North Topsail Beach

Spanning the northern eleven miles of Topsail Island, North Topsail Beach (NTB) is known for its wide, drive-on shoreline and quiet neighborhoods. The town incorporated in 1990—last of the island’s three municipalities—and counts just over 1,100 year-round residents, swelling to ten times that number in summer.

NTB includes Ocean City, the first place in North Carolina where Black families could purchase beach property (founded 1949). The Ocean City Jazz Festival, held every July Fourth weekend, celebrates this history with nationally known performers.

Compared with busier Surf City, NTB is quieter: fewer high-rise condos, more turtle nests, and some of the East Coast’s best inlet fishing. Vehicle beach-driving permits let anglers chase red drum along New River Inlet year-round.