Living in Oak Island, NC

Oak Island, North Carolina

It consists of the Town of Oak Island and the Town of Caswell Beach, and the area has gorgeous homes. Oak Island is approximately 12 miles long and about one mile across. As they say, all real estate is local, and the location of real estate in Oak Island makes this island a great place for a permanent home or vacation destination. It is about 7 miles to the historic town of Southport, 30 miles to Wilmington, NC and about 60 miles to Myrtle Beach, SC. Since the island is so close to Wilmington and Myrtle Beach it makes getting to a large airport relatively easy. There is also the Brunswick County Airport which is located at the base of the bridge at Oak Island.

Most of the island is flat with some larger sand dunes that protect homes and natural habitats. One of the most important habitats this island has is shoreline for the Atlantic sea turtles, who return year after year to lay their eggs. Sea turtle populations include the Green, Loggerhead, and rare Kemp Ridley turtles. The nesting season begins in May and ends in September.

The Town of Caswell Beach shares part of the island with the Town of Oak Island. The Town of Caswell Beach is on the eastern most part of the island while the Town of Oak Island is the western portion. Visit the historic civil war fort, that was seized by the Confederate troops at the end of the 19th century and enjoy a fun day of exploring some of our Nation's history. Caswell Beach also has one of the brightest lighthouses in the United States. Close by is a United States Coast Guard station that watches over the entrance of the famous Cape Fear River that leads up to the state ports in Wilmington, NC. Ships can sometime see the lighthouse even when they're nearly 25 miles at sea. This lighthouse help guide ships to safety around the dangerous Frying Pan Shoals.

Bald Head Island is the next island east of Oak Island. To get to this isolated island one has to take a short ride on the passenger ferry from Southport, a small personal boat, or private yacht. Come and spend a day in the historic “Old Baldy” lighthouse that was built in 1817 or cruise the island on a rental bike. Bald Head Island allows only bicycles and golf carts. These transportation modes can be rented at the Bald Head Island Marina upon your arrival.

Within 7 road miles of Oak Island is another historic town called Southport, NC. This small historic town boasts many shops, churches and restaurants. For a quick day trip, you might want to catch the ferry from Southport to Ft. Fisher and visit the North Carolina Aquarium at Ft. Fisher. Since the town of Southport is nestled at the intersection of the Cape Fear River, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean a lot of boat and large ship traffic can been seen on a daily basis. In the months of late September or early October the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament is held on the waterfront. You can observe hundreds of high performance fishing boats bring in their daily catch as they compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes.

Southport is also famous for their Fourth of July celebration. For more than 200 years this quiet maritime community has been celebrating our Nation's independence. Southport’s celebration started in colonial times when ships would anchor in her harbor and shoot their cannons to today's festival that attracts 45,000 to 55,000 people.

With so much natural beauty, historical significance and unique character the area has to offer, it is easy to see why Oak Island is such wonderful places to visit and live.