Jacksonville, NC, and the Surrounding Areas.
Jacksonville and Onslow County
Situated along the New River next door to Camp Lejeune is the city of Jacksonville in Onslow County. Onslow County offers a wide range of services for service members and their families including a public school system consisting of 19 elementary schools, seven middle schools, and seven high schools; Coastal Carolina Community College, which offers programs in general studies, fine arts, natural sciences and technical skills; a public library system with branches throughout the county; a commercial airport served by two major carriers; and a 150-bed hospital in Jacksonville. Approximately 144,533 people make up the metropolitan area population of Jacksonville. The city is the business, retail, medical, banking and cultural center for Onslow County. Marines, Sailors and their families use a wide variety of services provided by the city and join in many community events held there throughout the year.For families resettling here, Onslow County offers a diversity in landscape, people and culture. Part southern and part cosmopolitan, Onslow County has grown and developed with Camp Lejeune. The area welcomes newly arriving Marines, Sailors and their families.
Holly Ridge
There are about 30 businesses, including restaurants and a health clinic, in Holly Ridge, approximately 20 miles south of Jacksonville on U.S. 17. About 738 people live in town and two of the largest industries in the county are located in Holly Ridge. The local police department sponsors a youth league. Each year, the community sponsors the Little Miss Holly Pageant in November, in addition to the Holly Festival during the Christmas holiday season. In the 1940s, thousands of Army and Navy troops lived at Camp Davis, a military base on U.S. Highway 17. Missile testing on nearby Topsail Island was based at Holly Ridge, and the town was once considered as a possible site for the U.S. space program.
Swansboro
Located on the White Oak River to the northeast of Jacksonville is the quaint town of Swansboro. The restored waterfront area is complete with antique shops, arts and crafts stores, and fine seafood restaurants. Swansboro was settled more than 200 years ago as a shipping port, and many of the original buildings still stand today. In October of each year the waterfront area comes alive with the sights and sounds of the annual Mullet Festival.
Richlands
To the northwest of Jacksonville is the farming community of Richlands. Known as the “Town of Perfect Water,” Richlands boasts fertile soil that grows its crops of tobacco, corn and cotton. The townspeople celebrate their harvest each September when they get together for some old fashioned fun on Farmer’s Day. Each November, the annual crafts fair and antique auto shows draw people from all over the state.
Sneads Ferry
At Camp Lejeune’s back door, on the New River, is the two centuries old fishing community of Sneads Ferry. Each August the community celebrated its fishing heritage with the Shrimp Festival. Sneads Ferry is famous for its wonderful seafood restaurants. The hardiness of the commercial fishermen can be seen at Fulcher’s Landing, where commercial fishermen bring in their catch. Sneads Ferry also boasts one of the finest golf courses in the area, and there are several nice residential areas as well.
Topsail Island
To the south of the base is the oceanfront community of Topsail Beach. Deriving its name from colonial days when merchant vessels watched for the tops of the sails of pirate ships lurking behind sand dunes, North Topsail Beach offers beachfront living for those desiring sand, sun and surf. Numerous condominiums and duplexes have sprung up over recent years along the miles of oceanfront, offering serene living conditions for Marines and families living there. In addition to the white-sand beaches, the Topsail area offers other recreational pursuits including some of the best ocean fishing available anywhere. Sport fishermen can choose surf, pier or chartered boats to wet their lines.
Education
Public Schools, K-12Onslow County Public School System200 Broadhurst Road
Jacksonville, NC 28540
910.455.2211
http://www.onslow.k12.nc.usThe Onslow County School District is situated on the coast of eastern North Carolina. The district has 35 schools: 19 elementary schools, eight middle schools, seven high schools and one alternative school. The Onslow County School System serves approximately 21,500 students.
