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 communities of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras.

[4][5] Some sections have significantly eroded already, with portions of Hatteras Island at 25% of its original [clarification needed] width as of 2014.

[8] It is logical that the colonists left on Roanoke had gone back to Croatoan, as they had already lived there and had had a strong relationship with the natives, some of whom had visited England.

[9] 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.

The rescues squad headquarters are in Buxton, North Carolina For many years, the only ways to reach Hatteras Island was by ferry and footpath.

[12] In November 1963, the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge was completed, connecting Hatteras Island to the northern Outer Banks.

[13] The $4 million to build the bridge was financed by the State of North Carolina, the U.S. Commerce Department, and the National Park Service.

[12] 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.