Many new visitors to the Outer Banks who are browsing the local restaurants, shops and area attractions online or in the local guide books notice an interesting addition to the standard address. In addition to the typical business name, street name, house number and town, most local businesses also include a milepost number. This is a feature which may initially appear strange, but on the Outer Banks, it is invaluable to a new visitor trying to locate a particular restaurant or shop.

The milepost designation is generally used for businesses from Kill Devil Hills to South Nags Head. This 20 mile stretch of beach is rather narrow, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the sound on the other. Thus many of the principal attractions are visible to the naked eye, somewhere along the roads in Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head.

When the US 158 bypass was opened parallel to the beach road, more attractions, restaurants and shops appeared along with mile markers showing where, along the bypass, a driver was located. The mile markers begin at 1, on the island just after crossing the Wright Memorial Bridge, and technically extend all way to the edge of Hatteras Village on Hatteras Island.

At the same time, these new businesses discovered in advertisements, brochures, and even old fashioned phone book listings that a street number and road name might not carry any meaning for newer vacationers. After all, 1000 Virginia Dare Drive is not much of an address if you're a first-time visitor to the Outer Banks.

Mile markers are most commonly found in the Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, and Kitty Hawk areas as these are developed towns. Here, businesses can use a mile marker as a point of reference for their clients, which helps them be found more easily by tourists.

In contrast, places such as Southern Shores, Duck, and Corolla that are positioned on an altogether different stretch of road do not usually adopt the mile marker system because it is not needed in the majority of cases. Most of their local businesses are located inside small shopping centers and compact areas (for example the Scarborough Lane Shoppes in Duck; or Timbuck II Shopping Center in Corolla). Carova, of course, a place which is well off the beaten path and has no commercial businesses of any kind, has taken special note to avoid such an address.

In recent years, several businesses on Hatteras Island that are located along the main road, which is the southern end of NC Highway 12, have also begun to integrate the mile marker system into their advertisements. While the number of businesses on the island are significantly less that the busy central Outer Banks towns, many vacationers find this notation helpful in more developed areas.

Ocracoke, on the other hand has no need for the mile marker system, as it has a series of twisting roads at 4 square miles. Any local business can be virtually found with a leisurely stroll around town.

As you plan your vacation to the Outer Banks, be sure to find the "Mile Marker" designation near the business's address when looking up those restaurants, shops, galleries and attractions. With mile markers as their guide, visitors can easily find whatever they are looking for by easily navigating the busy roads, ensuring that their favourite places are well within reach.