Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington, North Carolina
City
Clockwise, from top left: USS North Carolina, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, Hoggard Hall on the campus of UNC Wilmington, and Downtown Wilmington on the Cape Fear River
Seal Logo
Location in New Hanover County and the state of North Carolina.
Coordinates: 34°13′24″N 77°54′44″W / 34.22333°N 77.91222°W / 34.22333; -77.91222Coordinates: 34°13′24″N 77°54′44″W / 34.22333°N 77.91222°W / 34.22333; -77.91222
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	New Hanover
Incorporated	February 20, 1739/40
Named for	Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington
Government
• Mayor	Bill Saffo
Area
• City	41.5 sq mi (107.4 km2)
• Land	41.0 sq mi (106.2 km2)
• Water	0.5 sq mi (1.2 km2)
Elevation	30 ft (9 m)
Population (2012)
• City	112,067 (US: 243rd)
• Density	1,849.8/sq mi (714.2/km2)
• Urban	219,957 (US: 161st)
• Metro	263,429 (US: 175th)
Demonym(s)	Wilmingtonian
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	28401-28412
Area code(s)	910
FIPS code	37-74440
GNIS feature ID	1023269
Sister cities	Dandong, Liaoning, China Doncaster, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom Bridgetown, Barbados San Pedro Town, Belize
Website	http://www.wilmingtonnc.gov/

Wilmington is a port city and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. The population is 112,067; according to the 2010 Census it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that includes New Hanover and Pender counties in southeastern North Carolina, which has a population of 263,429 as of the 2012 Census Estimate.

Wilmington was settled by European Americans along the Cape Fear River. Its historic downtown has a one-mile-long Riverwalk, originally developed as a tourist attraction, and in 2014 Wilmington's riverfront was named the "Best American Riverfront" by USA Today. It is minutes away from nearby beaches. The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Wilmington, North Carolina, as one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. City residents live between the river and the ocean, with four nearby beach communities: Fort Fisher, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach, all within half-hour drives from downtown Wilmington.

In 2003 the city was designated by the US Congress as a "Coast Guard City". It is the home port for the USCGC Diligence, a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. The World War II battleship USS North Carolina is held as a war memorial; located across from the downtown port area, the ship is open to public tours. Other attractions include the Cape Fear Museum, the Wilmington Hammerheads United Soccer Leagues soccer team. The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) provides a wide variety of programs for undergraduates, graduate students, and adult learners, in addition to cultural and sports events open to the community.