Covering 391 square miles of land and 800 square miles of water, North Carolina's Outer Banks (or barrier islands) stretch from the northern most beaches of Corolla, Sanderling and Duck through Hatteras and Ocracoke islands.
The Outer Banks can be reached by ferry from Swan Quarter or Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island ... and you can travel by ferry to and from Ocracoke Island via the Hatteras Island ferry. For all the details see:
Lighthouse Directions Driving Instructions
From Currituck Beach Light Station in the north to Oak Island Lighthouse in the south. Here's where you'll learn how to find them.
The Outer Banks is just 1 1/2 hours by automobile from Norfolk, Virginia; 3 1/2 hours from
Richmond, Virginia; and only 5 hours from Washington, D.C. For those who
prefer to fly, the Norfolk airport is served by several major airlines while
private and charter aircraft use the Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo, the Currituck County Airport, or the Wright Memorial Airstrip (for limited tie-downs) in Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
Each category below contains the most direct route as well as alternative routes for those times when traffic is expected to be heavy. Routes to the Southern Beaches and Islands include alternatives for those seeking a slower, more open-air experience.