The Waterfront Filming Locations: Where Was It Filmed? Havenport?

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I’m wondering if Havenport is a genuine location within The Waterfront, and which filming sites were utilized for the popular Netflix series? The intriguing storyline of the Buckley family’s crime-riddled saga takes inspiration from both fictional settings and real-life coastal towns.

Here’s the truth behind Havenport and the North Carolina locations that bring it to life.

Is Havenport a real or fictional town in The Waterfront?

Netflix’s The Waterfront features the fictional town of Havenport.

In an interview, the series creator Kevin Williamson revealed that the show’s setting was specifically designed for the production, explaining, “Being from North Carolina myself, in a tiny town reminiscent of Southport where we shot the series, I drew inspiration for this location” (as reported by Screen Rant).

In essence, Havenport, while purely imagined, shares similarities with actual locations found in North Carolina, particularly Southport and Wilmington. The author, Williamson, who hails from New Bern and studied in Greenville, has deeply incorporated elements from these areas into his creation. He modeled Havenport around the local culture and mindset of the region, thus providing it a realistic setting, despite being entirely fictitious.

All filming locations used to create The Waterfront’s Havenport

The production team filmed The Waterfront primarily in Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina.

The coastal towns offered the picturesque waterfront views, fishing piers, and quaint small-town structures that breathed life into Havenport. Kevin Williamson frequently selected this area for his productions. He shot both Dawson’s Creek and I Know What You Did Last Summer in Southport and Wilmington. The film crew filmed the entirety of Dawson’s Creek in North Carolina, despite its Massachusetts backdrop.

Williamson’s relationship with the region played a significant role in his choice. He explained, “Being a fisherman myself, like my father was in the ’80s, I had to struggle to make ends meet during a difficult period. This personal experience greatly impacted the creation of Harlan Buckley and the narrative in The Waterfront.

Havenport, a fictitious town, is created by merging the real-life towns of Wilmington and Southport. The television series aesthetically portrays this amalgamation, capturing the distinctive visual and cultural charm that characterizes life along the coast of North Carolina.

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2025-06-20 06:40