Sunset Beach, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sunset Beach, North Carolina
Seaside town
Seagull over wave in Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach, North Carolina Location in North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Brunswick
Township	Shallotte Township
Area
• Total	7.88 sq mi (20.41 km2)
• Land	6.96 sq mi (18.04 km2)
• Water	0.92 sq mi (2.37 km2)
Elevation	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2010)
• Total	3,572
• Estimate  (2019)	4,037
• Density	579.70/sq mi (223.83/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28468
Area code(s)	910
FIPS code	37-65900
GNIS feature ID	1004755

Sunset Beach is a seaside town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,572 at the 2010 census, up from 1,824 in 2000. It is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area.

History

The seaside town of Sunset Beach had its start in 1955 when the land it occupies was bought by a property developer. Development began in earnest with the completion of a bridge connecting the beach island to the mainland in 1958. Sunset Beach was incorporated as a town in 1963.

Geography

Sunset Beach is located in southwestern Brunswick County at 33°53′7″N 78°30′27″W / 33.88528°N 78.50750°W / 33.88528; -78.50750 (33.885348, -78.507528). It is the last developed Atlantic Ocean beach before the South Carolina border. One-third of the town's area occupies a barrier island between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway; the remainder of the town extends onto the mainland to the north. Undeveloped Bird Island is directly to the west, Calabash is the closest town to the west on the mainland, and Ocean Isle Beach is to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Sunset Beach has a total area of 7.3 square miles (19.0 km²). 6.4 square miles (16.7 km²) of it is land, and 0.89 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (12.22%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,175 people, 2,014 households, and 1,289 families residing in the town.

Sunset Beach Bridge

Sunset beach bridge

Sunset beach bridge 2006 with cars

Since most of Sunset Beach and the adjoining Bird Island coastal reserve encompass a barrier island, the only way to get there from the mainland was by crossing a pontoon bridge (swing bridge) straddling the Intracoastal Waterway and adjacent marshland. It was a wooden structure that could only hold one lane of traffic at any given time, and was the only one of its kind still in use along the East Coast until 2010. During the day in the summer, traffic would be stopped every hour, on the hour, and the bridge would open to boat traffic on the waterway for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes after the hour, every hour, the bridge would reopen for vehicular traffic again for 50 minutes. During the off-season, the bridge only opened at the request of boat traffic. While this caused headaches for those trying to get on or off the island, many locals said the bridge did, however, give the town a more relaxed feel. Historically, this had been in stark contrast to the rapid growth affecting other beach communities along the Grand Strand.

In February 2008 the NCDOT started construction to replace the old bridge with a modern, 65-foot-high (20 m) arc bridge (non-draw, non-swing). The bridge opened November 11, 2010. The old Sunset Beach pontoon swing bridge was saved by the Old Bridge Preservation Society which plans to create a museum celebrating the old bridge and the town's history. The new bridge eliminates the need for a bridge keeper and provides for a continual flow of vehicle traffic on and off the island, and water traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Images for kids

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  Sunset Beach Beach Houses at Dusk

See also

In Spanish: Sunset Beach (Carolina del Norte) para niños