Wilmington

Understand

The city is famous for its beaches, seafood, and historic plantations. There are also aquariums, museums, historical sites, festivals, libraries, film studios, and theatres to enjoy in this richly cultured city.

As of 2020, there were about 116,000 people residing in the city, and about 300,000 residents in the metro area. The racial makeup of the city is about 70% White, 26% African American, and the remainder other races.

Wilmington was the site of the only violent overthrow of a democratically-elected government in United States history. During the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, a mob of 2,000 white Democrats massacred an estimated 60 black residents, and the duly-elected city government (including several white men) installed a white supremacist government in its place despite the city's population being more than 55% African-American at the time. This was following the 1898 election in which a coalition party that promised free public education for all and equal voting rights for every African-American man in the city had secured a majority of city council seats.

Climate

Wilmington sits between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. With the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, some 45-60 miles (70–95 km) offshore, Wilmington and North Carolina's Cape Fear Coast (Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach) enjoy a temperate subtropical climate year-round. Summer temperatures are usually in the 80s °F (close to 30 °C). Seasons are mild, with an average 212 sunshine days and a mean average temperature of 63.7°F. The average winter temperature is about 50°F. The average summer heat index is around 96°F during the day and 76°F at night. A heat index of 107°F for a daytime high and 83°F for nighttime lows is not unheard of, but can occur in periods of high heat and humidity.

Get in

By car

& From Charlotte, or the south via I-95 N, take US 74 E (exit 14 in North Carolina from I-95). It will take you about an 1.5 to 2 hours to get to Wilmington from the junction of I-95 and US 74. If taking this route, fill up your gasoline tank before merging onto US 74 E, because stops are few and far between until arriving in Wilmington. US 74 (running concurrent with US 17 and US 76 at this point) crosses the Cape Fear River Bridge into Wilmington just south of the Historic District.

& From Raleigh, the north via I-95 S, or the west, take I-40 E. It will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to get to Wilmington from the junction of I-95 and I-40. You should be aware that stops between I-95 and Wilmington are infrequent, although there is a rest area near Warsaw, at the exit for NC 24. The interstate ends at US 117 in Wilmington.

By plane

Go Wilmington International Airport (ILM)

Most major American carriers or their subsidiaries fly to Wilmington. As of early 2025, there are flights from major airports in the eastern U.S., plus Dallas, but despite the airport's name there are no international services. Your options for getting into town are rental car, taxi and the Ride Micro minibus service which is something between a bus and a taxi.

📍 1740 Airport Blvdto the northwest of downtown

MapsWebsite☆ Want to go

The larger airports in Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte have flights from elsewhere in the Americas and Europe.

By bus

Bus service to Wilmington is via Carolina Trailways, a subsidiary of Greyhound. Direct buses connect Wilmington to at least Charlotte and Raleigh, and with transfers you can get in from elsewhere on the Greyhound network.

Get around

Wilmington is very much a driving town. Below are some alternatives to driving, but the boating and biking mentioned are mostly recreational activities, not the best way between points A and B. If you're arriving in Wilmington without a car, you will need to rent one, use cabs for the duration of your stay (which must be called ahead of time), or rely on the inadequate and infrequent coverage of the local bus network.

By bicycle

The NCDOT Cape Fear Run Bicycling Highway 5 connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 370 mi brevet (long distance bike) route.

The 300 mi Ports of Call Bicycling Highway 3 connects Wilmington to Bath, Edenton, New Bern and Southport.

The River to Sea Bikeway (signed route 1) runs for 10 miles from downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach along local streets and off-road paths. The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization provides maps of local bicycle facilities and routes.

The Gary Shell Cross City Trail runs from Wrightsville Beach, through multiple city parks, ending 15 mi later at E.L Wade Park.

By boat

There are two water taxi services that connect to local attractions:

Many area attractions, including downtown Wilmington, Carolina Beach and Wrightsville Beach are accessible by boat via the Cape Fear River and the Intracoastal Waterway.

By bus

WAVE Transit, by the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, operates 11 local routes through the city of Wilmington and New Hanover County. Most of these operate every 30 minutes on weekdays. There is also infrequent service to the towns of Belville, Bolton, Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw, Leland, Navassa, and Whiteville on the west side of the Cape Fear River. The base fare for a one-way trip is $2. The services that cross the river are more expensive.

WAVE Transit also operates a free downtown Port City Trolley that runs about every 40 minutes on weekdays.

By car

If you do not drive to Wilmington, it really is advisable to rent a car once you arrive as travel in Wilmington is so difficult without one.

Car rental is available at the airport from these companies:

• Avis, +1 910 763-1993
• Hertz Rent-a-Car, +1 910 762-1010
• National Car Rental, +1 910 762-8000
• Thrifty Rent-a-Car, +1 910 343-1411

Traffic can be heavy in some parts of Wilmington (South College Rd., Market St.), but on the whole, driving around town is relatively easy. For the most part, major thoroughfares radiate out from the historic downtown, and there are numerous streets that allow you to cut across these radiating thoroughfares. The Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway provides easy access to downtown, the airport, Interstate 40, and the beach while bypassing the most congested parts of Wilmington.

Learn

• University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College Rd., +1 910 962-3000.
• Cape Fear Community College, 411 N. Front St., +1 910 362-7000.
• New Hanover County Public Library, 201 Chestnut St., +1 910 798-6301.

Stay safe

Crime

Due to several low-income neighborhoods located near the Front Street nightlife district and the fact that the nightlife attracts a hefty group of college students and US military personnel from nearby Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base, Wilmington does have a slightly higher crime rate than would be expected from a city of its size. When walking through unfamiliar neighborhoods/areas (particularly at night), exercise the standard level of awareness and caution and try to travel in groups. During late weekend nights, alcohol-fueled fights on Front Street are not unheard of. Typically this occurs around the time bars begin closing at 2:30-3:30AM The police are typically on top of disturbances, however, and such fights serve more as a public nuisance than a threat to safety. The Front Street riverfront nightlife district typically has a considerable mounted police presence on busy nights able to handle any disruptions.

There are several neighborhoods that have reputations as crime spots, but these areas offer nothing of interest to the visitor and are best avoided altogether. Do not mistakenly, particularly at night, wander into low-income neighborhoods that border the riverfront/Front Street district. Violent crime has been known to happen in these areas.

Always be aware of your surroundings. Front Street is quite a busy area; if you find yourself suddenly in an area lacking in pedestrian traffic, there is probable a reason for it so immediately turn around.

A real-time map of reported crimes in Wilmington is available.

Beach and water safety

• Wrightsville Beach Fire Department, 321 Causeway Dr., Wrightsville Beach, +1 910 256-7900. Includes the Ocean Rescue Squad (beach lifeguards).
• Carolina Beach Lifeguards Information

Tropical storms

Because Wilmington is on the coast, there is a possibility that a tropical storm system could affect the Wilmington area during hurricane season (June 1 - November 30). Stay informed about any systems and be prepared if one is expected to make landfall in the area. For hurricane safety and preparation tips pick up a hurricane tracking map at a local grocery store.

Stay healthy

Hospitals

Go next

• Carolina Beach – a beach town, plus a state park famous for carnivorous plants
• Kure Beach – a quiet beach town, plus an aquarium and a Civil War fort
• Southport – Take the ferry on a day trip from Wilmington to this quaint little town. Stroll along the sidewalks, check out the antique shops, historic homes, grab a bite to eat, and experience true southern hospitality. Unfortunately, with the plans to build a new port and the building of condos and strip malls, this gem will eventually go the way of the dodo bird. See it now before its gone.