Outer Banks Towns & Villages
Thank goodness, there are no cities here. Just quaint towns and sleepy fishing villages, each wonderfully weather worn to a varying degree. Even spanning hundreds of years and despite millions of visitors, each town retains its own individual character. To the north, Duck and Southern Shores are the newest communities on the Outer Banks, populated by services of all kinds and beautiful vacation homes.
Centrally located, the towns of Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head are more populated, especially in the summer, with plenty of locally owned restaurants, bars and beach shops. To the west is Roanoke Island, home to Manteo, which wraps around Shallowbag Bay. And then to the south, on Hatteras Island, a bevy of quaint, neatly isolated towns sit nestled right along the ocean. Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, Hatteras: one road leads to them all.

DUCK
Incorporated in 2002, Duck is the Outer Bank’s newest town, but already owns an impressive reputation for great beaches, water sports and outdoor adventures, fine dining and eclectic shopping. KNOWN FOR: Pet-Friendly Beach, Waterfront Shopping and Dining, Duck Jazz Festival, Soundside Boardwalk. READ MORE
SOUTHERN SHORES
Nestled between the towns of Kitty Hawk and Duck, you’ll find Southern Shores, predominately a vacation-oriented town though it has many more year-round residents than Duck. KNOWN FOR: Shell Collecting, Residential Beach Community, Golf, Northern Beach Town, Extensive Walking and Cycling Paths. READ MORE
KITTY HAWK
Located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in Dare County, the Town of Kitty Hawk offers year-round residents and visitors alike a unique and relaxing environment. KNOWN FOR: First Flight Namesake, Surfing, Boating, Kayaking, Golf, Maritime Forest, Welcome Center. READ MORE
KILL DEVIL HILLS
Kill Devil Hills received its municipal charter in 1953. Situated in the near geographic middle of the Northern Beaches, it is the largest municipality in Dare County with a year-round population of about 6,800 people. KNOWN FOR: Wright Brothers National Memorial, Most Populated Town in OBX, Skatepark, Surfing, Fishing Pier. READ MORE
NAGS HEAD
Nags Head, from its earliest beginnings in the 1800s, has predominately consisted of single-family cottages and a few small hotels and cottage courts. KNOWN FOR: Jockeys Ridge State Park, Fishing Piers, Historic and Art Districts, Charter Fishing, Golf, Nag Head Woods, Walking and Biking Paths, Bodie Island Lighthouse. READ MORE
MANTEO
The town of Manteo wraps around Shallowbag Bay on the eastern side of Roanoke Island. Named the seat of government for Dare County in 1870, this waterfront community was incorporated in 1899. KNOWN FOR: Historic Waterfront, Roanoke Island Festival Park, Civil War, Bed & Breakfasts, African-American Heritage, Lost Colony, Elizabethan Gardens and NC Aquarium, Dare County Regional Airport, Charter Fishing. READ MORE
WANCHESE
The Village of Wanchese is at the southernmost end of Roanoke Island, opposite the town of Manteo to the north. Wanchese is a charming fishing village that retains its old-world charm and sense of identity. KNOWN FOR: Commercial Fishing, Fresh Seafood, Charter Fishing, Seafaring Heritage, Boatbuilding. READ MORE
RODANTHE
Today, Rodanthe is home to the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station, the first such station established along the North Carolina Coast, and more recently was the setting for the major motion picture Nights in Rodanthe. KNOWN FOR: Part of the Tri-Villages, Kiteboarding, Nights in Rodanthe, Windsurfing, Surfing, Fishing Pier, Chicamacomico, Campgrounds, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beaches, Adjacent to Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. READ MORE
WAVES
The area is a haven for water sports like kiteboarding and windsurfing, bird watchers will love the proximity to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. KNOWN FOR: Part of the Tri-Villages, Kiteboarding, Nights in Rodanthe, Windsurfing, Surfing, Fishing Pier, Chicamacomico, Campgrounds, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beaches, Adjacent to Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. READ MORE
SALVO
Today, a drive through parts of Salvo will reveal stacked crab pots, fish boxes and Banker fishermen at work just as they were generations ago. KNOWN FOR: Part of the Tri-Villages, Kiteboarding, Nights in Rodanthe, Windsurfing, Surfing, Fishing Pier, Chicamacomico, Campgrounds, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beaches, Adjacent to Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. READ MORE
AVON
Just north of Buxton, this once tiny village of watermen and their families has grown to be a highly coveted vacationing experience with pristine, natural beaches and beautiful rental cottages. KNOWN FOR: Largest Hatteras Island Population, Paddleboarding, Canadian Hole Watersports, Commercial Seafood, Fishing Pier, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beaches. READ MORE
BUXTON
The Village of Buxton is located just off Cape Hatteras, and in fact, used to be called simply "The Cape." It is home to the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, America's tallest brick lighthouse at 208 feet. KNOWN FOR: Part of the Tri-Villages, Kiteboarding, Nights in Rodanthe, Windsurfing, Surfing, Fishing Pier, Chicamacomico, Campgrounds, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beaches, Adjacent to Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. READ MORE
FRISCO
The village of Frisco is known for its heavily wooded maritime forests on the soundside or western edge. Situated at the edge of what is known as Buxton Woods, between the villages of Buxton and Hatteras. KNOWN FOR: Horseback Riding, Native American Museum, Campgrounds, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beaches. READ MORE
HATTERAS
Hatteras Village is the southernmost community on Hatteras Island. Not to be confused with Hatteras Inlet, the channel of water between Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. KNOWN FOR: NC Ferry, Charter Fishing, Seafaring Heritage, Civil War, Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, Cape Hatteras National Seashore Beaches, US Weather Bureau Welcome Center. READ MORE