Surf City, NC is in the center of Topsail Island, a 26 mile long island between Wilmington and Jacksonville. It occupies the center and shares the Island with North Topsail Beach to the North and Topsail Beach to the South.

Topsail Island has an exciting history. Pirates including the famous Blackbeard, used the island as a ambush point for their shipborne robberies of merchant ships. Captains fearing the pirates would search for the Top of the sails of the pirates who might be lurking under cover of the island. The name “Topsail” (Tops’l) was derived from this legendary time.

Prior to World War II, the only access to Topsail Island was by boat. Area residents frequently made this short trip and picnicked on the sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Local farmers are said to have driven their livestock across the waterways to graze on wild grass. Treasure hunters searched for Blackbeard’s infamous buried treasure throughout the maritime forests which covered the island.

During the war, the U.S. Navy took over the island and began a joint venture with Johns Hopkins University known as “Operation Bumblebee”. This was the beginning of development for the island. Rocket experiments were conducted. They were stored on the South end in what still stands as the Assembly Building. From there, they were shot up the length of the island and observed from a number of concrete towers which can still be seen today. Eventually Cape Canaveral was chosen for the NASA efforts and Topsail Island was release for public development.

The only sea turtle hospital in the state, the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, is located in Topsail Beach.

Surf City was once a sleepy, family oriented fishing village. Now it is fully awake and serves as the focal point of business activity on the island. Surf City also has a significant presence on the mainland. With a 20 year plan for development that embraces annexation of mainland neighborhoods and welcomes commercial development, Surf City has become the hub of development and business activity. From the Lowe’s on Highway 17, you can follow progress as you make your way along Highway 210 across the Intracoastal Waterway to the island. Cross the historic swingbridge and look to your right at the town’s park, outdoor theater, playground, and public boat ramp.

Surf City has the full array of shops, restaurants, and services. Folks come from all over the US, and are drawn not only to the beach, but to the warm “family atmosphere of the area.

Beach access is interspaced along the island for people who do not live on the ocean. Mainland Surf City is undergoing a significant transition. Several new communities are under development. Some of North Carolina’s best Golf courses are just off the island and you are just minutes away from many of them.

The awesome sunrises, and gorgeous sunsets are a major attraction. Dolphins play along the surf. Fresh shrimp, crabs, clams, and Oysters from Stump Sound are among the best to be eaten anywhere.