Answer: The Cape Fear River begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state of North Carolina and ends at the Atlantic Ocean in the city of Wilmington, North Carolina. The river is approximately 214 miles long. The width of the river varies depending on the location, but it can be up to 1 mile wide in some areas. One unique feature of the Cape Fear River is that it is home to the Cape Fear shad, a type of fish that is unique to the river and its tributaries.