Kitty Hawk Tide Chart & Tide Times
Live tide predictions for Kitty Hawk, NC. Times are referenced from the Duck NOAA primary just up the beach with a local offset of about minus 5 minutes (tides arrive at Kitty Hawk fractionally before Duck).
About tides at Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk is the northernmost paved-road town on the OBX before you reach Southern Shores and Duck. Tide behavior here closely matches Duck: a roughly 3.0 ft mean range with semi-diurnal high/low pairs about every 12 hours and 25 minutes. The Kitty Hawk Pier and the natural sand bar offshore make tide timing critical for surf fishermen.
Live tide data
This is a sub-station — tide times are predicted from the Duck (8651370) primary gauge. For the interactive tide chart with high and low markers, use the parent station’s page.
Best tides for surf fishing here
The trough behind the inner bar at Kitty Hawk is a classic puppy drum and bluefish setup, best worked on a rising tide that pushes water (and bait) over the bar. Pier fishing peaks on the slack between high and the first hour of the drop.
Beach driving and tides
Kitty Hawk requires a town-issued beach driving permit and is closed to driving from roughly May through September. See our permits guide for the current rules.
Related
- Duck (8651370) primary tide chart
- All OBX tide charts
- OBX surf fishing — best tides and tactics
- Beach driving permits guide
Kitty Hawk Tide Schedule — Today’s High & Low Tides
This Kitty Hawk tide schedule shows today’s high and low tides for Kitty Hawk, NC, with hourly predictions and the next high tide and next low tide for Kitty Hawk. The Kitty Hawk tide schedule on this page updates daily using NOAA tide predictions.
Use the Kitty Hawk tide schedule to plan surf fishing, beach driving on the Outer Banks, kayaking through Pamlico Sound or Currituck Sound, crossing inlets safely, and timing photography at low tide. Many anglers fish the two hours either side of a tide change, which the Kitty Hawk tide schedule above makes easy to spot.
How to read this Kitty Hawk tide schedule
- High tide Kitty Hawk NC — peak water level; best for boat launching in shallow areas and fishing the outgoing tide that follows.
- Low tide Kitty Hawk NC — minimum water level; safest window for beach driving on soft sand and for searching tide pools.
- Tide times Kitty Hawk — tides at Kitty Hawk follow a semidiurnal pattern (two highs and two lows roughly every 24 hours and 50 minutes), so the Kitty Hawk tide schedule shifts about 50 minutes later each day.
Bookmark this Kitty Hawk tide schedule and check it the night before any trip on or near the water. Conditions like wind, storms, and barometric pressure can push real water levels a few inches to over a foot above or below what the Kitty Hawk tide schedule predicts.
Kitty Hawk Tide Schedule FAQ
What time is high tide at Kitty Hawk today?
Today’s high tide times for Kitty Hawk, NC are listed in the Kitty Hawk tide schedule at the top of this page. Kitty Hawk typically sees two high tides per day, roughly 12 hours and 25 minutes apart.
When is the next low tide at Kitty Hawk?
The next low tide at Kitty Hawk is shown in the “Next Low Tide” box above. Low tide at Kitty Hawk occurs about 6 hours and 12 minutes after the previous high tide.
How accurate is this Kitty Hawk tide schedule?
Tide predictions for Kitty Hawk are based on NOAA harmonic constants and are typically accurate to within a few inches and a few minutes for normal conditions. Storms, sustained winds, and unusual barometric pressure can shift the Kitty Hawk tide schedule by a foot or more.