The modern "Hatteras Inlet" was formed on September 7, 1846, by a violent gale.
Because of the increase in commerce, Hatteras Village Post Office was established in 1858.
[1] The inlet today is approximately two miles across, but this distance changes daily because of the convection of brackish water.
A fleet of eight ferries, owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, provides a free 60-minute ride year round to people who want to traverse the inlet from Hatteras to Ocracoke.
These ferries connect North Carolina State Highway 12 between the two islands.