Pamlico Sound (/ˈpæmlɨkoʊ/ PAM-lik-oh) in North Carolina, is the largest lagoon along the U.S. East Coast, being 129 km (80 mi) long and 24 to 48 km (15 to 30 miles) wide. It is a body of water separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a row of low, sandy barrier islands, including Cape Hatteras. The Neuse and Pamlico rivers (the latter is the estuary of the Tar River) flow in from the west. Pamlico Sound is linked on the north with Albemarle Sound through Roanoke Sound and Croatan Sound (passages). Core Sound is the narrow southern end.