New Hanover County

County Formation: 1729 from Craven County

Name: New Hanover County was named in honor of English King George I who also ruled the Kingdom of Hanover, Germany. The English royal family was therefore, called the House of Hanover.

County Seat: Wilmington

Townships: Cape Fear, Federal Point, Harnett, Masonboro and Wilmington

Land Area: 198.4 square miles, the second smallest county in the state

Total Area: 219.6 square miles, the smallest in the state

Elevation: ranges from sea level to 38 feet at Wilmington

Population	1990	2000
New Hanover County	120,284	160,307
Wilmington		75,838
Carolina Beach		4,701
Wrightsville Beach		2,593
Kure Beach		1,507
Castle Hayne		1,116

Climate: Wilmington station
annual mean temperature	63.7 F
January mean temperature	45.2 F
July mean temperature	80.8 F
annual mean rainfall	54.23 inches
annual mean snowfall	2.3 inches

Tallest Buildings: First Union Building, 201 Front Street, 11 stories; New Hanover Regional Medical Center, 2131 South 17^th Street, 10 stories; Atlantic Trust Building, 8 North Front Street, 9 stories

Festivals and Annual Events: North Carolina Azalea Festival; Azalea Garden Tour; North Carolina Jazz Festival; New Hanover County Fair; Riverfest; Pleasure Island Springfest; Cape Fear Marlin Tournament; Atlantic Surf Anglers; St. Patrick’s Day Parade; David Walker Festival; Wilmington Greek Festival

Starting Points