How to Get to the Outer Banks
The Outer Banks is a long, thin stretch of sand on the easternmost edge of North Carolina. There are some fun ways to reach the Outer Banks, but most people choose to drive. No matter how you get here, we're glad to have you.
By Car
Most visitors drive to the Outer Banks.
A large majority of visitors come from northern states, like Virginia, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. It's a long drive, but quite easy to manage. The roads up and down the Outer Banks can handle the traffic and it allows you to have a way to travel within the towns.
By Plane
For those who don't choose to drive to the Outer Banks, you can fly to a nearby airport.
The nearest airport is Norfolk/Virginia Beach (ORF), but you'll still have to rent a car to make the 90 minute drive to the Outer Banks. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can hire a small plane to fly you into one of the small airports along the Outer Banks. There are a handful of landing strip style airports throughout Dare County where you can fly your own plane or hire a plane.
This allows you to get closer to your destination without driving, but you'll still need to get airport transportation to the Outer Banks or rent a car to get around.
By Boat
A much more unconventional option, you can reach the Outer Banks via boat.
If you choose to travel in this manner, be sure to use the Intracoastal Waterway to go up and down the east coast. There's not a great way to travel by boat from inland, however, the Intracoastal Waterway is a wildly used method. There are several local boaters who summer on the Outer Banks and travel to the Bahamas using the waterway to winter.
If you're unfamiliar with the Intracoastal Waterway, it's not simply a body of water, like a river. The Intracoastal Waterway is a series of interconnected bodies of water made navigable for motorboats, sailboats, and yachts. Barges and large ships don't typically use this, making it ideal for a unique adventure on a smaller passenger boat.
Whether you're visiting the Outer Banks directly or making it a stop along your trip up and down the East Coast, there are easy and unique ways to arrive. However you choose to visit the Outer Banks, you’ll be glad to spend some time on the best beaches in North Carolina.