Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County
, North Carolina
, USA. The population was 5,897 at the 2000 census.
Nearby Kitty Hawk
is frequently cited as the location of the Wright brothers
' first controlled, powered airplane
flights on December 17, 1903. The flights actually occurred in what is now Kill Devil Hills.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.36%) is water.
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 people per square mile (412.5/km²). There were 5,302 housing units at an average density of 960.1 per square mile (370.9/km²). 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.
Federally, Kill Devil Hills is part of North Carolina's 3rd congressional district
, represented by Republican Walt Jones
, elected in 1994.
s were common at the time, and many of the ships were transporting barrels of rum
. When a ship foundered, local wreckers
would scavenge what they could of the ship's cargo before it sank, hiding their pilfered rum behind, and sometimes in, the same large sand dunes where the Wright Brothers would later perform glider tests, before flying their first plane from level ground nearby. Since rum was called "Kill Devil" by the English at the time the dunes became known as "Kill Devil Hills."
Kill Devil Hills is the site of the Wright Brothers National Memorial
, commemorating the siblings' four powered airplane flights of 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.
. The school first opened on Tuesday, August 17, 2004, to 800 students. Previously, high school students from Kill Devil Hills attended Manteo High School
.
of the Coastal Plain League
, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Daredevils play at First Flight Baseball Complex
on Veterans Drive in Kill Devil Hills. The Daredevils, founded in 1997, began play in Kill Devils Hills in 2006.
Dare County, North Carolina
-National protected areas:* Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge * Cape Hatteras National Seashore * Fort Raleigh National Historic Site* Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge* Wright Brothers National Memorial-Demographics:...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, USA. The population was 5,897 at the 2000 census.
Nearby Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,000 at the 2000 census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk....
is frequently cited as the location of the Wright brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
' first controlled, powered airplane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
flights on December 17, 1903. The flights actually occurred in what is now Kill Devil Hills.
Geography
Kill Devil Hills is located at 36°1′32"N 75°40′12"W (36.025448, -75.670105), on the barrier islands known as the Outer BanksOuter Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²), of which, 5.5 square miles (14.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.36%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,897 people, 2,585 households, and 1,491 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,067.8 people per square mile (412.5/km²). There were 5,302 housing units at an average density of 960.1 per square mile (370.9/km²). 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
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
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.
Federally, Kill Devil Hills is part of North Carolina's 3rd congressional district
North Carolina's 3rd congressional district
North Carolina's 3rd congressional district is located on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. It covers the Outer Banks and the counties adjacent to the Pamlico Sound. It also spikes inwards through Duplin, Wayne, Wilson, Nash, Craven, Carteret and Pitt counties.The district is represented by...
, represented by Republican Walt Jones
Walter B. Jones
Walter Beaman Jones, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district encompasses the Outer Banks and areas near the Pamlico Sound. Jones' father was Walter B. Jones, Sr., a Democratic Party congressman from the neighboring 1st district...
, elected in 1994.
Name origin
The name Kill Devil Hills dates back to the Colonial era. ShipwreckShipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s were common at the time, and many of the ships were transporting barrels of rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
. When a ship foundered, local wreckers
Wrecking (shipwreck)
Wrecking is the practice of taking valuables from a shipwreck which has foundered near or close to shore. Often an unregulated activity of opportunity in coastal communities, wrecking has been subjected to increasing regulation and evolved into what is now known as marine salvage...
would scavenge what they could of the ship's cargo before it sank, hiding their pilfered rum behind, and sometimes in, the same large sand dunes where the Wright Brothers would later perform glider tests, before flying their first plane from level ground nearby. Since rum was called "Kill Devil" by the English at the time the dunes became known as "Kill Devil Hills."
History
Wright Brothers National Memorial
Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. From 1900 to 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright came here from Dayton, Ohio, based on information from the U.S. Weather Bureau...
, commemorating the siblings' four powered airplane flights of 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.
Schools
Kill Devil Hills is served by First Flight High SchoolFirst Flight High School
First Flight High School is a public high school , established in 2004 which is located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina on the Outer Banks....
. The school first opened on Tuesday, August 17, 2004, to 800 students. Previously, high school students from Kill Devil Hills attended Manteo High School
Manteo High School
Manteo High School is one of two high schools located in Dare County. The school is located on Roanoke Island at 829 Wingina Avenue, Manteo, North Carolina. Manteo was named after Chief Manteo who assisted the Roanoke Colony, which became known later as the Lost Colony...
.
Sports
Kill Devil Hills is home to the Outer Banks DaredevilsOuter Banks Daredevils
The Outer Banks Daredevils are an amateur baseball team playing in the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team plays its home games at the First Flight Baseball Complex in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The Daredevils were one of the original teams in the Coastal...
of the Coastal Plain League
Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League is a wood-bat collegiate summer league, featuring college players from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from a Class D minor league baseball league which operated in the same area from 1937 to 1952. The modern league was formed with six teams in 1997...
, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Daredevils play at First Flight Baseball Complex
First Flight Baseball Complex
The First Flight Baseball Complex is a baseball venue in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. It is the home of the Outer Banks Daredevils of the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The team, which was founded for the 1997 season, began playing at the field in the 2006 season...
on Veterans Drive in Kill Devil Hills. The Daredevils, founded in 1997, began play in Kill Devils Hills in 2006.
Popular culture
- In the 1996 R.E.M. song "So Fast, So Numb" from the album New Adventures in Hi-FiNew Adventures in Hi-FiNew Adventures in Hi-Fi is the tenth studio album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was their fifth major label release for Warner Bros. Records, released on September 9, 1996, in Europe and Australia and the following day in the United States...
, the lyrics mention Kill Devil Hills. - The ClutchClutch (band)Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
song "Four Lords (And One More)" from Slow Hole to China mentions Kill Devil Hills in its lyrics. - The 2005 solo album Tyranny of SoulsTyranny of SoulsTyranny of Souls is a heavy metal album released by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson on 23 May 2005. The cover art is a work by renaissance artist Hans Memling. It is Bruce's first solo album since rejoining Maiden in 1999 and his most recent studio album as a solo artist.The songwriting on the...
by Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
frontman Bruce DickinsonBruce DickinsonPaul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
features a track named "Kill Devil Hill". The song is about the flight made by the Wright brothers. - Rappers Ill BillIll BillWilliam Braunstein, better known as Ill Bill, is a American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. Having gained notoriety in the underground hip hop group Non Phixion, Ill Bill is known for his hardcore lyrics and as the producer, founder and CEO of Uncle Howie Records...
and DJ MuggsDJ MuggsLawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...
have an album entitled "Kill Devil Hills" released in 2010 - Monster JamMonster JamMonster Jam is a live motorsport event tour and television show operated by Feld Entertainment. The series is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association and takes place primarily in the United States and around the world...
icon Dennis AndersonDennis AndersonDennis Anderson is a professional monster truck driver. He is the creator and driver of "Grave Digger" on the USHRA Monster Jam circuit. Originally from Norfolk, Virginia, he now resides in Poplar Branch, North Carolina. In Poplar Branch, he has his own shop where he signs autographs and shoots...
, driver of Grave Digger (truck)Grave Digger (truck)Grave Digger is the name of a team of monster trucks currently racing in the USHRA Monster Jam series. There are several Grave Diggers being driven by different drivers to allow them to make appearances at more events, but their flagship driver is creator Dennis Anderson...
monster truck also makes home in Kill Devil Hills, NC