King tides at Nags Head
The highest predicted waters at Nags Head, through 2030. Every high tide reaching 7.0 ft above MLLW.
What counts as a king tide
There is no official definition. NOAA does not publish one, and the California King Tides Project simply means the highest predicted tides of the year. This page lists every predicted high water of 7.0 ft or more above MLLW, which on this stretch of coast picks out the handful of days each winter when the water comes up unusually far.
They happen when the moon is closest to Earth and new or full at the same time, with the Earth near its own closest approach to the sun. That alignment stacks the solar and lunar pulls together, and it lands in November, December and January far more often than not.
These are predictions of astronomical tide only. A winter storm arriving on a king tide is what causes flooding, because surge and wind can add a foot or more on top of the figures here.
What a king tide means at Nags Head
The highest tides of the year come over Highway 12 in the low places and across the soundside roads. On a barrier island a few feet wide in places, a king tide with an autumn nor'easter behind it is what cuts the road and occasionally opens a new inlet.
The sound side floods as readily as the ocean side, and for a different reason: wind pushing water across Pamlico Sound piles it against whichever bank it is blowing towards.
King tides still to come
25–29 October 2026
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 25 OctSun | 7:03 am | 4.6 ft |
| 25 OctSun | 7:21 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 26 OctMon | 7:46 am | 4.8 ft |
| 26 OctMon | 8:06 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 27 OctTue | 8:31 am | 4.9 ft |
| 27 OctTue | 8:53 pm | 3.7 ft |
| 28 OctWed | 9:20 am | 4.9 ft |
| 28 OctWed | 9:44 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 29 OctThu | 10:12 am | 4.8 ft |
| 29 OctThu | 10:39 pm | 3.5 ft |
23–27 November 2026
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 23 NovMon | 5:34 am | 4.5 ft |
| 23 NovMon | 5:55 pm | 3.4 ft |
| 24 NovTue | 6:24 am | 4.7 ft |
| 24 NovTue | 6:46 pm | 3.4 ft |
| 25 NovWed | 7:14 am | 4.8 ft |
| 25 NovWed | 7:37 pm | 3.4 ft |
| 26 NovThu | 8:05 am | 4.8 ft |
| 26 NovThu | 8:31 pm | 3.4 ft |
| 27 NovFri | 9:00 am | 4.6 ft |
| 27 NovFri | 9:29 pm | 3.3 ft |
1–5 September 2027
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 1 SepWed | 8:21 am | 4.5 ft |
| 1 SepWed | 8:40 pm | 4.5 ft |
| 2 SepThu | 9:10 am | 4.7 ft |
| 2 SepThu | 9:27 pm | 4.2 ft |
| 3 SepFri | 10:00 am | 4.7 ft |
| 3 SepFri | 10:16 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 4 SepSat | 10:50 am | 4.6 ft |
| 4 SepSat | 11:05 pm | 3.7 ft |
| 5 SepSun | 11:39 am | 4.4 ft |
| 5 SepSun | 11:53 pm | 3.4 ft |
29 September – 3 October 2027
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 29 SepWed | 7:13 am | 4.7 ft |
| 29 SepWed | 7:32 pm | 4.3 ft |
| 30 SepThu | 8:00 am | 4.9 ft |
| 30 SepThu | 8:18 pm | 4.2 ft |
| 1 OctFri | 8:46 am | 4.9 ft |
| 1 OctFri | 9:03 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 2 OctSat | 9:32 am | 4.8 ft |
| 2 OctSat | 9:50 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 3 OctSun | 10:19 am | 4.6 ft |
| 3 OctSun | 10:37 pm | 3.6 ft |
27–31 October 2027
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 27 OctWed | 6:05 am | 4.5 ft |
| 27 OctWed | 6:22 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 28 OctThu | 6:54 am | 4.7 ft |
| 28 OctThu | 7:12 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 29 OctFri | 7:40 am | 4.8 ft |
| 29 OctFri | 7:58 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 30 OctSat | 8:23 am | 4.8 ft |
| 30 OctSat | 8:41 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 31 OctSun | 9:06 am | 4.6 ft |
| 31 OctSun | 9:25 pm | 3.5 ft |
18–22 September 2028
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 18 SepMon | 7:22 am | 4.7 ft |
| 18 SepMon | 7:41 pm | 4.5 ft |
| 19 SepTue | 8:11 am | 4.9 ft |
| 19 SepTue | 8:30 pm | 4.4 ft |
| 20 SepWed | 9:01 am | 5.1 ft |
| 20 SepWed | 9:20 pm | 4.2 ft |
| 21 SepThu | 9:52 am | 5.0 ft |
| 21 SepThu | 10:12 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 22 SepFri | 10:45 am | 4.9 ft |
| 22 SepFri | 11:05 pm | 3.7 ft |
17–21 October 2028
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 17 OctTue | 7:01 am | 5.0 ft |
| 17 OctTue | 7:21 pm | 4.2 ft |
| 18 OctWed | 7:51 am | 5.1 ft |
| 18 OctWed | 8:11 pm | 4.1 ft |
| 19 OctThu | 8:39 am | 5.1 ft |
| 19 OctThu | 9:00 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 20 OctFri | 9:29 am | 5.0 ft |
| 20 OctFri | 9:51 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 21 OctSat | 10:21 am | 4.8 ft |
| 21 OctSat | 10:45 pm | 3.6 ft |
14–18 November 2028
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 14 NovTue | 4:50 am | 4.6 ft |
| 14 NovTue | 5:08 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 15 NovWed | 5:43 am | 4.8 ft |
| 15 NovWed | 6:03 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 16 NovThu | 6:34 am | 4.9 ft |
| 16 NovThu | 6:54 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 17 NovFri | 7:22 am | 4.8 ft |
| 17 NovFri | 7:43 pm | 3.5 ft |
| 18 NovSat | 8:10 am | 4.6 ft |
| 18 NovSat | 8:32 pm | 3.4 ft |
9–13 September 2029
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 9 SepSun | 8:27 am | 4.7 ft |
| 9 SepSun | 8:43 pm | 4.3 ft |
| 10 SepMon | 9:15 am | 4.8 ft |
| 10 SepMon | 9:32 pm | 4.2 ft |
| 11 SepTue | 10:06 am | 4.9 ft |
| 11 SepTue | 10:24 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 12 SepWed | 11:00 am | 4.8 ft |
| 12 SepWed | 11:18 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 13 SepThu | 11:55 am | 4.6 ft |
7–11 October 2029
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 7 OctSun | 7:14 am | 4.9 ft |
| 7 OctSun | 7:34 pm | 4.3 ft |
| 8 OctMon | 8:04 am | 5.1 ft |
| 8 OctMon | 8:23 pm | 4.3 ft |
| 9 OctTue | 8:53 am | 5.2 ft |
| 9 OctTue | 9:14 pm | 4.1 ft |
| 10 OctWed | 9:45 am | 5.1 ft |
| 10 OctWed | 10:07 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 11 OctThu | 10:40 am | 4.9 ft |
| 11 OctThu | 11:04 pm | 3.7 ft |
4–8 November 2029
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 4 NovSun | 4:59 am | 4.7 ft |
| 4 NovSun | 5:18 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 5 NovMon | 5:52 am | 5.0 ft |
| 5 NovMon | 6:13 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 6 NovTue | 6:44 am | 5.1 ft |
| 6 NovTue | 7:05 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 7 NovWed | 7:35 am | 5.1 ft |
| 7 NovWed | 7:57 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 8 NovThu | 8:28 am | 5.0 ft |
| 8 NovThu | 8:52 pm | 3.7 ft |
27 September – 1 October 2030
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 27 SepFri | 7:40 am | 4.6 ft |
| 27 SepFri | 7:55 pm | 4.2 ft |
| 28 SepSat | 8:23 am | 4.8 ft |
| 28 SepSat | 8:39 pm | 4.1 ft |
| 29 SepSun | 9:09 am | 4.9 ft |
| 29 SepSun | 9:26 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 30 SepMon | 9:58 am | 4.9 ft |
| 30 SepMon | 10:17 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 1 OctTue | 10:51 am | 4.8 ft |
| 1 OctTue | 11:12 pm | 3.7 ft |
26–30 October 2030
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 26 OctSat | 7:12 am | 4.8 ft |
| 26 OctSat | 7:31 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 27 OctSun | 8:00 am | 5.0 ft |
| 27 OctSun | 8:19 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 28 OctMon | 8:49 am | 5.1 ft |
| 28 OctMon | 9:10 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 29 OctTue | 9:40 am | 5.0 ft |
| 29 OctTue | 10:04 pm | 3.8 ft |
| 30 OctWed | 10:36 am | 4.8 ft |
| 30 OctWed | 11:02 pm | 3.7 ft |
24–28 November 2030
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 24 NovSun | 5:50 am | 4.7 ft |
| 24 NovSun | 6:09 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 25 NovMon | 6:42 am | 4.9 ft |
| 25 NovMon | 7:03 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 26 NovTue | 7:33 am | 4.9 ft |
| 26 NovTue | 7:56 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 27 NovWed | 8:26 am | 4.8 ft |
| 27 NovWed | 8:52 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 28 NovThu | 9:21 am | 4.6 ft |
| 28 NovThu | 9:50 pm | 3.5 ft |
King tides already past
27 September – 1 October 2026
| Date | High water | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 27 SepSun | 8:14 am | 4.5 ft |
| 27 SepSun | 8:30 pm | 4.0 ft |
| 28 SepMon | 8:55 am | 4.7 ft |
| 28 SepMon | 9:13 pm | 3.9 ft |
| 29 SepTue | 9:40 am | 4.7 ft |
| 29 SepTue | 9:59 pm | 3.7 ft |
| 30 SepWed | 10:29 am | 4.7 ft |
| 30 SepWed | 10:50 pm | 3.6 ft |
| 1 OctThu | 11:21 am | 4.6 ft |
| 1 OctThu | 11:44 pm | 3.4 ft |