Colington Harbour, Kill Devil Hills, NC

About Colington Harbour

Colington Harbour is in Kill Devil Hills, in the Outer Banks region of North Carolina. Developer: Colony Developers (named on the association's history page); governed by the Colington Harbour Association. Status: Open. Not age-restricted; it is included for retiree-oriented amenities.

Colington Harbour sits on Big Colington Island, which the Colington Harbour Association's history page places west of Kill Devil Hills, at the point where the Albemarle, Currituck, Croatan and Roanoke Sounds converge. The page explains that Colington is commonly called one island but is really two, Big Colington and Little Colington, and that the Harbour is on Big Colington. It is hosted here under Kill Devil Hills, the nearest published place, but the island lies west of the town; confirm with Dare County which jurisdiction and service districts apply to a specific parcel.

The association's history page is the clearest statement of retirement relevance. It says the original concept of the developers was a division between retirement and vacation cottages, that the mix has been evolving, and that the Harbour has become a place of permanent residence for a thousand families. That is a historical description of the community's purpose rather than an age restriction. A neighborhood guide on HelloNation, a local marketing site, adds that homes range from canal-front and sound-front properties with backyard docks to modest ranch homes and cottages it says were built in the 1970s and 1980s, plus newer elevated infill homes, and describes the main gate as about five miles from the Kill Devil Hills town center, a 10 to 15 minute drive to groceries, restaurants and medical care on the bypass. Treat those descriptions as marketing and verify price, age of construction and drive times yourself.

Security is a defining feature. The association says a guard is on duty 24 hours a day at the gate. Each property owner and registered tenant is expected to get a barcode decal for the right side of the vehicle, which lets them use the right lane without stopping, while visitors, contractors and weekly renters use the left lane and sign in with the guard, and owners are asked to give the guard the names and approximate arrival times of expected guests. Because the association's gate rules refer to tenants and weekly renters, ask for the covenants' rental provisions before buying with a rental or second-home plan in mind.

Water access is the main amenity. The association describes a marina with a launching ramp and boat slips for rent. Residents need an updated sticker on a boat trailer, valid for 2025 to 2030, and visitors need a launch pass from the guard gate at $10 per day. The marina page says slips go to members when available, that there is currently a long waiting list, and that slip costs range from $750 to $1,100 a year depending on size. Dredging of the inlet follows state coastal regulations on a set calendar, and a state flood-inundation network gauge on the north seawall tracks water level at the channel entrance. A boater should ask how recent soundings compare with the draft of the boat they own.

The soundfront park is on a peninsula next to the clubhouse and pool, with sandy beaches, picnic areas under live oaks, playground equipment, a large picnic shelter and bulkhead areas for crabbing and fishing. It is open dawn to dusk, and the swimming area is roped and buoyed. The picnic shelter can be rented by a member in good standing for $25 for four hours or $50 for a full day. Dogs are not allowed in the park; designated dog parks are on Kitty Hawk Bay next to the clubhouse and on Sir Hart Court. Optional membership in the Colington Harbour Yacht and Racquet Club adds the two outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts and clubhouse for separate annual dues, with details at the club's own site.

Governance is by recorded covenants and bylaws. The association explains that the restrictive covenants are written obligations included in the deed, that Article VI sets the building-permit procedure through an Architectural Control Committee, and that the bylaws govern how the association operates. Board meetings are scheduled through the year, and at least one meeting with a homeowner forum is streamed live. Request the covenants, bylaws, current budget and reserve information before contract.

For taxes, Dare County's rate is $0.2632 per $100 for 2025-26 according to the North Carolina Department of Revenue, down from $0.4005 in each of the four earlier years, with the latest revaluation in 2025 and the next scheduled for 2030. On a $400,000 assessed value that is about $1,053 a year in county tax (our arithmetic, for illustration only), before any municipal, fire or other district levy. Ask the Dare County tax office which levies apply to the parcel, and see the NC retirement taxes guide for state income-tax rules. Sound-front and canal-front lots raise flood and wind-insurance questions; see the coastal hurricane and flood insurance guide and look up the address in the state's Know Your Zone tool, because Dare is one of 21 counties with evacuation zones.

Age restrictions at Colington Harbour

No age restriction is described for Colington Harbour. The association's history page describes a community that began as a mix of retirement and vacation cottages and now serves permanent residents of all ages. Use, rental and building rules are in the recorded covenants; request them before contract.

Housing types at Colington Harbour

• Canal-front and sound-front single-family homes with docks (as described by a neighborhood guide)
• Older ranch homes and cottages on interior streets (as described by a neighborhood guide)
• Newer elevated infill homes (as described by a neighborhood guide)

Pricing at Colington Harbour

Prices vary widely by water frontage, dock, elevation and age of the home. Use recent closed sales for the specific street and frontage type, and compare canal-front, sound-front and interior lots separately.

HOA and fees at Colington Harbour

The Colington Harbour Association is a homeowners association with recorded covenants and bylaws, a guard gate and common areas. Association amenities include the soundfront park, marina and boat ramp and dog parks; the pools, tennis courts and clubhouse sit behind separate Yacht and Racquet Club dues. Ask the association office for the current annual assessment, what it covers, any special assessments and the reserve study before contract.

Optional Colington Harbour Yacht and Racquet Club membership carries separate annual dues; the association points to the club's own site for membership cost, clubhouse rental and tennis court keys. Marina slips cost $750 to $1,100 a year according to the association, with a long waiting list.

Amenities at Colington Harbour

• Guard-gated entrance staffed 24 hours a day
• Marina with boat ramp and rentable slips
• Soundfront park with sandy beaches, picnic shelter and playground
• Dog parks on Kitty Hawk Bay and Sir Hart Court
• Optional yacht and racquet club with two outdoor pools, tennis courts and clubhouse
• Community events including a chili cook-off

Healthcare near Colington Harbour

The Outer Banks Hospital, at 4800 S. Croatan Highway in Nags Head, is the hospital for the central Outer Banks. Outer Banks Health describes a 24-hour emergency department (252-449-4500) and tells patients to call 9-1-1 for chest pain, stroke symptoms or pregnancy complications. Chesapeake Regional Healthcare's page says the hospital opened in March 2002 with 18 acute care medical-surgical beds, three operating rooms and an emergency department, and that it operates urgent care centers in Kitty Hawk and Nags Head. The same page says the year-round population of about 35,000 swells to about 250,000 in summer, so test the drive from a specific address in July as well as in winter. Ask about specialty care and transfer arrangements, and see the healthcare access guide.

Airport access from Colington Harbour

Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo is a county-owned general aviation field; the North Carolina Department of Transportation's airport guide lists self-service avgas, Jet A, tie-downs, rental cars and maintenance. Check airline options for the airport you would use for scheduled flights, and time the drive from the Harbour gate. A rental-company guide calls the Wright Memorial Bridge the most frequent entry point to the Outer Banks, with summer weekend backups.

Why Colington Harbour is included

A gated, canal-and-sound waterfront community whose own association history says the original concept divided the Harbour between retirement and vacation cottages before it became a permanent home for about a thousand families; it has no age restriction and is not marketed as a 55+ community.

Alternatives to Colington Harbour

• The Village at Nags HeadA sound-to-ocean planned community in Nags Head with 650+ property owners, an 18-hole links-style golf course, an oceanfront beach club, two sound access parks and ten neighborhood sub-associations; open to all ages.

Guides relevant to Colington Harbour

• 55-Plus Community vs. Conventional Neighborhood in the Carolinas