Hatteras Island is the long, narrow barrier island that forms the wild, lighthouse-dotted heart of the Outer Banks. Stretching roughly 50 miles from the Marc Basnight Bridge in the north down to Hatteras Village at the south end, it is connected by a single road — NC Highway 12 — that threads through seven small villages and miles of protected Cape Hatteras National Seashore. This map breaks the island down village by village so you can plan exactly where to stay, swim, fish, and drive.
Interactive Map of Hatteras Island
The map below shows the full length of the island and the chain of villages along Highway 12.
Save this map to your phone for offline use
Pea Island: the first thirteen miles
Coming south over the Marc Basnight Bridge you drive thirteen miles of nothing before the first village. That is Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge — about 5,800 acres of beach, dune and brackish pond, with no houses, no shops and no lights. There is a visitor center on Highway 12 with spotting scopes and a list of what has been seen lately, and the North Pond Wildlife Trail runs about six tenths of a mile out along the dike, which is where the birds are. At the far end of the refuge, the Captain Richard Etheridge Bridge — the “jug handle” opened in 2022 — carries Highway 12 out over the sound and around the Rodanthe S-curves that used to flood and close the road.
The Seven Villages of Hatteras Island
From north to south, Highway 12 connects Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village. Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo (often grouped as the “tri-villages”) anchor the north end and are popular with windsurfers and kiteboarders. Avon sits at the island’s midpoint with the most shops and groceries. Buxton is home to the iconic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse — closed to climbing during its restoration, with the grounds still open — and the island’s widest beaches. Frisco and Hatteras Village round out the quiet south end, where the Ocracoke ferry departs.
The Hatteras crossing is free through 2026 and runs year-round. The Outer Banks ferry map shows where it lands on the Ocracoke end, and how the three mainland routes compare.
Beaches & Public Beach Access
Because most of Hatteras Island is national seashore, beach access is generous and well-marked. Numbered access points and bathhouses appear regularly along Highway 12, with larger facilities at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the Frisco day-use area. The beaches here are broad and uncrowded compared with the northern Outer Banks towns. They are also where most of the Outer Banks’ sea turtle nests go in each summer — the staked-off squares on the dune from June on — and where shorebird closures shape the season at Cape Point; our nesting guide explains both.
4x4 Beach Driving & ORV Ramps
Hatteras Island has some of the best off-road-vehicle beach driving on the East Coast. A network of numbered ORV ramps lets permitted four-wheel-drive vehicles access the sand, with the famous Cape Point near Buxton being a top destination for surf anglers. You’ll need a National Park Service ORV permit and a properly equipped vehicle — if you don’t have one, you can rent a 4x4 built for OBX beach driving from Beach4x4, our 4WD rental company in Kill Devil Hills. Always check seasonal wildlife closures before heading out.
Getting to Hatteras Island
From the northern Outer Banks, you reach Hatteras Island by crossing the Marc Basnight (Bonner) Bridge over Oregon Inlet. From the south, the Hatteras–Ocracoke ferry (free through 2026) connects Hatteras Village to Ocracoke Island.
Plan the Rest of Your Outer Banks Trip
- Outer Banks Maps — the full island-by-island map directory.
- OBX Tide Charts — check tides before beach driving or fishing.
- Outer Banks Surf Fishing — Cape Point is one of the best surf spots anywhere.
- Beach4x4 — rent a Jeep or 4x4 for the sand.
- Outer Banks Hurricane Evacuation Routes — the actual roads off the islands, mapped.
- Outer Banks Hurricane History — every storm that shaped Hatteras Island, from the 1846 inlets to Isabel, Irene and Dorian.
- Outer Banks Live Webcams — the Hatteras ferry dock cameras, the Avon and Rodanthe cams, and the lighthouse.
- Outer Banks Boat Ramps & Kayak Launches — Oregon Inlet, Rodanthe, Avon and the soundside launches, on one map.
What are the seven villages on Hatteras Island?
The Hatteras Island map above shows how the seven villages line up along NC Highway 12. From north to south along NC Highway 12, the seven villages of Hatteras Island are Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village. Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo are grouped as the tri-villages and are popular with windsurfers. Avon has the most shops and groceries. Buxton is home to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (closed to climbing during restoration; grounds open) and the island’s widest beaches. Frisco and Hatteras Village occupy the quiet south end, where the ferry to Ocracoke departs — free until tolls begin January 1, 2027.
How do you get to Hatteras Island from the northern Outer Banks?
From the northern Outer Banks, you reach Hatteras Island by crossing the Marc Basnight (Bonner) Bridge over Oregon Inlet, continuing south on NC Highway 12 from Nags Head. From the south, the Hatteras-Ocracoke ferry (free through 2026) connects Hatteras Village to Ocracoke Island. Plan extra time in summer, as the bridges and Highway 12 see heavy traffic on Saturday turnover days.
Do you need a permit to drive on the beach on Hatteras Island?
Yes. Hatteras Island is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and you must have a National Park Service ORV permit to drive on the beach at the numbered ORV ramps. Seasonal wildlife closures also protect nesting birds and sea turtles, so always check current ramp status before heading out. If you don’t have a capable vehicle, you can rent a 4x4 built for OBX beach driving.
To drive the island’s story rather than read it, Shifting Sands is a full-day hunt of ours that follows Highway 12 from Jockey’s Ridge down to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and the empty patch of beach it was moved off. Any car will do it. $29 a team.