Originally an instrumental route for the East Coast's first English settlers and still a popular destination for water lovers of all varieties, the Roanoke Sound separates the central Outer Banks from Roanoke Island.

On the western side of the sound lies the towns of Manteo and Wanchese, which can be accessed by the Washington Baum Bridge (better known as the Manteo/Nags Head Causeway or vice versa), which stretches across the Roanoke Sound.

Because Roanoke Island is bordered by two sounds–the Croatan Sound, which separates it from the mainland, and the Roanoke Sound, which separates it from the beaches–the little waterfront community is surrounded by water.