Home Directions Local Information Partners Free Visitor Guide Contact Us  

Welcome to Rodanthe / Waves / Salvo, North Carolina

While traveling to Hatteras Island from the north you will first cross over the Oregon Inlet bridge on Rt. 12 and then enter the Pea Island US Fish and Wildlife Sanctuary. Peaceful Rodanthe will be the first Hatteras Island village at the north end of the island. Although these three villages are each separate, it will be difficult to tell when you leave one and enter the next. One thing that can be said for sure though is that all three of our little villages have always been outdoor enthusiast friendly and they are as peaceful and quiet as you will find anywhere. Whether you prefer fishing, surfing, beachcombing, jogging, kiteboarding, shell hunting, sunbathing or just plain sitting on your lounge chair sipping a drink and relaxing, this is a place that you can do it.

For a current webcam view of Hwy 12 entering Rodanthe from the north side click on the camera.

 

Our Village Names: This area of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo were three distinct early settlements once referred to as the Chicamacomico Banks. Believe it or not, this area was heavily wooded and these three settlements were separated by small creeks and bridges only. As of 1850 the census reported the area with 37 families with a total of 205 people.  

The villages of Rodanthe and Waves were the more closely knit of the trio. The original name for Rodanthe was North Chicamacomico and for Waves it was South Chicamacomico. At that time Salvo was originally Clarks and sometimes Clarksville and although the three villages were close knit Clarks functioned more independently then its northern neighbors. After that..........

Rodanthe: In 1874 the US Post Office refused to use many of the long Indian names that were common for Outer Banks villages. No one is sure why North Rodanthe was chosen but it is theorized that it is named after a non-native flower “Rodantha.” Some of the other names Rodanthe has gone by in early years are Big Kinnakeet, Chichinock-Cominock, Chicky, Midgett Town, Northern Woods and even Northard Woods

     

Waves: First named South Chicamacomico and then South Rodanthe, villagers accepted the name Waves P.O. which was proposed by local postmaster Anna Midgette with an eye toward tourism in 1939. Villagers wanted to keep P.O. in the name to show their strong reluctance of changing the name and giving up the original Chicamacomico designation. Soundside mariners often referred to Waves simply as “the hump in the middle.” 

Salvo:  Salvo was originally named Clarks or Clarksville and received its village name very strangely indeed. A Union ship's commander passing the Island asked his crew what was the name of the village that he was seeing. While looking at his chart, the crewman said that he could not see any name. The commander ordered, “Give it a salvo anyway,” (salvo = a simultaneous cannon firing). The crewman then logged “salvo” on the chart which was noted and used on future charts and actually stuck as the official Union name.

 

SURF OR SOUND REALTY

Premier Hatteras Island Vacation Homes

As might be expected, the Chicamacomico Banks had many historical ties to the Manteo and Wanchese areas. Also, despite the reputation of being people from a very isolated area, the locals from this area were actually well traveled because of the area’s close connections with the US Coast Guard and their relocations all up and down the east coast. In many decades of the mid-twentieth century, Rodanthe was the northernmost stop of the Manteo-Hatteras Bus Line using sand roads. This bus line helped familiarize the southern Hatteras Island villagers with their northern neighbors.   

Rodanthe had the distinction of having the areas only man made refuge for boats in the region. In 1936 the US Coast Guard built a channel and T-shaped harbor named the Blackmar Gut built for the US Chicamacomico Coast Guard Station. Today, nearly all remnants of the earlier villages have all but disappeared along with much of the original natural landscape. Visitors will be interested that there was once a wetland area called Aunt Phoebe’s Marsh in the current area now covered with a theme park, waterslide, go-cart tracks and campgrounds.

Basic Travel Preparation

I am often asked to provide a list of things that I might consider to be basic travel preparations. One of the things that many visitors are always concerned about is exactly what our area has available in case of medical emergencies. Rest assured that Hatteras Island has exceptional medical attention always available. Please visit this page for a listing of medical and dental facilities that are currently available.

However, many visitors have special concerns and possibly even special needs. One hundred and fifty miles from home or around the world, a Medjet membership is the perfect addition to any itinerary. Designed with the savvy traveler in mind, a Medjet membership adds peace of mind and an additional level of security and comfort while traveling domestically or abroad.

 

Medjet Take Trips Not Chances

 
We Have Activities Galore!
Of course there is never a shortage of recreation for you to do while you are visiting this area. Click on an activity:
Optician's Choice

Our Local Controversy Should Be A National Concern!

Currently Hatteras Island is deeply embroiled in some serious issues. Along with the fuel and housing crunch that all American's are feeling, the local businesses and citizens are also forced to take an active roll in defending the area’s right to your free and open beaches which have been the trademark of this area. Please don't forget that open beaches has always been the basis of our local economy long before the National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife arrived with their promises to keep it that way. Check out this [video] for a local's viewpoint

If you would like to read more about the Hatteras Island "beach access" issues please refer to the NPS website and read about why the NPS felt it necessary to close public access to our North Carolina public beaches despite their own statistics showing that it was unnecessary. Please also research the opposing views presented and documented at the Island Free Press. Local Hatteras Island citizens would like for any potential visitors to be better informed before they make any decisions regarding their beach access or eventual loss of it.

 
Interesting Statistics: As of the 2007, the Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo area is listed as having a population of 1734. The median home cost was a whopping $750K. The per capita income is listed as $23,800 and the per household income is listed as $48,000. Of course these statistics are very misleading after the economic crash of 2008.

 

 

Worried about UV protection for your family?  Watch this video and then click on the link for Alex & Me Company for the solution.  

"Lone Woman on the Boat"

 

 

Website Design & SEO

Resources  ♦   Sitemap