Rodanthe, Waves & Salvo | The Tri-Villages

Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo | The Tri-Villages

The Marc C. Basnight Bridge is a soaring 2.8 mile bridge that crosses Oregon Inlet connecting Hatteras Island with the northern Outer Banks. Opened in February of 2019 the bridge won a number of awards for engineering excellence and innovation. The bridge replaced the aging Bonner Bridge.

The first 13 miles of Hatteras Island have no towns, villages or permanent residents. The area is Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge..

At the southern end of the open road are the villages of Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo, known collectively as the Tri-Villages.

Navigating the Villages

The villages from north to south are Rodanthe, Waves and Salvo.

The towns are located on a narrow stretch of the Outer Banks. Because of that, there are relatively few side roads.

To the south there is nine miles of open road between Salvo and Avon, the next town on Hatteras Island. The open stretch of highway is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

A Little History

How they got their names

At one time the three villages were distinct towns, and as commonly happened, the names we now use for them were established by the US Postal Service.

Before 1874 Rodanthe and Waves were known as Chicamacomico north (Rodanthe) and south (Waves). At that time USPS decided the area needed a postoffice but felt Chicamacomico would be too hard to spell or recognize.

It is unclear why Rodantthe was chosen. A nonnative cactus-like plant, the Rodantha, seems a possible source.

In 1939the Postal Service decided to create a new postoffice south of Rodanthe. Postmistress Anna Midgette, hoping to make the area seem more enticing to visitors, suggested Waves.

In 1861 Union warships were on station just off the shore to protect northern troops who had seized the forts at Hatteras and Ocarocke inlets. As Confederate forces moved south to attack, an officer on the USS Monticello circled a spot on the map and ordered one last salvo from the ship’s guns.

In 1901 the Post Office officially changed the name to Salvo. Before that it was Clark-Betheny.

Nights in Rodanthe

The 2008 film based on the Nicholas Sparks novel was filmed in Rodanthe. The inn where Dianne Ladd and Richard Gere met, is located here. The building, available as a rental, was originally on the north end of the village but had to be moved south to save if from the sea in 2010. The building is still on the beach in Rodanthe.