Buxton, North Carolina
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2011) |
Buxton, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Welcome sign | |
 Location in Dare County and the state of North Carolina. | |
  Buxton Location in North Carolina and the United States  Buxton Buxton (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 35°16′4″N 75°32′33″W / 35.26778°N 75.54250°W | |
| Country | United States of America |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Dare |
| Named for | Ralph P. Buxton[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.80 sq mi (22.78 km2) |
| • Land | 7.84 sq mi (20.31 km2) |
| • Water | 0.95 sq mi (2.47 km2) |
| Elevation | 11 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,181 |
| • Density | 150.58/sq mi (58.14/km2) |
| ZIP code | 27920 |
| FIPS code | 37-09400 |
Buxton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on Hatteras Island (part of the Outer Banks) near Cape Hatteras. It is located in Dare County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,181.[3] Located at the widest part of Hatteras Island, it is the largest community on Hatteras Island both in terms of area and population, and is home to the island's schools and other major public buildings and offices.
North Carolina Highway 12 links the community to other Outer Banks communities such as Avon, Frisco, and Hatteras. Buxton is most famous for being the location of Cape Hatteras Light and of the accompanied beaches; it is also the home of the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club.
The residents of Buxton are governed by the Dare County Board of Commissioners. Buxton is part of District 4, along with Avon, Frisco, Hatteras, Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo.
In addition to Cape Hatteras Light, the SS Lancing shipwreck was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.[4]
Demographics
[edit]| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,181 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] | |||
2020 census
[edit]| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,038 | 87.89% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 11 | 0.93% |
| Native American | 4 | 0.34% |
| Asian | 5 | 0.42% |
| Other/Mixed | 37 | 3.13% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 86 | 7.28% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,181 people, 572 households, and 405 families residing in the CDP.
Recreation
[edit]
Watersports are common on both the Pamlico Sound side and the Atlantic Ocean side of the community. Proximity to the convergence of the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream result in some of the largest surf available [7] on the East Coast. On the protected soundside of the island, watersports such as windsurfing, kayaking, kiteboarding, and swimming are all readily available and accessible.
Education
[edit]
Residents are served by the new Cape Hatteras Elementary School, opened in 2001 (home of the Tropical Storms) and Cape Hatteras Secondary School of Coastal Studies, a combination middle school and high school (Home of the Hurricanes) newly rebuilt in 2007 on the NC 12 site of the original Cape Hatteras Elementary and Cape Hatteras Secondary Schools, in Buxton.[8] Both schools are part of the Dare County Schools district.[9]
British Cemetery
[edit]On May 21, 1942, the body of a British seaman, unidentifiable but presumed to be from the HMT Bedfordshire, sunk by a German U-boat, washed ashore. The month prior, a British sailor from the sunken merchant ship San Delfino had been buried in Buxton. The Bedfordshire seaman was interred in an adjacent plot, resulting in a British Cemetery, formally known as Cape Hatteras Coast Guard Burial Ground.[10]
Climate
[edit]According to the Trewartha climate classification system, Buxton, North Carolina has a humid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation (Cfak). Cfak climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least eight months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Buxton, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). Buxton is prone to hurricane strikes, particularly during the Atlantic hurricane season which extends from June 1 through November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. During the winter months, episodes of cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < 15 °F (< -9 °C). The plant hardiness zone in Buxton is 8b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 19.3 °F (-7.1 °C).[11] The average seasonal (Dec-Mar) snowfall total is < 2 inches (< 5 cm), and the average annual peak in nor'easter activity is in February.
| Climate data for Buxton, NC (1981-2010 Averages) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 52.6 (11.4) |
54.1 (12.3) |
59.1 (15.1) |
66.5 (19.2) |
73.6 (23.1) |
80.9 (27.2) |
84.5 (29.2) |
84.0 (28.9) |
80.3 (26.8) |
72.4 (22.4) |
64.4 (18.0) |
56.5 (13.6) |
69.1 (20.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) |
47.2 (8.4) |
52.1 (11.2) |
59.8 (15.4) |
67.5 (19.7) |
75.4 (24.1) |
79.3 (26.3) |
78.9 (26.1) |
75.0 (23.9) |
66.5 (19.2) |
58.1 (14.5) |
49.9 (9.9) |
63.0 (17.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39.0 (3.9) |
40.3 (4.6) |
45.1 (7.3) |
53.1 (11.7) |
61.3 (16.3) |
70.0 (21.1) |
74.2 (23.4) |
73.8 (23.2) |
69.7 (20.9) |
60.7 (15.9) |
51.9 (11.1) |
43.3 (6.3) |
56.9 (13.8) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.11 (130) |
3.90 (99) |
4.63 (118) |
3.80 (97) |
3.63 (92) |
4.01 (102) |
4.89 (124) |
6.75 (171) |
6.26 (159) |
5.07 (129) |
4.77 (121) |
4.15 (105) |
56.97 (1,447) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 72.0 | 71.3 | 70.0 | 70.5 | 73.4 | 77.0 | 78.9 | 77.6 | 75.2 | 71.8 | 73.6 | 71.9 | 73.6 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 37.3 (2.9) |
38.4 (3.6) |
42.6 (5.9) |
50.2 (10.1) |
58.7 (14.8) |
67.7 (19.8) |
72.2 (22.3) |
71.3 (21.8) |
66.6 (19.2) |
57.1 (13.9) |
49.7 (9.8) |
41.2 (5.1) |
54.5 (12.5) |
| Source: PRISM[12] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Cape Hatteras, NC Ocean Water Temperature (6 S Buxton) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 49 (9) |
46 (8) |
52 (11) |
59 (15) |
68 (20) |
74 (23) |
78 (26) |
80 (27) |
77 (25) |
70 (21) |
58 (14) |
55 (13) |
64 (18) |
| Source: NOAA[13] | |||||||||||||
Ecology
[edit]According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Buxton, North Carolina would have a dominant vegetation type of Live oak/Sea Oats Uniola paniculata (90) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 6/24/13 through 6/28/13. National Park Service. July 5, 2013.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ "Surfing in the Outer Banks, NC | The OBX". www.outerbanks.org. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Davis, Kristin (August 26, 2007). "Cape Hatteras Secondary goes back to school in style". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ "Attendance Areas - Dare County Schools". www.dare.k12.nc.us. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ "Cape Hatteras (U.S. Coast Guard) Burial Ground". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
- ^ "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ "Water Temperature Table of All Coastal Regions". Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
Municipalities and communities of Dare County, North Carolina, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||