RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina is no stranger to onscreen depictions, but perhaps no show has drummed up as many jokes or questions as “Outer Banks.”
The hit Netflix show not only takes its name from the famous string of barrier islands off the North Carolina coast, but also mentions plenty of other places throughout the state — sometimes putting them miles away from their real locations.
The result, aside from jokes on social media, is largely what the show’s creators intended: a “mythical Carolina coast,” as described by creator Jonas Pate in an interview with The News & Observer last month.
“It really was just kind of a mashup of all of these coastal Carolina experiences that we had growing up,” Pate told The N&O.
Jonas and his twin brother, Josh Pate, grew up in North Carolina and spent time not only on the Tar Heel State’s coast — specifically “Wrightsville Beach way before it developed as it is now” — but also farther south, in Charleston, South Carolina.
When it came time to make “Outer Banks,” Pate said, the twins and their third co-creator, Shannon Burke, created a “perfected” coast, pulling their favorite elements into one amalgam that is the fictional OBX setting.
“It all kind of gets thrown in a blender and tossed around,” Pate said.
If you’ve watched the show and heard a familiar name or place, maybe you’ve wondered if that references something in real life, or just how accurate the description or location of it is.
Well, wonder no more.
The third season premiered Thursday on Netflix. We’ve scoured all three seasons of “Outer Banks” to compile the ultimate guide to the real-life North Carolina places, people and things referenced in the series.
(Warning: Light spoilers ahead.)
References to real NC places in ‘Outer Banks’ Season 1
—Outer Banks: Main character and Pogue-in-Chief John B gets the show’s namesake out of the way early on in the pilot episode of the series, introducing the location in a voiceover as the Pogues’ retro Volkswagen van drives by a sign that reads “Welcome to the Outer Banks, Paradise on Earth.” Though the show takes some creative liberties with the geography and characteristics of the fictional Outer Banks, in real life, the Outer Banks refers to the roughly 200-mile-long string of barrier islands off the North Carolina coast. As in real life, characters often abbreviate the location name to “OBX.”
—Figure Eight: As John B continues to introduce viewers to the layout of the Outer Banks, he says the Kooks — the rich, upper class people of the Outer Banks, compared to the lower class Pogues — live on Figure Eight, or “the rich side of the island.” The reference continues throughout the series. Figure Eight Island exists in real life, but it’s not on the Outer Banks. The gated island is located near Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, farther south on the North Carolina coast, and has been called “The Hamptons of the South.”
—Kildare County: Within the show’s fictional Outer Banks, the characters more specifically live in Kildare County, another fictional location. The county name likely comes from a mash-up of two well-known real-life Outer Banks locations: Dare County and Kill Devil Hills, a town in that county. Kill Devil Hills is best known as the location of the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903 (though the town wasn’t actually incorporated until 50 years post-flight).
—Hatteras Island: In the pilot episode, the Pogues attend a party on the beach. In passing, Pogue Kiara is seen talking to someone wearing a T-shirt with “Hatteras” written on the back. Hatteras is a real community on the Outer Banks, located in Dare County. The Cape Hatteras National Seashore, managed by the National Park Service, stretches roughly 70 miles from Bodie Island to Ocracoke Island.
—Masonboro: In Episode 3, Sarah, Topper and other Kook teens spend time cleaning up litter off the beach. At the end of the day, an adult group leader gathers everyone around to give thanks to “the big Kahuna … for the opportunity for us to come out here and restore Masonboro to its virgin glory.” The real-life Masonboro, which is now part of Wilmington, is located in New Hanover County.
—Chapel Hill: Cue the ferry jokes. In what has become one of the most infamous references to real North Carolina geography in the show, John B and Sarah Cameron in Episode 4 head to a fictionalized version of UNC-Chapel Hill and “the archives,” likely a nod to the special collections located at Wilson Library on campus. (Sarah is also seen wearing a UNC hat in Episode 3.) They also spend some time in what could be a fictionalized version of Julian’s, the Franklin Street fine clothing store. All of these places exist in real life — but no, you cannot access them by ferry from the coast, as an editing oversight in the show has led some to joke about.
—Pepsi: While John B and Sarah head to Chapel Hill in Episode 4, the rest of the Pogues — JJ, Kiara and Pope — spend their evening at an outdoor “OBX Summer Movie Series.” Before the movie starts, Kiara heads to the concession stand and orders two Pepsis. Pepsi was invented by North Carolina native Caleb Bradham in New Bern in 1893.
—Wadesboro: Early in Episode 5, Sheriff Peterkin confronts JJ and asks how he would feel “sitting in juvenile prison in Wadesboro.” Wadesboro is a real town in North Carolina, but it’s located in Anson County, about an hour from Charlotte.
—Intracoastal Waterway: In Episode 8, when discussing a plan to get the gold back from Ward Cameron, John B says the Pogues will send it “down the Intracoastal.” This is a reference to the real-life Intracoastal Waterway, which runs along the North Carolina coast.
—SBI: At the end of Season 1, a fictional version of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) arrives to the OBX to assist in the search for an on-the-run John B. The North Carolina SBI is a real state agency.
—WECT: A WECT news truck can be seen in Episode 10 of Season 1. WECT is a real news station based in Wilmington.
References to real NC places in ‘Outer Banks’ Season 2
—Cheerwine: In Episode 3 of Season 2, Pope, Kiara and JJ head to Charleston to meet C. Limbrey, who penned Pope a mysterious letter. On their way there, the Pogues’ truck breaks down, sending them to a mechanic. As Pope talks with the mechanic inside, Kiara and JJ talk outside — and in the background, a metal Cheerwine sign can be seen. Cheerwine is a cherry-flavored soda invented in Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1917. A Cheerwine bench can also be seen in the background of a scene early in Episode 4.
—N.C. General Statutes: In Episode 5, John B appears in court and is charged with first degree murder. In announcing his charges, the judge cites “North Carolina statute section 14.” In real life, that chapter of the state General Statutes, or laws, does address criminal law.
—Cape Fear: Also in Episode 5, JJ convinces his cousin Ricky to let him borrow his ambulance in an attempt to break John B out of jail. In doing so, he asks his cousin, “Who ran that load up to Cape Fear when your hemp came in hot?” Cape Fear could refer to either the Cape Fear River, or a more general term used to describe the region around Wilmington, including New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender counties.
—Highway 25: When JJ goes to break John B out of jail, he tells the prison nurse that his cousin Ricky got food poisoning from “Ming Dynasty off of Highway 25.” U.S. Highway 25 does run through part of North Carolina, but not the Outer Banks. It runs north and south through part of western North Carolina, near the mountains.
—Dare County: Another North Carolina reference in Episode 5, JJ tells the prison nurse he works in Dare County. Dare County is located on the real Outer Banks.
—New Bern: Almost immediately after saying he works in Dare County, JJ goes on to say that the paramedics “have different rigs up in New Bern.” New Bern is a real city near the North Carolina coast, but it’s located in Craven County, not Dare County.
—Wilmington: In Episode 6, Ward concocts a plan for Rafe to escape to Wilmington, telling him to go to his “old office” on Market Street. Market Street is a real street in Wilmington, running through downtown to the city’s Riverwalk.
—Raleigh: Ward’s escape plan for Rafe also includes instructions for him to drive from Wilmington to Raleigh. Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina.
—Blue Ridge: Toward the end of Season 2, Kiara’s parents threaten to send her to Blue Ridge, a wilderness therapy camp for troubled teens. Though little else is said about the camp, a pamphlet shows the camp is in the mountains. The North Carolina mountains, in the western part of the state, are part of the larger Blue Ridge Mountain range.
References to real NC places in ‘Outer Banks’ Season 3
—Wilmington: Wilmington is mentioned again in Season 3 of “Outer Banks,” when Ward makes plans to ship the Cross of Santo Domingo from Gaudaloupe back to the U.S. Ward asks Rafe to meet the cross in Wilmington, where it is arriving by cargo train. Sarah, spying on Rafe, hears the shipping information and later relays it to the Pogues. Wilmington is a port city, home to the Port of Wilmington, which “provides intermodal rail service,” among other services.
—Raleigh: North Carolina’s capital city also gets a few mentions more in “Outer Banks” Season 3, mostly in relation to shipping the Cross of Santo Domingo in Episodes 4 and 5. After arriving in Wilmington, the cross is set to be “shipped by train to Raleigh,” Sarah tells the other Pogues at the beginning of Episode 5.
—New Bern: New Bern gets another mention in Season 3 of the series as well, as JJ suggests to the other Pogues in Episode 5 a plan to stop the cargo train and get the cross. He says his uncle, who lives “up in New Bern,” used to throw throw a chain across the tracks “when he was tipsy,” which “would stop all the train traffic in coastal Carolina.”
—Pender County: The Pogues are successful in their attempt to stop train traffic using JJ’s suggested trick, but it doesn’t take long before police show up. These scenes include quick glimpses of police cars with “Pender County Sheriff” written on them. Pender County is a real county in North Carolina, located north of Wilmington on the coast.
—UNC-Wilmington: In Episode 6, as the search for El Dorado continues, Big John and John B take a trip to see Kelly Kepler, an archaeology professor at UNC-Wilmington. UNCW is a public university in the North Carolina’s UNC System. The university offers a degree program in anthropology, with a concentration option in archaeology.
—Greensboro Street: In Episode 7, Wheezie asks her sister Sarah in a voicemail to meet her at “our rental condo on Greensboro Street.” Greensboro is a real North Carolina city, located in Guilford County, west of the Triangle.
—Doe Creek: Also in Episode 7, JJ and John B go looking for Neville Persaud, an archaeologist who they hope can bring them closer to El Dorado. They’re told by someone JJ worked with the previous summer that Neville has “been holding up near Doe Creek.” Doe Creek runs through Brunswick County, roughly between the towns of Shallotte and Supply, near the North Carolina coast.
—Tyler Hansbrough / UNC basketball jersey: What’s a show set in North Carolina without references to college basketball? UNC basketball fans should get their fill of Tar Heel cameos in Season 3, most notably with an on-screen appearance by star player Armando Bacot, but also with screen time for Tyler Hansbrough’s No. 50 jersey. “Outer Banks” character Barry, a local drug dealer and frenemy of Rafe, is seen wearing a Carolina blue jersey with Hansbrough’s name and number in Episodes 7 and 8. Hansbrough played basketball at UNC from 2005-2009, leading the Tar Heels to a national championship his senior year.
—Elizabeth City: In Episode 8, JJ and John B seek help from Barracuda Mike in getting to South America. But when they arrive to the plane, Mike informs the Pogues that there’s been a change of plans, and instead he wants them to “drive the truck up to Elizabeth City.” Elizabeth City is located in Pasquotank County in northeastern North Carolina.
—Sir Walter Raleigh: While the Pogues are attempting to get to South America, Big John is already there. In one scene of Episode 8, Big John rides on a boat along the Orinoco River with Carlos Singh, who is also on the hunt for El Dorado. Singh tells Big John that Sir Walter Raleigh “also came up this river.” Sir Walter Raleigh, who later became the namesake of North Carolina’s capital, was an English explorer in the Elizabethan era. He led expeditions to the Orinoco in search of a city of gold, and his accounts of those efforts are part of the lore and legend behind El Dorado.
—Highway 158: Back on the Outer Banks, John B and JJ have a run-in with Sheriff Shoupe, who asks them about the U-Haul truck with drugs that they abandoned. Shoupe says the truck was found “out near 158.” U.S. Highway 158 runs east and west through North Carolina, from Mocksville to Nags Head, in the Outer Banks.
—Route 12: This one isn’t an exact reference — the real-life road is N.C. Highway 12 — but it’s close enough that we’ll count it. In Episode 8, “Outer Banks” character Topper tells his on-again, off-again girlfriend Sarah Cameron that, after Topper pressed charges against John B, the local sheriff “tracked him [John B] down somehow on Route 12.” The real-life N.C. Highway 12 is a roughly 150-mile-long road that runs from almost the very northern parts of the Outer Banks, in Nags Head, to Ocracoke, farther south. The road is notorious for sustaining major damage during hurricanes.
—Kitty Hawk: Episode 9 of Season 3, titled “Welcome to Kitty Hawk,” references one of the best-known real-life Outer Banks towns. Kitty Hawk, located in Dare County, is credited as where the Wright Brothers in December 1903 flew the first motor-controlled airplane. (The flight technically took place a few miles south, closer to what is now Kill Devil Hills, but that town was not incorporated until 1953.) In the fictional “Outer Banks,” though, Kitty Hawk is used as the name of an “adventure therapy” and wilderness camp for troubled teens.
—Edward Teach / Blackbeard: One of the most infamous pirates in North Carolina history gets name-dropped at the very end of Season 3. Blackbeard, whose real name was Edward Teach, was originally from England and served as a privateer before turning to piracy. His pirating adventures frequently brought him to North Carolina, and he specifically favored Ocracoke, on the Outer Banks. He also lived for a time in the town of Bath. Blackbeard was killed in Ocracoke in 1718.
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‘OUTER BANKS’
Rating: TV-MA
How to watch: Netflix
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