Emerald Isle, North Carolina is located at the western end of Bogue Banks Island. Emerald Isle is the most southern of the famous North Carolina Outer Banks Islands and has around 13 miles of beach front.. Bogue Banks Island is separated from the mainland by Bogue Sound and the Intracoastal Waterway with bridges connecting the east end of the Island with Morehead City and the west end with Cape Carteret and Swansboro. Emerald Isle is about halfway along the coast between the South Carolina and Virginia borders. In terms of traveling time, this resort is about 3 hours from Raleigh, NC; 4 1/2 hours for Winston-Salem, NC and Richmond, VA; and 6 1/2 hours from Washington, DC.