It is bordered to the north by Pettiford Creek and the Croatan National Forest; to the east by Bogue, and to the west by Cedar Point.

To the south is Bogue Sound, with the town of Emerald Isle on the opposite shore, connected to Cape Carteret by the B. Cameron Langston Bridge carrying North Carolina Highway 58.

NC 58 leads north 15 miles (24 km) to U.S. Route 17 at Maysville.

[6] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,224 people, 934 households, and 695 families residing in the town.

21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.