Kitty Hawk at a Glance

Place names on the Outer Banks always draw questions from first time visitors, and none more so than Kitty Hawk. The most popular theory concerning the origin of the name Kitty Hawk is that it derives from the local Indians´ reference to the time for hunting geese as "killy honker" or "killy honk." Over time it is said to have changed from "Killy Honk" to "Killy Hawk," then finally to Kitty Hawk. Another story is that the name comes from the large number of mosquito hawks frequently found in the area. This became "Skeeter Hawk" and then Kitty Hawk. The probability that the name stems from an actual Indian place name, however, is attested by the appearance on maps as early as 1738 of the name "Chickahauk," a name subsequently adopted as a subdivision name in neighboring Southern Shores. 

Regardless of its origins, by the time the area was fairly well populated in the mid- and late- 1700´s, the residents were spelling the name much as it is today, there being frequent references in old deeds to "Kittyhuk," "Kitty Hark," "Kittyhawk," and "Kitty Hawk."

Through the years, Kitty Hawk has been the home to a number of unique facilities. One of seven original Lifesaving Stations on the Outer Banks was constructed on a beach opposite Kitty Hawk in 1874. The US Weather Bureau located there in 1875-1904. Of course, the village of Kitty Hawk is known worldwide because of the successful flights made by Orville and Wilbur Wright in a heavier-than-air machine in 1903. Visitors are often intrigued by the fact that the world knows the site of the Wright Brothers flights to be Kitty Hawk, yet the National Monument commemorating the site of their flight is in the Town of Kill Devil Hills, to the south of Kitty Hawk. To long time residents this is no mystery. When the Wright Brothers conducted their experiments, Kitty Hawk was the only incorporated town on the Outer Banks, and the site of the only Post Office. The actual site of the Wright Brothers flight was later included in the land that became the incorporated Town of Kill Devil Hills.

Today, Kitty Hawk has a healthy mix of year round residents and vacation cottages. Kitty Hawk encompasses the widest part of the Outer Banks, almost three miles at its widest point, and most full time residents live on the soundside, west of the US Route 158 Bypass. A good portion of the soundside is protected maritime forest, with adjoining homesites having beautiful trees and the quiet serenity of the unspoiled forest. Kitty Hawk also has many opportunities for those seeking waterfront living on the soundside.

Golf enthusiasts will  appreciate the selection of homes and homesites bordering the links of Sea Scape Golf Course, while families with young children find the Kitty Hawk elementary school to be conveniently located. 

The portion of Kitty Hawk that lies between-the-highways (between US 158 and Virginia Dare Trail, or, as local residents call it, the beach road), consists mostly of cottages and condos that are rented on a weekly basis during the summer season.

Kitty Hawk has recently become the destination of choice for those seeking wonderful dining experiences, with a number of exceptional restaurants and eateries dotting the commercial areas of the town.

Call us and we'll happily tell you which ones are our favorites, and while we're about it, let's talk about Outer Banks real estate!