NC Names Highway for Historian Darrell M. Collins
The North Carolina Department of Transportation adopted a resolution naming a five-mile highway in honor of the longtime Wright Brothers National Memorial historian.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Historical
The North Carolina Department of Transportation named a five-mile stretch of highway after historian Darrell M. Collins, who served 40 years as historian at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. The resolution was announced at the NCDOT monthly meeting in Raleigh on Nov. 5, 2026.
Why it matters
Collins is remembered for his storytelling about the Wright Brothers and the 'Miracle at Kitty Hawk,' and the honor recognizes decades of public history work across North Carolina's Outer Banks. The naming also ties his legacy to a new scholarship in aviation science.
The named stretch runs five miles from W. Kitty Hawk Road in Kitty Hawk to Colington Road in Kill Devil Hills. The extraction does not state the highway's official route number or when signage will be installed.
The players
Darrell M. Collins
Collins served 40 years as historian at the Wright Brothers National Memorial, previously coached youth basketball for 25 years, and founded the Pea Island Preservation Society.
North Carolina Department of Transportation
The NCDOT is the state agency responsible for the state's highway system and adopted the resolution naming the five-mile stretch.
The details
The highway runs in front of the Wright Brothers National Memorial and was named in a resolution officially adopted at the NCDOT monthly meeting, with Collins's wife, Tonya L. Collins, and Karen Warlitner of the First Flight Foundation speaking at the announcement. The Wright Flyer area will be dedicated in Collins's honor at AirVenture 2027.
Timeline
December 17, 1903: The Wright Brothers achieve the first flight at Kitty Hawk.
November 5, 2026: NCDOT announces the highway naming resolution in Raleigh.
December 31, 2026: Deadline to support the Darrell M. Collins Aviation Science Scholarship fund.
AirVenture 2027: Wright Flyer area dedication in Collins's honor.
Fall 2027: First scholarship recipients expected at Elizabeth City State University.
Culture Shift
Naming a state highway for a Wright Brothers historian extends a long North Carolina practice of commemorating the 1903 Kitty Hawk first flight through public memory and place names. The honor reflects how the Outer Banks has tied its identity to aviation history for more than a century.
Visitors driving the five-mile stretch past the Wright Brothers National Memorial will travel a highway that now carries Collins's name. Residents and students interested in aviation science can look toward the new scholarship as a funding option.
The takeaway
Public recognition of local historians can preserve regional stories that shape how visitors understand a place. Those interested in supporting similar causes can contribute before the scholarship fund deadline of December 31, 2026.
What happens next
The Wright Flyer area will be dedicated in Collins's honor at AirVenture 2027, and the first Darrell M. Collins Aviation Science Scholarship recipients are expected to attend Elizabeth City State University in Fall 2027.
Further reading
Explore more in Historical coverage of North Carolina's aviation heritage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Outer Banks Voice.
