Hatteras Inlet is an

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

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 ...

, located along the Outer Banks, separating Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island. It connects the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

to the Pamlico Sound. Hatteras Inlet is located entirely within Hyde County.

History

The first "Hatteras Inlet" was formed south of the current

inlet An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In marine geogra ...

, but closed around 1764. The modern "Hatteras Inlet" was formed on September 7, 1846 by a violent gale. This massive storm, was the same storm that opened present-day Oregon Inlet. The new inlet at Hatteras became a profitable inlet, because it gave the Inner Banks, NC a quicker and easier route to travel to and from the

Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension the North Atlantic Current, North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida a ...

. It was easier to come into this inlet from the north than to Ocracoke. Because of the increase in commerce,

Hatteras Village Hatteras is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, on the Outer Banks island of Hatteras, at its extreme southwestern tip. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 504. Imme ...

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

was established in 1858. The initial invasion of the

coast on Hatteras Island during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, called the Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries, came from Hatteras Inlet on August 28–29, 1861. The two

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

forts A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

guarding the inlet quickly fell.

Hatteras Inlet today

The inlet today is approximately two miles across, but this distance changes daily because of the convection of brackish water. No

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

crosses Hatteras Inlet. A fleet of eight ferries, owned by the

North Carolina Department of Transportation The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is responsible for building, repairing, and operating highways, bridges, and other modes of transportation, including ferries in the U.S. state of North Carolina. History The North Carolina ...

, provides a free 60-minute ride year round to people who want to traverse the inlet from Hatteras to Ocracoke. These ferries connect North Carolina State Highway 12 between the two islands.

Map

Google Maps - Hatteras Inlet

References

{{Authority control Outer Banks Bodies of water of Hyde County, North Carolina Inlets of North Carolina

History

Hatteras Inlet today

Further reading

Map

References