Atlantic is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

in eastern Carteret County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 543. It is situated along

Core Sound The Core Sound is a sound (geography) in eastern North Carolina located between the mainland of Carteret County and Core Banks, part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It lies between the large Pamlico Sound to the northeast and the smaller ...

, located in what was known to early settlers of the area as

Hunting Quarters Hunting Quarters is the original name for the area of eastern North Carolina in Carteret County currently known as the towns of Sea Level and Atlantic. The region, originally settled by an English English usually refers to: * English language ...

. It is the location of

US 70 U.S. Route 70 or U.S. Highway 70 (US 70) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. It is a major east–west highway of the Southeastern, Southern and Southwestern United States. E ...

's eastern terminus and the

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

terminal for journeys to North Core Banks in the

Cape Lookout National Seashore Cape Lookout National Seashore preserves a 56-mile (90-km) long section of the Southern Outer Banks, or Crystal Coast, of North Carolina, USA, running from Ocracoke Inlet on the northeast to Beaufort Inlet on the southeast. Three undeveloped barrie ...

. The community is located east of the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

installation MCOLF Atlantic which is primarily used for helicopter and aggressor force exercises. The installation sees limited use but is staffed around the clock by a security unit from

MCAS Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, United States, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 and ...

. Atlantic is home to Luther L. Smith and Son Seafood, the last operating fish house in the town. Drum Inlet Marina, the most suitable location to embark to the Outer Banks, is a full-service harbor.

Commercial fishing Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often ...

has long been the primary means of earning a living in this community. Atlantic had the first public high school in Carteret County. It was an incorporated community from 1905 until 1920. It had three different mayors during this time.

Geography

The Atlantic CDP has a total area of , of which , or 2.00%, is water. Little Port Brook separates two roads (Old US 70) from the other side, so it results in a dead end coming from both directions. Many believe that there used to be an old bridge where the harbor is today, since the road aligns, but it was taken out when the marina was put in. Now, US 70% ends before the separation, at the corner of Morris Dr and Seashore Dr, about 2500 feet away from the harbor. By the Core Sound Loop Rd, near the White Point Take Out, (On the other side), there is also a dead end sign facing south towards the harbor as well.

Demographics

References

Sources

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields is an online database detailing information and first hand memories about airports in the United States which are no longer in operation, or are rarely used. The website was started by Paul Freeman in 1999 a ...

in SE NC (Since World War II MCOLF Atlantic has been a satellite airfield of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Though it is not in daily use anymore, it is used on a regular basis for training operations by the Marine Corps and other Military organizations.) {{authority control Census-designated places in Carteret County, North Carolina Census-designated places in North Carolina Populated coastal places in North Carolina