In 1996, Dare County's year-round population was only 22,000; First Flight High School didn't exist; the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse stood in a different spot, and Quagmire's on the Beach had just opened its doors. Although a lot has changed on the Outer Banks in the last 23 years, the things that make it such a special place remain the same. The sandy beaches still host beautiful sunrises over the Atlantic Ocean. The world-class waves created by the unique geography of our barrier islands remain. Residents and visitors continue to experience superior fishing across every season. And to this day, sunsets over the sound consistently put on a show and remind folks to stop, even just for the briefest of moments, and be thankful for memories in such a beautiful place. In celebration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day, the Dare County GIS Department has created this special map for users to visually compare then and now. GIS is a scientific framework for gathering, analyzing, and visualizing geographic data. The Dare County GIS Department provides a wide variety of digital mapping resources on darenc.gov/gis.