With a population of 123,744 in 2019, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the principal city of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan area that includes New Hanover and Pender counties in southeastern North Carolina,^[4] which has a population of 263,429 as of the 2012 Census Estimate. Settled by the English along the Cape Fear River, the city was named after Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington. Its historic downtown has a 1.75-mile (2.82 km) Riverwalk,^[5] developed as a tourist attraction in the late 20th century. In 2014 Wilmington’s riverfront was ranked as the “Best American Riverfront” by readers of USA Today.^[6] It is minutes away from nearby beaches. The National Trust for Historic Preservation selected Wilmington as one of its 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations.^[7] City residents live between the river and the ocean, with four nearby beach communities: Fort Fisher, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, all within half-hour drives from downtown Wilmington.