Lying just off North Carolina's Crystal Coast, Emerald Isle has a serene, small-town atmosphere. The town is named after the island's green forests. Its long, unspoiled beaches and clear waters attract many summer tourists.
Emerald Isle township occupies an area approximately 13 miles long and 1 mile wide on the western half of Bogue Banks island. A high-rise bridge links the island to the mainland. The surrounding waters are so clean that they have been categorized as "Outstanding Resource Waters" by the state of North Carolina.
The area was first occupied by Algonquin Indians. Early settlers were whalers and fishermen, and the inlet was used by pirates and privateers until after the Civil War. After that, it was mostly uninhabited, until a group of developers saw the island's potential in 1951 and bought 3,400 acres of land. The town of Emerald Isle was incorporated in 1957.
According to Emerald Isle's "Residents' and Visitors' Guide", 70 percent of residences are either vacation properties or tourist accommodation, and in summer the population swells from 3,800 to 40,000. Tourist activities are mainly water-based, including wind-surfing, boating, fishing and diving; although there is also golf, walking and cycling.
Emerald Isle is within the hurricane belt, so is prone to tropical storms. There are also strong rip currents in the ocean, which can be dangerous for swimmers and surfers.
