The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and is located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks in the town of Buxton, North Carolina. The semi-unique pattern of the lighthouse makes it easy to distinguish and famous. It frequently appears on lists of the most beautiful and famous lighthouses in the United States.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a collection of barrier islands that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the coastal sounds and inlets. Except in the area of Diamond Shoals, right offshore at Cape Hatteras, the Atlantic currents in this area made for ideal ship passage. The warm Gulf Stream ocean circulation meets the cooler Labrador Current nearby, resulting in excellent circumstances for severe ocean storms and sea swells.

Because of the enormous number of ships that ran aground due to shifting sandbars, this location earned the moniker “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” It also prompted the United States Congress to approve the construction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. With a height of 198 feet, it is the tallest brick lighthouse structure in the United States and the second tallest in the world. It is only the 15th highest light in the United States because its base is virtually at sea level, the first 14 being built on higher terrain.