Landscape

Kitty Hawk is probably the smallest town in the world with one of the largest of ships named for it. The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk commemorates the town that served as the Wright Brother's base during their groundbreaking flights of 1902 and 1903.

The Wright Brothers reached Kitty Hawk by boat, modern day visitors have the luxury of using the Wright Memorial Bridge, which connects the mainland to the northern end of the town. That point is mile post 0, the reference location for many spots in Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. The two major arteries are US 158, the commercial strip and main highway, and NC 12, the beach road. Between the highways and on the beach are vacation homes, the sound side of 158 the town is more residential. The southern end of Kitty Hawk, at MP 5, blends seamlessly into Kill Devil Hills.