New Hanover County is a county located in the Coastal Plain region of southeastern North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,702. The county seat is Wilmington. It is located in a primarily maritime region, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Cape Fear River to the west.
Masonboro Island is a barrier island in New Hanover County, North Carolina. Undeveloped and only accessible by boat, it's an ideal destination for boating, surfing, and camping. Masonboro Island is a mix of swamps, sand dunes, and tidal flats, with beaches along the Atlantic coast and a series of small hills and wetlands along the Masonboro Strait.