Currituck County is effectively divided in two by the Currituck Sound, which creates two distinct and ecologically diverse regions: the Currituck Mainland, and the Currituck Barrier Island Beaches.

The Currituck Beaches are also referred to as the Northern Outer Banks, Currituck Island, or just "Corolla," which is the primary town in this region.

The barrier island region of the county attracts the bulk of Currituck's visitors, due to its miles of shoreline, famed historic attractions, and vast selection of shops, activities and vacation rentals. As such, every Currituck County visitor should make one visit to this famed region, which is distinctive, beautiful, and an ideal vacation destination for beach lovers.

Carova Beach

Currituck Beaches Quick Facts

  • Several centuries ago, the Currituck Beaches were their own distinctive "Island," thanks to the old Currituck Inlet which separated this region from the rest of the Outer Banks. The inlet has since closed, and the barrier island where the Currituck beaches are found is connected to the Dare County OBX communities of Nags Head, Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills.
  • The closest inlet is Oregon Inlet, which is located about 50 miles away from the county border, and separates Hatteras Island from the rest of the Outer Banks.
  • Currituck's beaches are considered the northernmost region of the Outer Banks, and span from the town borders of Duck in Dare County to the Virginia State Line.
  • The Currituck Beaches are bordered to the west by the Currituck Sound, and are bordered to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.
  • There are approximately 20 miles of oceanfront shoreline in Currituck County, however the island is about 1.75 miles wide at its widest point.
  • There are miles of beaches that are preserves or used as National Refuges. These regions include the Currituck Banks Reserve and the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge.
  • Two of Currituck County's most visited attractions are found on the beaches - The Whalehead in Historic Corolla and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.
  • There are about 500 year-round residents in the Currituck Beaches. In the summer, this number swells to 50,000 weekly visitors or more.

Currituck Beaches Communities

The Currituck Beaches are effectively split into two communities: The incorporated town of Corolla and the 4WD beaches, which are also generally referred to as "Carova." Both regions have their own unique qualities that are appealing to visitors.

Corolla NC at sunrise

Corolla History and Landscape

Corolla was originally a small European settlement of a handful of locals, but the town rose to prominence once wealthy northerners began to build esteemed estates and hunt clubs on the prime waterfowl hunting grounds. Initially known as Jones Hill, the town officially took the name of "Corolla" in 1895 with the establishment of a US Post Office.

Mass development began in Corolla in 1967, when a development company from Virginia purchased a large parcel of land that was divided into roughly 2,000 lots. The initial asking price for these properties was around $8,000, and now lot prices in Corolla are in the $250,000+ range.

When the two-lane NC Highway 12 was established, development boomed in the 1980s and 1990s, and today the town is home to several thousand vacation rentals, resorts, hotels, condo complexes, and an array of shops and restaurants.

Today, Corolla is a considered an upscale beach vacation destination that still remains popular with northeastern and East Coast visitors. Most visitors stay in vacation rental homes, which are found in abundance along the oceanfront and soundfront.

Activities to Enjoy in Corolla

Because Corolla is known as an elite vacation destination, visitors can enjoy a number of a typical beach or resort town activities.

The following activities and attractions are among the most popular things to do in Corolla.

Ghost crab homes on the beach in Corolla NC

Kitty Hawk Kites

Kitty Hawk Kites

Kitty Hawk Kites has been Teaching the World to Fly since 1974 and is home to the world’s largest hang gliding school. As the Outer Banks leader in quality outdoor recreation and adventure, Kitty Hawk Kites offers more than 30 activities to choose from, so get out that pen and start crossing things off your OBX bucket list today! Visit KittyHawk.com or call 1.877.FLY.THIS to book your Kitty Hawk Kites adventure today.

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Salt Coast Outfitters

Salt Coast Outfitters

A resource for products, recreational equipment suppliers, weather protection clothing, and gear to Coastal outdoor enthusiasts. Browse the fullest collection of coastal lifestyle clothing on the beach. Featuring a sizable selection of brand names such as Simply Southern, Fish Hippie, Salt Life, Columbia, Wicked Tuna, Puravida Rings and bracelets, 4Ocean bracelets, Yeti and much more. You are sure to find something for the whole family!

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Brew Thru

Brew Thru

No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without cruising through Brew Thru, the Outer Banks’ original drive thru convenience store. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing cold beverage of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks on the go, stocking up your cooler with refreshments to enjoy at the beach or piling up on beer and wine for a party, Brew Thru is a fun and unique experience all vacationers need to see for themselves.

Drive-Through Beer & Gear

Brew Thru is Your One-Stop Shop at the Beach

The year was 1977, and Dana and Becky Lawrentz were chatting with friends over brews in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They got to talking about a gas station convenience store in the area that had built a makeshift drive-through. Everyone agreed it would be pretty great if you could actually drive through a convenience store and pick up everything you needed without getting out of the car. But what would you call a place like that?

Well, you’d call it a Brew Thru.

It was an idea they couldn’t shake, so the Lawrentzes moved to the Outer Banks and built the first Brew Thru with the help of a partner. The idea was that people could come buy everything they would need for their trip to the beach—beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, ice—without getting out of the car. That same year, a t-shirt salesman visiting the store and talked them into adding t-shirts to their product line—and 44 years later there are now more than five million Brew Thru t-shirts out in the wild.

The Lawrentzes’ daughter Brandy and her husband Philip Foreman purchased the business from them in 2002, and they now operate five locations across the Outer Banks.“We love being the one-stop shop for folks on the way to their beach house,” Foreman says. “Our car tenders are the friendliest people at the beach. We’re here to greet you, get you everything you need for your trip, load it up in the trunk for you, and have you leaving with a smile on your face.”

The store is quite expansive, featuring more than 100 brands of beer, dozens of wines and even a vast selection of cigars—not to mention all the snacks, t-shirts and other gear. To make ordering a little easier, customers in line get a menu—fondly known as the Summer-y—that outlines everything available at the store. These Summer-ies are also available in many of the beach rentals, which allows vacationers to decide what they want before driving through.

For customers who would like to get out and stretch their legs, there’s the Brew Thru Shop in Kill Devil Hills, where you can find their world famous t-shirts and other gifts. New t-shirt designs are created each year, making a yearly Brew Thru t-shirt a favorite of locals and annual visitors to the Outer Banks.

The Foremans both grew up in the Outer Banks, and they love that Brandy’s parents’ vision for a friendly and convenient place for people to grab their brews and other beach stay essentials is continuing to flourish.

“Our family has been welcoming people to the Outer Banks since 1977,” Foreman says. “We love this beautiful place, and we want everybody to get to enjoy it.”

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