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Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Town
Kill Devil Hill, Wright Brothers National Memorial
FlagSeal
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 / 36.02556; -75.67000
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Dare
Incorporated	1953
Named for	Unwholesome rum
Area
• Total	5.66 sq mi (14.67 km)
• Land	5.61 sq mi (14.53 km)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.14 km)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population
• Total	7,656
• Density	1,365.19/sq mi (527.08/km)
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	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.

History

Kill Devil Hills is the site of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, commemorating the siblings' four powered airplane flights in the Wright Flyer on Thursday, December 17, 1903. Orville returned in 1911, and on October 25 he set a new world glider record, remaining in the air 10 minutes and 34 seconds, soaring against the wind with very little forward movement.

In addition to the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Sam's Diner in the town is on the National Register of Historic Places, listed in 1999.

Geography

Kill Devil Hills is located at 36°1′32″N 75°40′12″W / 36.02556°N 75.67000°W / 36.02556; -75.67000 (36.025448, −75.670105), on the barrier islands known as the Outer Banks.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14 km), of which 5.5 square miles (14 km) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km) (0.36%) is water.

As a result of its climate and proximity to beaches, the population rises significantly in Kill Devil Hills and other towns located on the Outer Banks during the summer months.

• Photographed from the Wright Brothers National Memorial
• Panorama of Kill Devil Hills at Night

Climate

According to the Trewartha climate classification system, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-round 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 Kill Devil Hills, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). Kill Devil Hills is prone to hurricane strikes, particularly during the Atlantic 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 with wind chill values < 10 °F (< -12 °C). The plant hardiness zone in Kill Devil Hills is 8b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 17.0 °F (-8.3 °C). The average seasonal (Dec-Mar) snowfall total is < 2 inches (< 5 cm), and the average annual peak in nor'easter activity is in February.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina would have a dominant vegetation type of Live oak/Sea Oats Uniola paniculata (90) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 7,656 people, 3,170 households, and 1,809 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,897 people, 2,585 households, and 1,491 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,067.8 inhabitants per square mile (412.3/km). There were 5,302 housing units at an average density of 960.1 per square mile (370.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 96.40% White, 0.61% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.05% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.95% of the population. 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.2% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 38.1% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,713, and the median income for a family was $44,681. Males had a median income of $31,431 versus $23,206 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,679. About 5.2% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Kill Devil Hills is part of North Carolina's 3rd congressional district, represented by Republican Greg Murphy; who was elected in a special election to fill the seat vacated by the death of longtime Republican Congressman Walter B. Jones following Jones' death on February 10, 2019.

Sports

Kill Devil Hills is home to the Outer Banks Daredevils of the Tidewater Summer League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Daredevils play at First Flight Baseball Complex on Veterans Drive in Kill Devil Hills. The team, founded in 1997, began play in Kill Devil Hills in 2005.

Education

It is within Dare County Schools.

First Flight Elementary School and First Flight Middle School are in Kill Devil Hills, just south of the Monument. Kill Devil Hills is also served by First Flight High School. The school first opened on Tuesday, August 17, 2004, to 800 students. Previously, high school students from Kill Devil Hills attended Manteo High School.

Some portions of Kill Devil Hills are zoned to Nags Head Elementary instead of First Flight Elementary. Previously Kitty Hawk Elementary School served areas north of Collington Road/Ocean Bay Bridge while First Flight Elementary served points south. Boundaries changed when Nags Head Elementary opened in 2005.

Dare County Library has a branch in Kill Devil Hills.

Transportation

First Flight Airport (IATA: FFA, ICAO: KFFA, FAA LID: FFA) is a public use airport which is owned by the National Park Service (NPS), and located one mile west of Kill Devil Hills.

First Flight Airport covers an area of 40 acres at an elevation of 13 feet (4 metres) above mean sea level. It has one runway; designated 3/21, with an asphalt surface measuring 3,000 by 60 feet (914 by 18 metres). For the 12-month period ending August 19, 2009, the airport had 38,120 aircraft operations, an average of 104 per day: 97% general aviation, 3% air taxi, and <1% military.

The airport is notable for being the site of hundreds of pre-flight gliding experiments carried out by the Wright brothers. The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission chose First Flight Airport as one of the stops for the National Air Tour 2003.

Popular culture

• In March 2011, it was announced that bass guitarist Rex Brown (Pantera) and drummer Vinny Appice (Heaven & Hell, Black Sabbath, Dio) had formed a new band called Kill Devil Hill.
• The closing scenes of the 1983 film Brainstorm take place at the Wright Brothers National Memorial visitor's center in Kill Devil Hills.
• Dennis Anderson, creator and former driver of the Grave Digger monster truck in the Monster Jam touring series, makes his home in Kill Devil Hills, and the town's name appears on the truck's artwork, keeping with its "spooky" theme. The team's garage is located in nearby Poplar Branch.
• The 2005 album Tyranny of Souls by Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden frontman) contains a track titled Kill Devil Hill, a song about the first controlled airplane flight.

References

1. ^ "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
2. Ryan (February 5, 2016). "Outer Banks Town Names - Where did they come from?". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
3. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
7. "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.
8. "Wright Brothers National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service)".
9. ^ "Kill Devil Hills". Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
10. "Flying Machine: Construction and Operation – Chapter XXVII". Worldwideschool.org. July 1, 1911. Archived from the original on February 5, 2000. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
11. "National Register Information System – Sam's Diner (#99000062)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
12. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
13. "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
14. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
15. "Water Temperature Table of All Coastal Regions". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
16. "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
17. "Census of Population and Housing". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
18. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
19. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
20. Seelye, Katherine (February 13, 2019). "Walter B. Jones, 76, Dies; Republican Turned Against Iraq War". New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
21. "Daredevils History…". OBX Daredevils - A Collegiate Summer Baseball Team. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
22. Freeman, Darren (August 18, 2004). "NO LINES, NO CROWDS, JUST MORE SPACE". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on September 11, 2004. Retrieved October 25, 2009. - Entry at NewsBank
23. "Attendance Zone Information". Dare County Schools. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021. Nags Head Elementary School -- All of the Town of Nags Head and the following areas in Kill Devil Hills: from Cameron Street south to Ocean Bay Boulevard and from Airstrip Road/Calvin Street south to 8th street
24. "Attendance Zones". Dare County Schools. February 19, 2002. Archived from the original on December 19, 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)-
25. Freeman, Darren (October 3, 2004). "Boundary lines for Nags Head Elementary set for next year". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on October 15, 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
26. "Home". Dare County Library. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
27. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for FFA PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective May 31, 2012.
28. "The National Park Service and the National Air Tour 2003 Announce Plans for Stop at Wright Brothers National Memorial". www.CentennialOfFlight.gov. U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission. 2003. Archived from the original on September 23, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2006.
29. Metal Talk (March 5, 2011). "REX BROWN AND VINNIE APPICE FORM NEW BAND - KILL DEVIL HILL". Metal Talk. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
30. Brainstorm (1983) - IMDb, retrieved June 21, 2021
31. "Dennis Anderson". MonsterJam.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.

External links

• Official website
• Story of how Kill Devil Hills got its name (outerbanksdistilling.com)

v t e Municipalities and communities of Dare County, North Carolina, United States
County seat: Manteo
Towns	Duck Kill Devil Hills Kitty Hawk Manteo Nags Head Southern Shores
CDPs	Avon Buxton Frisco Hatteras Manns Harbor Rodanthe Salvo Wanchese Waves
Unincorporated communities	Colington Stumpy Point
Ghost town	Buffalo City
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• Towns in Dare County, North Carolina
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• Beaches of North Carolina
• Outer Banks
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• Beaches of Dare County, North Carolina
• Populated coastal places in North Carolina