Pender County, North Carolina covers 933 square miles in the southeastern region of the state, including 62 square miles of water. The waves of the Atlantic Ocean lap Pender County’s eastern border. With large areas of pristine wilderness, miles of beaches, and vibrant communities considered part of the thriving Wilmington Metropolitan Area, Pender County, NC offers something for everyone.

Pender County, NC formed from New Hanover County in 1875, taking its name from William Dorsey Pender, a general killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. The 2000 Census recorded Pender County’s population at 41,082. An estimate made in 2004 was over 45,000, and the 2006 population estimate was 48,630, showing rapid increases. In 2002, the per capita income was $21,720, a 12.1 percent increase from 1997. Interstate 40 bisects the region, and along with a fine network of NC State Highways, makes for easy commuting to and from Wilmington, just south of Pender County’s border.

Thirteen communities flourish in Pender County, NC. The southern half of the 26-mile long barrier island, Topsail Island, lies within Pender’s boundary and is home to the prime tourist destinations of Surf City and Topsail Beach. Visitors enjoy deep-sea fishing, surfing, oystering and clamming, turtle watching, and more.

To the west, on Pender County’s mainland, lies the town of Hampstead, which hosts the annual North Carolina Spot Festival. Spot are tiny and tasty little panfish, abundant in the Carolina coastal waters. Hampstead's title is ‘Seafood Capital of the Carolinas’. Hampstead is also home to the Poplar Grove Historic Plantation, built in 1850. Just north of town lies the wild and verdant Holly Shelter Game Preserve, the largest state-owned hunting preserve on the East Coast.

Maple Hill hosts a fall festival, and Burgaw, Pender’s county seat, puts on a Springfest and the North Carolina Blueberry Festival, often drawing more than 10,000 patrons. Burgaw contains a number of historic sites as well as the stunning Bannerman Vineyard, one of NC’s oldest muscadine vineyards. This lush middle area of Pender County abounds with u-pick strawberry farms, tobacco, emu, ostrich, and horse farms.

Rocky Point, NC contains a number of Pender County’s other historic sites, including the former plantation, Magnolia Hall, and the Batson Cemetery. Lane's Ferry Country Store provides picnic sites on the banks of the Cape Fear River. The towns of Watha, (named for Hiawatha) and Willard also claim some historical sites, while the community of Penderlea is a restored “Depression Era” experimental homestead, begun by FDR in the 1930’s. The Penderlea Homestead Museum in Willard proudly preserves this part of North Carolina’s heritage. Pender County’s Sloop Point Plantation boasts NC’s oldest surviving structure.

Pender County School Districts provide education for almost 7,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. With 465 teachers, the student/teacher ratio is 14.6 to 1. Pender County contains no colleges, but Wilmington’s colleges are just a short commute away.

Pender County, North Carolina reflects the finest in Southern living. Small-town communities offer peaceful, prosperous lifestyles with city amenities and opportunities nearby. Pender County, NC contains island dwellers, beachfront and riverfront homes, wilderness, and a rich history.

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