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2016 Map of Portsmouth

Name: 2016 Topographic Map of Portsmouth
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2016
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2016

About this map

Portsmouth Island and the Outer Banks coastline are preserved here within the Cape Lookout National Seashore and Cape Hatteras National Seashore. This barrier island landscape is defined by its maritime isolation, with the historic settlement of Portsmouth standing as a quiet landmark of coastal North Carolina history. The map detail highlights the tenuous connection between land and sea, documenting the small Community Cem and Babb-Dixon Cem which serve as reminders of the families who once lived among the dunes and tidal marshes.

Nautical transit remains essential to this region, illustrated by several active routes like the Cedar Island - Ocracoke Ferry and the Portsmouth - Ocracoke Ferry. Between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound, the topography is a shifting network of inlets and shoals, including Vera Cruz Shoal and Ocracoke Inlet. Named features like Shell Castle and Beacon Island Roads identify critical navigational points in the shallow waters surrounding the banks.