Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Its estimated population was 3,625 as of the 2016 census.Southport has been a popular filming location for television and movies, including film adaptations of the works of novelist Nicholas Sparks. The town can be seen in the television series Dawson's Creek, Under the Dome, Revenge, and Matlock, and in numerous movies, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer Catch, Domestic Disturbance, Crimes of the Heart, Nights in Rodanthe, A Walk to Remember and Safe Haven.Southport is the location of the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival, which attracts 40,000 to 50,000 visitors annually.