Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
Kill Devil Hill, Wright Brothers National Memorial | |
| Nickname: Birthplace of Aviation | |
Location in Dare County, 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 |
| Named after | Unwholesome rum |
| 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 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1025849 |
| Website | www.kdhnc.com |
Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,633 at the 2020 census. 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. It was commemorated by the Wright Brothers National Memorial, which was dedicated in 1932. 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. 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.