | |
  Nags Head  Nags Head | |
| Coordinates:35°55′55″N75°36′54″W / 35.93194°N 75.61500°W /35.93194; -75.61500 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Dare |
| Incorporated | 1923 and 1961[1] |
| Named after | Tied lanterns around the necks of ponies[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ben Cahoon[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.68 sq mi (17.31 km2) |
| • Land | 6.62 sq mi (17.14 km2) |
| • Water | 0.066 sq mi (0.17 km2) |
| Elevation | 3.3 ft (1 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 3,168 |
| • Density | 478.7/sq mi (184.84/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 27959 |
| Area code | 252 |
| FIPS code | 37-45880[4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1021599[5] |
| Website | nagsheadnc |
Nags Head is a town inDare County, North Carolina, United States. It is a busy vacation spot because of its beaches andsand dunes ofJockey's Ridge. The population was 3,146 at the2020 census.[6]
Early maps of the area show Nags Head as apromontory of land characterized by highsand dunes visible from miles at sea. The origin of the town's name is obscure but it is likely to have been named after any one of the places called Nag's Head on the English coast.[7]
Afolkloric explanation claims that mules or horses (nags) would have lights hung on their heads by nefariouswreckers in order to trick ships into running aground and then loot the ships of their valuables.[8] The town's emblem depicts one such equine accomplice from the tale.[9]
Around 1830,[10] Nags Head became known as a resort area. This direction was accelerated in 1855 when Dr. W. G. Pool bought 50 acres of oceanfront land which he separated into plots and sold to friends, increasing the number of homes in the area.[citation needed]
Jockey's Ridge is the last vestige of the sand dunes seen by the first explorers, as the area is now highly developed. The town incorporated in 1961.[11]
In May 2021, Nags Head was one of 11 communities (along with nearbyOcracoke, North Carolina) chosen by theUnited States Department of Energy to participate in theEnergy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project, a program to provide federal aid for remote communities to modernize their electric infrastructure and resiliency through natural disasters and outages. Nags Head's grant is used to secure 48–72 hours of backup energy for emergency services due to the community's vulnerability to severe weather and rising sea levels and to investigate renewable andenergy efficiency options.[12] According to Nag's Head's Director of Planning and Development Michael Zehner, the project will take 12–18 months to complete and the town will receive assistance fromNational Renewable Energy Laboratory and theSandia National Laboratories.[13]
Nags Head received a separate grant from the North Carolina Chapter of theAmerican Institute of Architects to receive technical assistance in developing better building design practices for energy and water efficiency, a project with an expected completion in early 2022.[13]
Nags Head is located at35°55′55″N75°36′54″W / 35.93194°N 75.61500°W /35.93194; -75.61500 (35.932004, -75.615085).[14]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.6 square miles (17.2 km2), of which 6.6 square miles (17.0 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 1.15%, is water.[15]
According to theA. W. Kuchler U.S.potential natural vegetation types, Nags Head, North Carolina would have a dominant vegetation type ofLive oak/Sea OatsUniola paniculata (90) with a dominant vegetation form ofCoastalPrairie (20).[16]
According to theTrewartha climate classification system, Nags Head, North Carolina has ahumid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation (Cfak). Cfak climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least eight months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Nags Head, a cooling afternoonsea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur withheat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). Nags Head is prone to hurricane strikes, particularly during theAtlantic hurricane season which extends from June 1 through November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. During the winter months, episodes of cold and wind can occur withwind chill values < 10 °F (< −12 °C). Theplant hardiness zone in Nags Head is 8b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 16.9 °F (−8.4 °C).[17] The average seasonal (Dec-Mar) snowfall total is < 2 inches (< 5 cm), and the average annual peak innor'easter activity is in February.
| Climate data for Nags Head, NC (1981–2010 averages) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 51.3 (10.7) | 53.1 (11.7) | 58.6 (14.8) | 66.9 (19.4) | 74.3 (23.5) | 81.8 (27.7) | 85.5 (29.7) | 84.4 (29.1) | 79.9 (26.6) | 71.6 (22.0) | 63.5 (17.5) | 55.3 (12.9) | 68.9 (20.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 44.3 (6.8) | 46.0 (7.8) | 51.1 (10.6) | 59.3 (15.2) | 67.2 (19.6) | 75.6 (24.2) | 79.7 (26.5) | 78.8 (26.0) | 74.4 (23.6) | 65.5 (18.6) | 56.7 (13.7) | 48.3 (9.1) | 62.3 (16.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.3 (2.9) | 38.8 (3.8) | 43.5 (6.4) | 51.7 (10.9) | 60.1 (15.6) | 69.4 (20.8) | 73.9 (23.3) | 73.2 (22.9) | 69.0 (20.6) | 59.3 (15.2) | 49.8 (9.9) | 41.4 (5.2) | 55.7 (13.2) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.35 (110) | 3.74 (95) | 3.73 (95) | 3.37 (86) | 3.68 (93) | 4.28 (109) | 5.12 (130) | 6.09 (155) | 5.63 (143) | 3.94 (100) | 3.83 (97) | 3.88 (99) | 51.64 (1,312) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 69.6 | 69.5 | 67.2 | 67.4 | 70.3 | 73.4 | 75.3 | 74.7 | 73.8 | 70.9 | 72.1 | 71.2 | 71.3 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 35.0 (1.7) | 36.6 (2.6) | 40.6 (4.8) | 48.5 (9.2) | 57.2 (14.0) | 66.5 (19.2) | 71.2 (21.8) | 70.1 (21.2) | 65.5 (18.6) | 55.8 (13.2) | 47.8 (8.8) | 39.4 (4.1) | 52.9 (11.6) |
| Source: PRISM[18] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Duck, NC, ocean water temperature (21 NW Nags Head) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45 (7) | 44 (7) | 46 (8) | 59 (15) | 67 (19) | 74 (23) | 71 (22) | 74 (23) | 75 (24) | 69 (21) | 59 (15) | 52 (11) | 61 (16) |
| Source: NOAA[19] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 414 | — | |
| 1980 | 1,020 | 146.4% | |
| 1990 | 1,838 | 80.2% | |
| 2000 | 2,700 | 46.9% | |
| 2010 | 2,757 | 2.1% | |
| 2020 | 3,146 | 14.1% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 3,182 | [6] | 1.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 2,891 | 91.26% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 23 | 0.73% |
| Native American | 5 | 0.16% |
| Asian | 25 | 0.79% |
| Other/Mixed | 108 | 3.41% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 116 | 3.66% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 3,168 people, 1,302 households, and 861 families residing in the town.
As of thecensus[4] of 2010, there were 2,757 people, 1,223 households, and 741 families residing in the town. The population density was 413.2 inhabitants per square mile (159.5/km2). There were 4,884 housing units at an average density of 634.9 per square mile (245.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.6%White, 1.6%African American, 0.15%Native American, 0.3%Asian, 1.4% fromother races, and 1.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.44% of the population.
There were 1,223 households, out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% weremarried couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.65.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,095, and the median income for a family was $61,302. Males had a median income of $33,289 versus $30,139 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $30,157. About 4.4% of families and 6.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Located in Nags Head is the tallest active sand dune on the East Coast atJockey's Ridge State Park.[22] The sand dune has migrated over the years from the energy of coastal winds and has buried a miniature golf course along the way. Jockey's Ridge has been popular withhang-gliders since the advent of the sport, and is home to the world's largest hang gliding school. Kite flyers are also frequent visitors. The park's visitor center includes an informative museum with exhibits on sand, weather, and local fauna. The diversity of wildlife may change with seasonal migrations and includes bird species, foxes, mice, squirrels, occasional deer and rabbits.
One of the most exciting features of the Ridge is its capriciousness. Annual visitors find that ephemeral pools can spring up, and the sand can shift, making for a fresh experience every time. From the top of the Ridge, the ocean as well as the sound can be seen. Jockey's Ridge has a sound beach on the Roanoke Sound side where visitors may swim.
The Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve is 1,092 acres (4.42 km2) and lies North ofJockey's Ridge and east ofRoanoke Sound. It was designated aNational Natural Landmark in 1974.[23]
As in any other beach town, the ocean and shoreline are the major attractions, providing beaches for swimming, sunbathing, and a variety of water sports. A series of historic cottages overlook the beach in sections. There are three piers popular for fishing: Nags Head Pier, Jennette's Pier (severely damaged byHurricane Isabel in 2003, bought and renovated by theNorth Carolina Aquariums, reopened in May 2011), and Outer Banks Pier. The town also features miniature golf courses and small amusement centers with go-karts and bumper cars for family entertainment.
Other attractions include variousNational Register of Historic Places in or near Nags Head, such as the following:
Residents are inDare County Schools. Zoned schools include Nags Head Elementary School, Manteo Middle School, andManteo High School.[26]
Nags Head Elementary opened in August 2005.[27]
Previously First Flight Elementary School inKill Devil Hills served elementary levels while First Flight Middle School, also in Kill Devil Hills, served middle school.[28]
Legend has it that "wrecking" was a popular pastime and source of income for the early inhabitants. It seems that certain ne'r-do-wells would tie lanterns to their horses' necks [...]
Municipalities and communities ofDare County, North Carolina,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
.jpg)
