North Carolina State Highway 12
Encyclopedia
NC 12 is a North Carolina
state highway
that traverses the northeastern shoreline of North Carolina
, linking the islands of the Outer Banks
. It is a popular route for visitors touring the Outer Banks. Most sections of NC 12 are two lanes wide and three segments of the route are connected by ferries.
(near the Currituck Beach Lighthouse), NC 12 (affectionately known as the "Beach Road") travels south along the Bodie Island shoreline through the cities of Duck, Southern Shores
, Kitty Hawk
, Kill Devil Hills
and Nags Head
before entering the Cape Hatteras National Seashore
. Before crossing over Oregon Inlet
to Pea Island, NC 12 passes by Bodie Island Lighthouse. Continuing south, the highway crosses onto Hatteras Island, site of the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. In the town of Hatteras, North Carolina
, vehicles following NC 12 board a free ferry
to Ocracoke Island, home of the Ocracoke Lighthouse. In the community of Ocracoke
, NC 12 follows a toll
ferry
to Cedar Island
where the route continues 12 miles to Sealevel and ends at U.S. Highway 70.
which opened a new inlet 3000 feet (914.4 m) wide and 30 feet (9.1 m) deep through the community of Hatteras Village on the southern end of Hatteras Island. This new inlet was temporarily named the Isabel Inlet
after the hurricane. Road access along NC 12 was temporarily severed until the island was repaired and restored by sand pumped ashore by the Army Corps of Engineers.
in late August 2011. The road was breached by two small inlets, about 200 feet (61 m) across apiece, in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
, and north of Rodanthe
. As a result, the only way to access Hatteras Island was by ferry. On October 10, 2011, a temporary bridge opened over the largest breach. The bridge, which is 662 feet (201.8 m) long, could be in place for more than 10 years while other solutions are thought out.
!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=1|Currituck
|rowspan=1|Corolla
|
|North Beach Access Ramp
|NC 12 ends
|-
|rowspan=1|Dare
|rowspan=1|Whalebone
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan=1|Carteret
|rowspan=1|Sealevel
|
|
|NC 12 begins
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
that traverses the northeastern shoreline of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, linking the islands of the Outer Banks
Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach on the east coast of the United States....
. It is a popular route for visitors touring the Outer Banks. Most sections of NC 12 are two lanes wide and three segments of the route are connected by ferries.
Route description
Beginning at its northern terminus in Corolla, North CarolinaCorolla, North Carolina
Corolla is an unincorporated community located in Poplar Branch township, Currituck County, North Carolina along the northern Outer Banks. It has a permanent population of approximately 500 people; during the summer vacation season, the population surges into the thousands...
(near the Currituck Beach Lighthouse), NC 12 (affectionately known as the "Beach Road") travels south along the Bodie Island shoreline through the cities of Duck, Southern Shores
Southern Shores, North Carolina
Southern Shores is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,714 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Southern Shores is located at ....
, Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,000 at the 2000 census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk....
, Kill Devil Hills
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
Kill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 5,897 at the 2000 census.Nearby Kitty Hawk is frequently cited as the location of the Wright brothers' first controlled, powered airplane flights on December 17, 1903...
and Nags Head
Nags Head, North Carolina
Nags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,700 at the 2000 census.-History:Early maps of the area show Nags Head as a promontory of land characterized by high sand dunes visible from miles at sea...
before entering the Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Hatteras National Seashore preserves the portion of the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, stretching over . Included within this section of barrier islands along N.C...
. Before crossing over Oregon Inlet
Oregon Inlet
Oregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by a 2.5 mile bridge that spans the inlet...
to Pea Island, NC 12 passes by Bodie Island Lighthouse. Continuing south, the highway crosses onto Hatteras Island, site of the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. In the town of Hatteras, North Carolina
Hatteras, North Carolina
Hatteras is an unincorporated community in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, on the Outer Banks island of Hatteras. North Carolina Highway 12 passes through the community linking it to Frisco and Ocracoke . It is south of the famous Cape Hatteras and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton...
, vehicles following NC 12 board a free ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to Ocracoke Island, home of the Ocracoke Lighthouse. In the community of Ocracoke
Ocracoke, North Carolina
Ocracoke is a census-designated place and unincorporated town located at the southern end of Ocracoke Island, located entirely within Hyde County, North Carolina. The population was 769 as of the 2000 census...
, NC 12 follows a toll
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to Cedar Island
Cedar Island, North Carolina
Cedar Island is an island and a small coastal unincorporated community in eastern North Carolina and some folks believe that the area has a connection to the Roanoke Lost Colony of the late 16th century. Cedar Island is located in Carteret County and was populated with local Native Americans prior...
where the route continues 12 miles to Sealevel and ends at U.S. Highway 70.
Attractions along the way
- Currituck Beach Lighthouse at CorollaCorolla, North CarolinaCorolla is an unincorporated community located in Poplar Branch township, Currituck County, North Carolina along the northern Outer Banks. It has a permanent population of approximately 500 people; during the summer vacation season, the population surges into the thousands...
- Wright Brothers Memorial at Kill Devil HillsKill Devil Hills, North CarolinaKill Devil Hills is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 5,897 at the 2000 census.Nearby Kitty Hawk is frequently cited as the location of the Wright brothers' first controlled, powered airplane flights on December 17, 1903...
- Jockey's Ridge at Nags HeadNags Head, North CarolinaNags Head is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,700 at the 2000 census.-History:Early maps of the area show Nags Head as a promontory of land characterized by high sand dunes visible from miles at sea...
- Bodie Island Lighthouse within the Cape Hatteras National SeashoreCape Hatteras National SeashoreCape Hatteras National Seashore preserves the portion of the Outer Banks of North Carolina from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island, stretching over . Included within this section of barrier islands along N.C...
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse near BuxtonBuxton, North CarolinaBuxton is an unincorporated community of nearly 1,500 people on Hatteras Island near Cape Hatteras. It is located in Dare County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. North Carolina Highway 12 links the community to other Outer Banks communities such as Avon, Frisco, and Hatteras...
- Ocracoke Lighthouse near the village of OcracokeOcracoke, North CarolinaOcracoke is a census-designated place and unincorporated town located at the southern end of Ocracoke Island, located entirely within Hyde County, North Carolina. The population was 769 as of the 2000 census...
- PortsmouthPortsmouth, North CarolinaPortsmouth was a fishing and shipping village located on the north end of the Core Banks on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. The site lies on Portsmouth Island in Carteret County, across Ocracoke Inlet from the village of Ocracoke. The town was established in 1753, and abandoned in 1971...
on Portsmouth Island (view only from ferry)
Hurricane Isabel
Hatteras Island was cut in two on September 18, 2003 by Hurricane IsabelHurricane Isabel
Hurricane Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. The ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Isabel formed near the Cape Verde Islands from a tropical wave on September 6 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean...
which opened a new inlet 3000 feet (914.4 m) wide and 30 feet (9.1 m) deep through the community of Hatteras Village on the southern end of Hatteras Island. This new inlet was temporarily named the Isabel Inlet
Isabel Inlet
Isabel Inlet was an informally named inlet along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was created by Hurricane Isabel when it swept ashore on September 18, 2003....
after the hurricane. Road access along NC 12 was temporarily severed until the island was repaired and restored by sand pumped ashore by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Hurricane Irene
NC 12 was severed in two places by Hurricane IreneHurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
in late August 2011. The road was breached by two small inlets, about 200 feet (61 m) across apiece, in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located on the north end of North Carolina's Hatteras Island, a coastal barrier island and part of a chain of islands known as the Outer Banks, adjacent to Cape Hatteras National Seashore...
, and north of Rodanthe
Rodanthe, North Carolina
Rodanthe is an unincorporated community located in Dare County, North Carolina, on Hatteras Island, part of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Rodanthe, along with Waves and Salvo, are part of the settlement of Chicamacomico...
. As a result, the only way to access Hatteras Island was by ferry. On October 10, 2011, a temporary bridge opened over the largest breach. The bridge, which is 662 feet (201.8 m) long, could be in place for more than 10 years while other solutions are thought out.
History
- 1920s: NC 12 is born as a route from Pollocksville, North CarolinaPollocksville, North CarolinaPollocksville is a town in Jones County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 269 at the 2000 census. It is part of the New Bern, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Pollocksville is located at ....
(near New BernNew Bern, North CarolinaNew Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
) to the VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
border, through KinstonKinston, North CarolinaKinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
, Rich Square, Tarboro, and Murfreesboro. - 1934: NC 12 north of Kinston was truncated and US 258 took its place.
- 1950s: NC 58 completely took over NC 12's remaining route and NC 12 was decommissioned.
- 1962: A road linking the southern and central Outer Banks communities is paved and designated as NC 12.
- 1963: A bridge across Oregon InletOregon InletOregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by a 2.5 mile bridge that spans the inlet...
is constructed and NC 12 is routed along it. This bridge was built to eliminate the need for ferry service to and from Hatteras IslandHatteras IslandHatteras Island is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. 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 towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton,...
and to provide a quick hurricane evacuation route. - 1987: NC 12 is extended north of Nags Head along the Virginia Dare Trail (then Business US 158).
- 1988: NC 12 is extended further to Corolla, its present northern terminus.
- 2003: Hurricane Isabel created the Isabel InletIsabel InletIsabel Inlet was an informally named inlet along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was created by Hurricane Isabel when it swept ashore on September 18, 2003....
, severing NC 12's link to the lower Hatteras Island communities. This segment of shoreline was later filled and the missing NC 12 roadway was rebuilt, this time farther from the shore. This is NC 12's current alignment. - 2007: Subtropical Storm Andrea caused high winds to push waves over dunes and onto the highway on Hatteras Island, leaving water a foot deep and sand 2 to 3 foot (0.9144 m) deep in some places.
- 2011: Hurricane Irene washed out more than one section of the highway.
Junction List
{|class="wikitable"!County
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=1|Currituck
Currituck County, North Carolina
-National protected areas:*Currituck National Wildlife Refuge*Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 23,547 people, 6,902 households, and 5,204 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile . There were...
|rowspan=1|Corolla
Corolla, North Carolina
Corolla is an unincorporated community located in Poplar Branch township, Currituck County, North Carolina along the northern Outer Banks. It has a permanent population of approximately 500 people; during the summer vacation season, the population surges into the thousands...
|
|North Beach Access Ramp
|NC 12 ends
|-
|rowspan=1|Dare
Dare County, North Carolina
-National protected areas:* Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge * Cape Hatteras National Seashore * Fort Raleigh National Historic Site* Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge* Wright Brothers National Memorial-Demographics:...
|rowspan=1|Whalebone
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan=1|Carteret
Carteret County, North Carolina
Carteret County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 66,469. Its county seat is Beaufort. Most of the county is part of the Crystal Coast....
|rowspan=1|Sealevel
|
|
|NC 12 begins
See also
- Cedar IslandCedar Island, North CarolinaCedar Island is an island and a small coastal unincorporated community in eastern North Carolina and some folks believe that the area has a connection to the Roanoke Lost Colony of the late 16th century. Cedar Island is located in Carteret County and was populated with local Native Americans prior...
- Hatteras IslandHatteras IslandHatteras Island is a barrier island located off the North Carolina coast. 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 towns of Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton,...
- Oregon InletOregon InletOregon Inlet is an inlet along North Carolina's Outer Banks. It joins the Pamlico Sound with the Atlantic Ocean and separates Bodie Island from Pea Island, which are connected by a 2.5 mile bridge that spans the inlet...
- North Carolina Ferry SystemNorth Carolina Ferry SystemThe North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division is a branch of NCDOT that is responsible for the operation of over two dozen ferry services that transport passengers and vehicles to several islands along the Outer Banks of North Carolina....