The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean.
A major tourist destination, the Outer Banks are known for their wide expanse of open beachfront and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The seashore and surrounding ecosystem are important biodiversity zones, including beach grasses and shrubland that help maintain the form of the land.
The hundreds of shipwrecks along the Outer Banks have given the surrounding seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Outer Banks were also home to the Wright brothers' first flight in a controlled, powered, heavier-than-air vehicle on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills. During the 20th century, the region became increasingly important for coastal tourism.
The Outer Banks are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal erosion; the effects of climate change compound existing coastal erosion caused by poor coastal management and construction practices. In some locations on the banks, sea levels rose 5 inches from 2011 to 2015. Some sections have significantly eroded already, with portions of Hatteras Island at 25% of its original width as of 2014. Tropical storms like Hurricane Irene in 2011 have destroyed significant infrastructure and property.
Terminology The term "Outer Banks" refers to the islands, shoals, and spits from Ocracoke northward, also includes Core Banks, and is frequently abbreviated OBX on regional tourism marketing. In recent decades, the beaches to the south of Cape Lookout have been marketing themselves as the "Southern Outer Banks", including the marketing as SOBX; this region includes the Crystal Coast beaches of Bogue Banks. The term Inner Banks and IBX is a similarly new term to refer to the mainland communities along Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds.
Geography
A tall ridge of sand dunes that survived the melting of the Earth's glaciers gave rise to the barrier islands that make up the Outer Banks. By protecting the coastal mainland from the raging waves and storms of the ocean, barrier islands get their name. The Outer Banks is a string of peninsulas and barrier islands separating the Atlantic Ocean from mainland North Carolina. From north to south, the largest of these include: Bodie Island (which used to be an island but is now a peninsula due to tropical storms and hurricanes that closed inlets that separated it from the Currituck Banks), Pea Island (which has, at times, been contiguous with neighboring Bodie Island or Hatteras Island), Hatteras Island, Ocracoke Island, Portsmouth Island, and the Core Banks. Over time, the exact number of islands and inlets changes as new inlets are opened up, often during a breach created during violent storms, and older inlets close, usually due to gradually shifting sands during the processes of beach evolution.
The Outer Banks stretch southward from Sandbridge in Virginia Beach down the North Carolina coastline. Sources differ regarding the southern terminus of the Outer Banks. The most extensive definition includes the state's three prominent capes: Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear. Other sources limit the definition to two capes (Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout) and coastal areas in four counties (Currituck County, Dare County, Hyde County, and Carteret County). Some authors exclude Carteret's Bogue Banks; others exclude the county entirely.
The northern part of the Outer Banks, from Oregon Inlet northward, is actually a part of the North American mainland, since the northern inlets of Bodie Island and Currituck Banks no longer exist. It is separated by the Currituck Sound and the Intracoastal Waterway, which passes through the Great Dismal Swamp occupying much of the mainland west of the Outer Banks. Road access to the northern Outer Banks is cut off between Sandbridge and Corolla, North Carolina, with communities such as Carova Beach accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles. North Carolina State Highway 12 links most of the popular Outer Banks communities in this section of the coast. The easternmost point is Rodanthe Pier in Rodanthe, North Carolina.
The Outer Banks are not anchored to offshore coral reefs like some other barrier islands, and as a consequence, they often suffer significant beach erosion during major storms. In fact, their location jutting out into the Atlantic makes them the most hurricane-prone area north of Florida, for both landfalling storms and brushing storms offshore. Hatteras Island was cut in half on September 18, 2003, when Hurricane Isabel washed a 2,000 feet (600 m) wide and 15 feet (5 m) deep channel called Isabel Inlet through the community of Hatteras Village on the southern end of the island. The tear was subsequently repaired and restored by sand dredging by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was cut off once again in 2011 by Hurricane Irene. Access to the island was largely limited to boat access only from August to late October until another temporary bridge could be built.
Three state highway bridges connect the Outer Banks to the mainland. The Wright Memorial Bridge, the oldest (built in 1930, rehabilitated in 1966), carries US 158 between Point Harbor and Kitty Hawk. William B. Umstead Bridge, the second oldest (built in 1957, rehabilitated in 1966), carries US 64 between Manns Harbor on the mainland and Manteo on Roanoke Island. The newest bridge, the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, was completed in 2002 and carries US 64 Bypass between Manns Harbor and Roanoke Island between Manteo and Wanchese. The Washington Baum Bridge and Melvin R. Daniels Bridge carry US 64 between Roanoke Island and Nags Head. At Whalebone Junction, the three main highways of the Outer Banks (NC 12, US 158, and US 64) all meet. Additionally, NC 615 serves as the main route along Knotts Island in the extreme north; it connects only to Virginia by land.
A number of ferries maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division also serve the Outer Banks. From north to south, these are the Knotts Island-Currituck Ferry, the Hatteras-Ocracoke Ferry, the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke Ferry, and the Cedar Island-Ocracoke Ferry. Additionally, a semi-regular emergency ferry often runs from Stumpy Point to Rodanthe to serve travelers due to frequent wash-outs of NC 12 between Nags Head and Rodanthe. Additionally, private ferries are commissioned by the National Park Service to access certain islands within the National Seashores along the outer banks, these include ferries to Portsmouth Island, to Cape Lookout Lighthouse, and various locations along Core Banks and Shackleford Banks.
Unlike other parts of North Carolina, which have very stable geography, the geography of the Outer Banks is constantly shifting. It is estimated that the outer banks drift several feet each year. The result of these changes is not certain, with theories ranging from the island shrinking in width, moving further inland, or sinking into the ocean. There are currently efforts to alleviate the damage to areas of the Outer Banks, including the FORA (Shoreline Stabilization for Erosion Control), which plans to protect the shoreline of the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation intends to construct a new bridge connecting Currituck County to the Outer Banks. This bridge would span 7 miles long, and construction is planned to begin in 2026. The main intention of the bridge is to alleviate traffic congestion in the event that an evacuation of the outer banks is required, in the event of a storm. This is especially concerning because the estimated time it would take to evacuate the area using the current bridge exceeds the state-designated time. The other impact would be decreased congestion during the summer months, when traffic is the heaviest.
The cost of maintenance of the Outer Banks has been a large concern for the area. Due to constant storms and strong currents, bridges need to be constantly rebuilt or refurbished. In the years 2012–2022, the Department of Transportation spent $9,592,745.55 on bridge maintenance, and during the same period, disaster repairs cost $33,546,190.58.
Ecology
Vegetation
The vegetation of the Outer Banks has biodiversity, although it is considered the northern limit for many southern plants such as wild scrub palms. In the northern part of the Outer Banks, from Virginia Beach southward past the North Carolina border to Cape Hatteras, the main types of vegetation are sea grasses, beach grasses and other beach plants. This includes Opuntia humifusa on the Atlantic side, wax myrtles, bays, and grasses on the Sound side, with areas of pine and Spanish moss-covered live oaks. Yucca aloifolia and Yucca gloriosa can be found growing wild here in the northern parts of its range on the beach. Dwarf palmettos were once indigenous to the entire Outer Banks, and they are still successfully planted and grown. Its current most northerly known native stand is on Monkey Island in Currituck County.
From Cape Hatteras National Seashore southward, the vegetation does include dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor), Yucca aloifolia and Yucca gloriosa; however, the area also has cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto), which can be found in the north, although they are native in the southern part of the Outer Banks, specifically prevalent from Cape Hatteras and all points southward. Pindo palms and windmill palms are also planted widely throughout the Outer Banks; although, they are not native to the area.
A wide variety of native plants can be found at the Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo on Roanoke Island.
The Outer Banks are home to Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria), the roasted leaves of which were brewed into a high caffeine beverage called black drink by the Native Americans. The Outer Banks may be one of the few places where it is still consumed.
Animal life
The islands are home to herds of wild and feral horses, known as Banker horses, which according to local legend are descended from Spanish mustangs washed ashore centuries ago in shipwrecks. Populations are found on Ocracoke Island, Shackleford Banks, Currituck Banks, and in the Rachel Carson Estuarine Sanctuary. Wild horses are also found in Corolla, North Carolina, where many tourists come to see them roam freely. These wild horses have been negatively affected by humans. Consequently, rules have been implemented to keep these horses safe. Humans cannot be within fifty feet of these horses. Many tourists have been unaware of the harmful effects of feeding wild horses. Consequently, some of these horses have died from eating foods given by tourists lacking in awareness.
The Outer Banks is located on the Atlantic Flyway for migratory birds. These barrier islands are home to a variety of birds, and also act as a temporary resting area for migratory birds. The Osprey, Brown pelican, and Piping plover are among the birds found in the Outer Banks. The osprey and brown pelican can dive underwater to catch their prey and fully submerge themselves beneath the surface. Ospreys live near bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, and reservoirs. Brown pelicans primarily live near ocean beaches. Both the osprey's and pelican's diets is predominantly fish. The piping plover, now an endangered species, uses the Outer Banks as a migratory rest-stop along the Atlantic flyway. Piping plovers rely on sandy beaches for habitats, which the Outer Bank's land region provides.