Hatteras Island (historically, Croatoan Island) is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. Dividing the Atlantic Ocean and the Pamlico Sound, it runs parallel to the coast, forming a bend at Cape Hatteras. It is part of North Carolina's Outer Banks and includes the towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras. It contains the largest part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It is almost entirely in Dare County, North Carolina, but there is a very small sliver of about 45 acres (180,000 m2) which extends southwest into Hyde County.
The island is one of the longest in the contiguous United States, measuring 42 miles (68 km) along a straight line from end to end, or roughly 50 miles (80 km) along the curve of the land.
Hatteras Island is known for sport fishing, surfing, windsurfing and kiteboarding, and is known as "The blue marlin capital of the world."
Accommodations range from hotels and condos to luxurious oceanfront cottages. Hatteras Island is often used for destination weddings, family reunions, and special events.
According to the United States Census Bureau the island has a land area of 85.56 km² (33.04 sq mi) and a population of 4,001 as of the 2000 census.[1]
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The colonists of the lost Roanoke Colony may have relocated to Hatteras Island. When John White returned to Roanoke on a re-supply mission, the settlement was found empty, the only clue being the word "Croatoan" carved into a post of the fort and "Cro" carved into a nearby tree. All the houses and fortifications had been dismantled, which meant their departure had not been hurried. Before he had left the colony, White had instructed them that if anything happened to them, they should carve a Maltese cross on a tree nearby, indicating that their disappearance had been forced. As there was no cross, White took this to mean they had moved to "Croatoan Island" (now known as Hatteras Island), but he was unable to conduct a search. A massive storm was brewing and his men refused to go any further. The next day, they left.[2]:130–33
As there are no incorporated places on Hatteras, the island is patrolled by the Dare County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina Highway Patrol, and the National Park Service.
Hatteras Island is accessible from the northern Outer Banks via the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge. Hatteras is reached from the south via the Ocracoke-Hatteras ferry. Presently there is no direct route linking Hatteras Island to the Hyde County mainland, resulting in a 2-3 hour commute around the Pamlico Sound.
In 2011, Hurricane Irene destroyed part of Highway 12 between Nags Head and Rodanthe. Until the construction of a temporary solution, the only way of accessing Hatteras Island was by ferry.[3]
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