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 Kill Devil Hills.
Geography
Kill Devil Hills is located at 36°1′32″N 75°40′12″W / 36.02556°N 75.67°W / 36.02556; -75.67 (36.025448, -75.670105)[3], on the barrier islands known as the Outer Banks.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.5 square miles (14.3 km²), of which, 5.5 square miles (14.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.36%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[1] 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/sq mi (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.
Name origin
The name Kill Devil Hills can be dated back to the colonial era. Shipwrecks were common at the time, and many of the ships were transporting barrels of rum. Upon a shipwreck, locals would scavenge the ship and hide the rum they found behind the same large sand dunes where the Wright brothers later flew the first plane. The locals said that the rum was strong enough to "kill the devil," so the dunes where they would hide the rum were nicknamed 'Kill Devil Hills.'[citation needed]
History
Wright Brothers National Memorial
Kill Devil Hills is the site of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, commemorating the Wright brothers' 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.[4] There is a road in Kill Devil Hill named after the Hollowell family who lived in the area at the time of the Wright brothers test flights.[5]
First Flight High School
Kill Devil Hills is served by First Flight High School. The school first opened on Tuesday, August 17, 2004, to 800 students. Previously, high school students from Kill Devil Hills attended Manteo High School.[6]
Sports
Kill Devil Hills is home to the Outer Banks Daredevils 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.[citation needed]
Popular Culture
References
External links
