Fun Facts

  • Kitty Hawk is 8.23 square miles in area, which includes .05 square miles of water.
  • The elevation of Kill Devil Hills averages just 7' feet above sea level.
  • Kitty Hawk has an impressive year-round population of more than 3,200 residents. This number skyrockets in the summer months to 40,000 visitors or more.
  • Kitty Hawk borders the Albemarle Sound, as well as the Currituck Sound. The two sounds "meet" just off the western Kitty Hawk coastline, close to the Wright Memorial Bridge.
  • There are two main roads that run through Kitty Hawk - US 158, also known as the Beach Bypass, and NC Highway 12, also known as the Beach Road.
  • There are no alligators in the Currituck or Albemarle Sounds, but the soundside region of Kitty Hawk is home to a wealth of migrating and year-round birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals.
  • The Kitty Hawk Woods Reserve encompasses 1,824 acres of maritime deciduous swamp, forest, and marsh. Of this area, the Town of Kitty Hawk owns 461 undeveloped acres.
  • Kitty Hawk was unheard of until 1903, when the town became famous thanks to the Wright Brothers.
  • Kitty Hawk is credited as the home of the Wright Brother's first flight, but it was simply telegraphed from the town via the Kitty Hawk Weather Station. The first flight actually took place in neighboring Kill Devil Hills, which was not a "town" at the time, but was officially incorporated about 50 years later.
  • Kitty Hawk is often the first town visitors will enter when they arrive on the Outer Banks, as its northern town borders connect with the Wright Memorial Bridge.
  • The Aycock Brown Welcome Station, the largest Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Visitors Center, is located in Kitty Hawk, just after the Wright Memorial Bridge ends.
  • Kitty Hawk is home to a golf course, a natural preserve, several public boat launches, and the Outer Banks' only Wal-Mart.
  • In 2005, Kitty Hawk got a sister city - Coulaines in Pays de la Loire, France.

 

Black Pelican
Super Wings
Gray's

Gray’s Outer Banks Lifestyle Clothing Company offers the absolute best in Outer Banks T-shirts and Sweatshirts including Champion, Under Armour with "Outer Banks” and Gear! We carry quality fashions and accessories for the whole family by all your favorite brands including Tommy Bahama, Tribal, ESCAPE, Billabong, Quiksilver, Jack O’Neill, RVCA, Olukai, Cobian, Spartina, Scout, Brighton.

 

Whether you’re shopping for apparel, shoes & accessories, gifts & toys or OBX and Big Duck souvenirs, Gray’s offers the best brands and quality for a beach lifestyle at any of our 4 locations! From sportswear to beachwear and everything in between, Gray’s will outfit your entire family. You can also find great beach accessories at Gray’s, such as Costa sunglasses, Olukai sandals and Sun Bum sunscreen and hair products. Be sure to shop Gray’s signature Big Duck found on t-shirts, sweatshirts and gift items!

 

Established in 1948 by Walter and Stelle Gray, Gray’s began as a single store on the beach road in Nags Head, a land mark that has been beautifully transformed into Seagreen Art Gallery. Visitors to the original Gray’s may remember that the family home was located above the store and that Walter Gray had a passion for Big Band music that was often playing on the store speakers, giving shoppers a little swing in their step.

 

Modern-day Gray’s is still family owned and operated by their children Ronnie and Julie Gray, who carry on a legacy of superior customer service and traditional values. Ronnie’s wife Susan is also an important part of the business. “It really was always a family operating as a business rather than a business being run by a family,” explains Ronnie Gray. “When our visitors come in, they are greeted by a warm hello and a ‘Welcome to Gray’s.’ We try to welcome them as if they’re entering our own home”

(More Locations)
Jimmy's Seafood Buffet

Home of the Crab Leg & Lobster Buffet for 26! years! Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet is a great stop for an all you can eat affordable dinner extravaganza. The buffet offers over 100 different items. It even serves Jumbo Alaskan crab legs and Jumbo steamed shrimp, something you will not find on any other buffet in the OBX. The buffet offers a variety of seafood and non seafood options. Try some of Jimmy’s seafood options and load your plate with blackened tuna, Louisiana crawfish, steamed scallops and mussels, fried oysters and deviled crabs. Not in the mood for seafood? Fill your plate with steak, pineapple glazed ham, fried chicken, BBQ ribs, and fettuccini Alfredo to name a few. The buffet also offers a kid section. Let your kids load their plates with chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and corn dog nuggets. Don’t forget dessert! The buffet also offers soft serve ice cream and a plethora of baked goods. 

 

It’s been 25 years since Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet opened its doors for the first time. Since that inaugural summer, the goal has remained the same: provide customers with a tasty, fresh array of seafood full of Caribbean flavor.

 

Elizabeth Dowless and her husband Jerry had always worked in restaurants in the Outer Banks, so when the opportunity to open Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet with a couple of friends arose, it was an easy yes. The Dowlesses bought out the business in 2003, excited to turn Jimmy’s into an Outer Banks staple. When Jerry passed away later that year, Dowless knew she wanted to continue pursuing their dream on her own.

 

Dowless went all in on the concept of a fresh, flavorful seafood buffet and her hard work paid off. Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet is a beloved fixture of Outer Banks dining, with customers returning year after year for the fresh fare.

 

“Customers keep in contact with me throughout the winter. I get people every day asking me when we’re opening for the season, and customers book their vacations around our opening,” Dowless says. “I absolutely love getting to see familiar faces come back to see us each year. I love seeing them lose their minds over the buffet! Their excitement is what I love most about my job.”