As of the census of 2000, there are 75,838 people, 34,359 households, and 17,351 families residing in the city; according to census bureau estimates, the 2004 population is 93,292. The population density is 714.2/km. (1,849.8/mi.). There are 38,678 housing units at an average density of 364.2/km. (943.4/mi.). The racial makeup of the city is 70.57% White, 25.82% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.90% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 2.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Wilmington has a variety of newspapers available. The Wilmington Star News, owned by the New York Times, is published daily serving New Hanover, Pender, Brunswick, Duplin, Onslow and Columbus counties. The Wilmington Journal is an African-American newspaper that is published weekly. Encore Magazine is a weekly arts and entertainment publication.

Attractions

 • Bellamy Mansion 503 Market Street, tel: (910) 251-3700 - Tours on the hour T-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM. Offices open M-F 9AM-5PM. Built for planter Dr. John D. Bellamy in 1859, the Bellamy Mansion is Wilmington's most spectacular example of antebellum architecture. Today, the mansion operates as a museum of history and design arts, and is owned by Preservation North Carolina. See exhibits on architectural history, historic preservation and design arts, and see the newly restored carriage house and gardens. Plans are being made at the moment for restoring the slave quarters. Admission for adults $7, Children (5-12) $3, Group tours $5 (20 or more persons with required advance reservations).
 • Cape Fear Serpentarium 20 Orange Street, tel: (910) 762-1669 - The Serpentarium is open from 11AM-5PM M-F, 11AM-6PM Sa-Su. Hours may vary seasonally, so phone ahead for confirmation. The Cape Fear Serpentarium features more than 80 exotic snakes from around the world. Tickets are $8 and children under 2 years of age are free. Ask about special group or educational discounts.
 • EUE Screen Gems Studio, 1223 North 23rd Street, tel: (910) 343-3433 - Tours are offered at 12PM on Saturdays from September to May and Saturdays and Sundays 12PM and 2PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Tour of EUE Screen Gems Studios North Carolina takes visitors through North Carolina's film history. This one-hour walking tour includes visits to the sets of Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill.
 • USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, tel: (910) 251-5797, fax: (910) 251-5807 -

Shopping

There is plenty of shopping to be done in Wilmington. Downtown has many neat clothing and shoe stores. Most notable is a cluster of eight historic buildings called The Cotton Exchange . The Cotton Exchange offers a variety of shopping and dining opportunities all in a charming turn of the century setting. Parking for visitors to The Cotton Exchange is free.
Westfield Independence Mall off of Oleander Drive is a respectable mall. Its major department stores are Dillards, JC Penney's, Sears, and Belk's. There are a plethora of other shops to browse as well. The mall wasn't much to talk about before the renovation in (if I remember correctly) 2000. They added the Dillard's and an entire new wing to the mall.

Also, a new shopping center is now complete off of Military Cutoff, near Wrightsville Beach. This shopping center, Mayfaire, is all outdoor but very nice. If you are in good health, you should have no problem parking in one place and walking around the mall. It's sort of upscale (but not out of reach of the average family) with Hecht's and such. It also has an incredibly large and nice movie theater. Definitely the best in town. There are also condos located upstairs to some of these buildings. They are costly, but very beautiful. It is a gorgeous place to walk around and shop for the day.

Stay safe

Emergency/authority Numbers
 • Emergency: 911
 • Wilmington Police Department (910) 343-3600
 • Wilmington Fire Department (910) 343-3937
 • Hampstead Volunteer Fire Department (910) 270-3322
 • Kure Beach Police Department (910) 458-8216
 • New Hanover County Sheriff's Department (910) 341-4200
 • Pender County Sheriff's Department (910) 259-1212
 • United States Coast Guard (910) 256-3469

Stay healthy

Pet health
Just in case a non-human companion needs medical treatment or to be boarded during your travels
 • Pine Valley Animal Hospital 106 Longstreet Dr., tel: (910) 799-4500.
 • Azalea Coast Animal Care 6205 Market St., tel: (910) 791-3112.
 • Lacroix Veterinary Hospital 908 Pine Grove Dr., tel: (910) 799-3100.
 • Coastal Carolina Animal Hospital 5650 Carolina Beach Rd., tel: (910) 792-9600.
 • Needham Animal Hospital 1531 S 41st St., tel: (910) 799-2970.
 • Dineen Animal Hospital 1132 Floral Pkwy., Wilmington, tel: (910) 799-3400.
 • Highsmith Animal Hospital 4605 Wrightsville Ave., tel: (910) 799-5587.
 • Leonard-Sykes Hosp For Pets 908 S Kerr Ave., tel: (910) 791-8426.
 • Atlantic Animal Hospital 1319 Military Cutoff Rd. # N, tel: (910) 256-2624.
 • Wrightsville Beach Pet Hospital 6324 Oleander Dr., tel: (910) 397-7770.

Links

 • Wilmington International Airport (ILM) 
 • Wave Transit 

• Get In
• Lodging
• Dining
• Activities
• Contact

Education

Wilmington is home to a number of higher education institutions including University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College .

Drink

 • Port City Java Wilmington, among other things, is known for their coffee. Port City Java, which was founded in this small town and has now gone global, has an excellent selection of coffee, bagels, and other varieties of cafe specialties.
 • Planet Smoothie If craving something fruity and refreshing, Planet Smoothie had smoothie flavors that will satisfy anyone's taste buds.
 • Lucky's Pub 2505 S. College Rd., (910) 792-1812 - Live bands.

Get out

 • Fort Fisher If interested in Civil War history, drive south on College Road (I-40) until it dead-ends to check out Fort Fisher. This was a major stronghold of the confederacy. The ocean has eroded much of this fort but there is still quite a bit left.

Another interesting point about Fort Fisher, before the Civil War, the area was inhabited by Native Americans. It is not uncommon for someone digging around to find an arrowhead from the Indians and close by, a bullet casing from the war. For info. on Fort Fisher as a confederate stronghold see or

Tropical systems

Because Wilmington is on the coast, there is a possibility that a tropical system could affect the Wilmington area during hurricane season (June 1 through 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.