Wake County, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state
of North Carolina
. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county. It's county seat
is Raleigh
, which is also the state capital.
Wake County is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region, which encompasses the cities of Raleigh, Durham
, Cary
and Chapel Hill
and their surrounding suburban areas. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park
, located midway between Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area (CSA)
of Raleigh-Durham-Cary
. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,749,525 as of April 1, 2010, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
portion at 1,130,490 residents in 2010 census.
Wake County is the 9th fastest growing county in the United States, with the Town of Cary and the City of Raleigh being the 8th and 15th fastest growing cities, respectively. It is governed by the Wake County Board of Commissioners
.
Native Americans
. They were defeated in the Tuscarora War
in 1711, and moved to New York
to join the Iroquois
nation.
Wake county was formed in 1771 from parts of Cumberland County
, Johnston County
, and Orange County
. It was named for Margaret Wake, wife of Governor William Tryon
. The first courthouse was built at a village originally called Wake Courthouse, now known as Bloomsbury. In 1771, the first elections and court were held, and the first militia units were organized.
Wake County lost some its territory through the formation of other counties. Parts were included in Franklin County
in 1787, and in Durham County
in both 1881 and 1911.
During the colonial period of North Carolina, the state capital was New Bern
. For several years during and after the Revolutionary War
there was no capital, and the General Assembly
met in various locations. Fayetteville was the state capital from 1789 to 1793, when Raleigh became the permanent state capital. In 1792, a commission was appointed to select a site to build a permanent state capital. The commission members favored land owned by Colonel John Hinton across the Neuse River
, but the night before the final vote the committee adjourned to the home of Joel Lane
for an evening of food and spirits. The next day, the vote went in Lane's favor.
Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh was and established in 1792 on 1000 acres (4 km²) purchased from Lane. Raleigh had never set foot in the North Carolina, but he had sponsored the establishment of the first English colony
in North American on the North Carolina's Roanoke Island
in 1585. The city of Raleigh became both the state capital and the new seat of Wake County.
. The county is governed by the Wake County Board of Commissioners
, a seven-member board of County Commissioners
, elected at large to serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that, every two years, three or four Commissioners are up for election. The Commissioners enact policies such as establishment of the property tax
rate, regulation of land use and zoning
outside municipal jurisdictions, and adoption of the annual budget. Commissioners meet on the first and third Mondays of each month.
Current members of the Wake County Board of Commissioners
are:
Paul Coble (Chair), Phil Matthews (Vice-Chair), Tony Gurley, Joe Bryan, Betty Lou Ward, James West
Prior Commissioners include:
Lindy Brown,
Stan Norwalk (resigned May 2, 2011 )
David Cooke is the County Manager.
Although Democratic
presidential candidates have only won the county in four of the last 13 elections (Kennedy in 1960, Johnson in 1964, Clinton in 1992 and Obama in 2008), the races have almost always been close, such as in 1980, when Ronald Reagan
won by a landslide nationwide, but by a mere 1% in Wake County. Recently, Republican
George W. Bush
won the county in 2000 with 53% and defeated John Kerry
in 2004 by a slim 51% to 49%. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama
defeated John McCain
56-43%.
Recently, statewide Democrats have fared well here. In the 1998 Senate race, John Edwards
won in Wake County, which helped him defeat incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth
. In 2000 Mike Easley
won the governor's race here with 55% of the vote. In 2004, Easley won again, winning with 59% to 40% for opponent Patrick Ballantine. Democrat Beverly Perdue won Wake County in the 2008 Governor's election by a 51%-45% margin. Democratic candidate for US Senate Erskine Bowles
won the county with 52 percent, despite losing statewide to Richard Burr
by the same margin. In 2002, however, Republican Elizabeth Dole
defeated Bowles with 55% of the vote here, and won by a large margin statewide. In 2008 Kay Hagan defeated Dole 56-40%.
Democratic voters are mainly located in the city of Raleigh
, while Republicans are the majority in the rural areas in the north and western parts of the county. The outskirts of Raleigh, and the cities of Cary
and Apex
are where most of the swing voters are located and thus where moderates have recently voted Democratic.
, the county has a total area of 857 square miles (2,220 km²), of which, 832 square miles (2,155 km²) of it is land and 25 square miles (66 km²) of it (2.95%) is water.
Wake County is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont
and Atlantic Coastal Plain
regions meet. This area is known as the "fall line
" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Wake County features gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state's flat coastal plain. Its central Piedmont location situates the county about three hours west of Atlantic Beach
, North Carolina, by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains
of the Appalachian range
.
Bodies of water that are located in Wake County include Lake Crabtree
, Crabtree Creek, Lake Johnson, the Neuse River
, and portions of Falls Lake
and Jordan Lake
.
. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s°F
(10 to 13 °C
) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2°C), although an occasional 60°F (15°C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14°C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35°C). The rainiest months are July and August.
The county, at the National Weather Service in Raleigh, receives on average 7 inches (177.8 mm) of snow
in the winter. Freezing rain
and sleet
occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damaging ice storm
.
Wake County's economy is heavily influenced by the Research Triangle Park (RTP), located between Durham and Raleigh. RTP is the country's largest industrial park
and a primary center in the United States for high-tech and biotech research, as well as textile development. The Park is home to more than 160 companies employing over 50,000 people. The largest employers in the Park include IBM
(11,000 employees), GlaxoSmithKline
(6,400 employees), and Cisco Systems
(3,400 employees).
Wake County's industrial base includes electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment; clothing and apparel; food processing; paper products; and pharmaceuticals. The agriculture
industry is visible in rural areas of the county, with tobacco, cotton, wheat, soybeans and corn being the most common products grown.
SAS Institute
, one of the largest privately held software companies in the world, is located in Cary. Other major companies based in Wake County include RBC Centura, Progress Energy Inc
, Dex One
, 3Dsolve
, Carquest
, Bear Rock Foods, Cotton Incorporated
, Epic Games
, Lord Corporation
, Lenovo Group
(U.S. headquarters), Tekelec
, Red Hat
, Golden Corral
and Martin Marietta Materials
.
In 2007, Forbes
magazine listed Raleigh and Cary among the best cities to find jobs in the United States, as well as being the area ranked as the best place for business and careers. Also in 2007, CNN
ranked the region has the 3rd best area for job growth, the top region for technology
workers, and Bizjournals.com ranked it as the 4th best place for young adult job seekers.
of 2000, there were 627,846 people, 242,040 households, and 158,778 families residing in the county. The population density
was 755 people per square mile (291/km²). There were 258,953 housing units at an average density of 311 per square mile (120/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.40% White
, 19.72% Black
or African American
, 0.34% Native American
, 3.38% Asian
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
, 2.48% from other races
, and 1.64% from two or more races. 5.41% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
There were 242,040 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples
living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 36.50% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $54,988, and the median income for a family was $67,149. Males had a median income of $44,472 versus $31,579 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $27,004. About 4.90% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.60% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.
: Bartons Creek
, Buckhorn
, Cary
, Cedar Fork
, Holly Springs
, House Creek
, Leesville
, Little River
, Marks Creek
, Meredith
, Middle Creek
, Neuse
, New Light
, Panther Branch
, Raleigh
, St. Mary's
, St. Matthew's
, Swift Creek
, Wake Forest
, and White Oak
.
Wake County is home to eight institutions of higher learning. They include: Meredith College
, North Carolina State University
, Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
, Peace College
, Saint Augustine's College, Shaw University
, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
and Wake Technical Community College
.
The State Library of North Carolina
is an institution which serves North Carolina libraries, state government employees, genealogists
, and the citizens of North Carolina. There are two locations in Raleigh.
, the 18th largest public school district in the country with over 134,000 students. There are 20 high schools, 30 middle schools, 93 elementary schools and 8 specialized schools. In addition, nine charter schools and 31 private schools are located in the county. Wake County is ranked the #1 school district in the country for certified teachers.
system operates 20 branches throughout the county. There are 10 facilities in Raleigh. Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Wake Forest, Zebulon, Knightale, and Wendell each have one library facility. The Wake County library system keeps books, periodicals and audio books and has recently expanded the selection to include downloadable e-books.
hosts major international touring acts. The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
complex houses the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the Fletcher Opera Theater, the Kennedy Theatre, and the Meymandi Concert Hall. During the North Carolina State Fair, Dorton Arena
hosts headline acts. Theater performances are also offered at the Raleigh Little Theatre
, Theatre in the Park and Stewart Theater at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Applause! Cary Youth Theatre, Cary Players Community Theatre, Sertoma Amphiteatre at Bond Park, and Koka Booth Amphitheatre
are located in Cary. Other theatre and performing arts locations include The Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex and Garner Historic Auditorium in Garner. Local colleges and universities add to the options available for viewing live performances.
Wake County is home to several professional arts organizations, including the North Carolina Symphony
, the Opera Company of North Carolina, the North Carolina Theatre, and Carolina Ballet.
and Atlanta
. In addition to collections of American Art
, European Art
and ancient art
, the museum recently has hosted major exhibitions featuring Auguste Rodin
(in 2000) and Claude Monet
(in 2006-07), each attracting more than 200,000 visitors. Unlike most public museums, the North Carolina Museum of Art acquired a large number of the works in its permanent collection through purchases with public funds. The museum's outdoor park is one of the largest such art parks in the country.
's Carolina Hurricanes
franchise moved to Raleigh in 1999 from their temporary home of Greensboro
, after having departed Hartford
, Connecticut
in 1997. Their home arena, the RBC Center, also plays host to concerts and other public events. The Hurricanes are the only major league (NFL, NHL, NBA
, MLB) professional sports team in North Carolina to have won a championship, winning the Stanley Cup
in 2006, over the Edmonton Oilers
.
The Carolina Railhawks of the United Soccer Leagues
are located in Cary and play at the WakeMed Soccer Park.
The Carolina Mudcats
are a minor league baseball
team located in eastern Wake County. The team, which plays in the Southern League
, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds
. Their ballpark, Five County Stadium
, is located in Zebulon.
The Research Triangle region has hosted the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA)
Nationwide Tour
Rex Hospital Open
since 1994, with the current location of play at Raleigh's Wakefield Plantation.
, which is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I, plays their home basketball games at the RBC Center and home football games at Carter-Finley Stadium
.
Other institutions of higher learning that compete in competitive sports includes: St. Augustine's College (NCAA Division II, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
(CIAA)), Meredith College (NCAA Division III and USA South Athletic Conference
), Peace College (NCAA Division III and USA South Athletic Conference), and Shaw University (NCAA Division II, CIAA).
club in the United States Australian Football League (USAFL) and competing in the Eastern Australian Football League (EAFL), are based in Raleigh.
Wake County is also home to the Carolina Rollergirls
, an all-women flat-track roller derby team that is a competing member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The Carolina Rollergirls compete at the North Carolina State Fairground's Dorton Arena
.
The USA Baseball
National Training Complex is located in Cary.
-to-Florida
U.S. Bicycle Route 1
. North Carolina Bicycle Route 5, the Cape Fear run, connects Apex to the coastal city of Wilmington
, North Carolina.
, William B. Umstead State Park
, and the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area
. Falls Lake Park is located in northern Wake County and contains the 12000 acres (48.6 km²) Falls Lake
and 26000 acres (105.2 km²) of woodlands. Umstead Park is situated between Raleigh and Cary near RDU. Located right off I-40, it is divided into two sections, Crabtree Creek and Reedy Creek and contains 5579 acres (22.6 km²) of woodlands. Jordan Lake Park, which is partially located in Wake County near Apex, contains 13940 acres (56.4 km²) Jordan Lake and 46768 acres (189.3 km²) of woodlands. This park is known for being home to bald eagles.
. Notable parks include Pullen Park
and Yates Mill Park
. The American Tobacco Trail
is a 22 miles (35.4 km) rail trail
project that is located in the Research Triangle Park
region. Fifteen miles of the trail is located in Wake County and is open to pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians
(in non-urban sections), and other non-motorized users.
, WakeMed
, and Duke Raleigh Hospital
. In addition to WakeMed's primary facility, the hospital also operates seven satellite locations throughout the county. These locations include North Raleigh, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Zebulon, Wake Forest, Apex, Wake Forest Road, and Brier Creek.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county. It's county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, which is also the state capital.
Wake County is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region, which encompasses the cities of Raleigh, Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, Cary
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
and Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
and their surrounding suburban areas. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
, located midway between Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area (CSA)
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
of Raleigh-Durham-Cary
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,749,525 as of April 1, 2010, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
portion at 1,130,490 residents in 2010 census.
Wake County is the 9th fastest growing county in the United States, with the Town of Cary and the City of Raleigh being the 8th and 15th fastest growing cities, respectively. It is governed by the Wake County Board of Commissioners
Wake County Board of Commissioners
The Wake County Board of Commissioners are a seven-member governing board for Wake County, which includes the City of Raleigh. They elected at-large to serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that, every two years, three or four Commissioners are up for election...
.
Early history
The earliest known inhabitants of present day Wake County were the TuscaroraTuscarora (tribe)
The Tuscarora are a Native American people of the Iroquoian-language family, with members in New York, Canada, and North Carolina...
Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. They were defeated in the Tuscarora War
Tuscarora War
The Tuscarora War was fought in North Carolina during the autumn of 1711 until 11 February 1715 between the British, Dutch, and German settlers and the Tuscarora Native Americans. A treaty was signed in 1715....
in 1711, and moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to join the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
nation.
Wake county was formed in 1771 from parts of Cumberland County
Cumberland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 302,963 people, 107,358 households, and 77,619 families residing in the county. The population density was 464 people per square mile . There were 118,425 housing units at an average density of 181 per square mile...
, Johnston County
Johnston County, North Carolina
-Major highways:* Interstate 40* Interstate 95* U.S. Highway 70* U.S. Highway 301* U.S. Highway 701-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 121,965 people, 46,595 households, and 33,688 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were...
, and Orange County
Orange County, North Carolina
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...
. It was named for Margaret Wake, wife of Governor William Tryon
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
. The first courthouse was built at a village originally called Wake Courthouse, now known as Bloomsbury. In 1771, the first elections and court were held, and the first militia units were organized.
Wake County lost some its territory through the formation of other counties. Parts were included in Franklin County
Franklin County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 47,260 people, 17,843 households, and 12,882 families residing in the county. The population density was 96 people per square mile . There were 20,364 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
in 1787, and in Durham County
Durham County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile . There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile...
in both 1881 and 1911.
During the colonial period of North Carolina, the state capital was New Bern
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
. For several years during and after the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
there was no capital, and the General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
met in various locations. Fayetteville was the state capital from 1789 to 1793, when Raleigh became the permanent state capital. In 1792, a commission was appointed to select a site to build a permanent state capital. The commission members favored land owned by Colonel John Hinton across the Neuse River
Neuse River
The Neuse River is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring in area,...
, but the night before the final vote the committee adjourned to the home of Joel Lane
Joel Lane House
The Joel Lane House, built between 1760 and 1770, is a historic restored home and museum located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the oldest dwelling in Raleigh and contains collections of 18th century artifacts and period furnishings. The museum grounds include a detached kitchen, formal city...
for an evening of food and spirits. The next day, the vote went in Lane's favor.
Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh was and established in 1792 on 1000 acres (4 km²) purchased from Lane. Raleigh had never set foot in the North Carolina, but he had sponsored the establishment of the first English colony
Roanoke Colony
The Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island in Dare County, present-day North Carolina, United States was a late 16th-century attempt to establish a permanent English settlement in what later became the Virginia Colony. The enterprise was financed and organized by Sir Walter Raleigh and carried out by...
in North American on the North Carolina's Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island
Roanoke Island is an island in Dare County near the coast of North Carolina, United States. It was named after the historical Roanoke Carolina Algonquian people who inhabited the area in the 16th century at the time of English exploration....
in 1585. The city of Raleigh became both the state capital and the new seat of Wake County.
Law and government
Wake County is a member of the regional Triangle J Council of GovernmentsTriangle J Council of Governments
The Triangle J Council of Governments is one of the 17 regional North Carolina Councils of Governments established by the North Carolina General Assembly for the purpose of regional planning and administration...
. The county is governed by the Wake County Board of Commissioners
Wake County Board of Commissioners
The Wake County Board of Commissioners are a seven-member governing board for Wake County, which includes the City of Raleigh. They elected at-large to serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that, every two years, three or four Commissioners are up for election...
, a seven-member board of County Commissioners
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
, elected at large to serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that, every two years, three or four Commissioners are up for election. The Commissioners enact policies such as establishment of the property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
rate, regulation of land use and zoning
Zoning in the United States
Zoning in the United States comprise land use state laws falling under the police power rights that State governments and local governments have the authority to exercise over privately owned real property.-Origins and history:...
outside municipal jurisdictions, and adoption of the annual budget. Commissioners meet on the first and third Mondays of each month.
Current members of the Wake County Board of Commissioners
Wake County Board of Commissioners
The Wake County Board of Commissioners are a seven-member governing board for Wake County, which includes the City of Raleigh. They elected at-large to serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that, every two years, three or four Commissioners are up for election...
are:
Paul Coble (Chair), Phil Matthews (Vice-Chair), Tony Gurley, Joe Bryan, Betty Lou Ward, James West
Prior Commissioners include:
Lindy Brown,
Stan Norwalk (resigned May 2, 2011 )
David Cooke is the County Manager.
Politics
While North Carolina is historically a conservative state, Wake County is more of a swing voting area.Although Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential candidates have only won the county in four of the last 13 elections (Kennedy in 1960, Johnson in 1964, Clinton in 1992 and Obama in 2008), the races have almost always been close, such as in 1980, when Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
won by a landslide nationwide, but by a mere 1% in Wake County. Recently, Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
won the county in 2000 with 53% and defeated John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
in 2004 by a slim 51% to 49%. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
defeated John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
56-43%.
Recently, statewide Democrats have fared well here. In the 1998 Senate race, John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
won in Wake County, which helped him defeat incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth
Lauch Faircloth
Duncan McLauchlin "Lauch" Faircloth , served one term as a Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina.Before his Senate service, Faircloth was a prominent and wealthy hog farmer...
. In 2000 Mike Easley
Mike Easley
Michael Francis "Mike" Easley is an American politician who served as the 72nd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina, from 2001 to 2009. He is member of the North Carolina Democratic Party and became the first North Carolina governor to admit to a felony in a deal that halted a lengthy...
won the governor's race here with 55% of the vote. In 2004, Easley won again, winning with 59% to 40% for opponent Patrick Ballantine. Democrat Beverly Perdue won Wake County in the 2008 Governor's election by a 51%-45% margin. Democratic candidate for US Senate Erskine Bowles
Erskine Bowles
Erskine Boyce Bowles is an American businessman and political figure from North Carolina. He served from 2005 to 2010 as the President of the University of North Carolina system...
won the county with 52 percent, despite losing statewide to Richard Burr
Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr is the senior United States Senator from North Carolina and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Burr represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives....
by the same margin. In 2002, however, Republican Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
defeated Bowles with 55% of the vote here, and won by a large margin statewide. In 2008 Kay Hagan defeated Dole 56-40%.
Democratic voters are mainly located in the city of Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, while Republicans are the majority in the rural areas in the north and western parts of the county. The outskirts of Raleigh, and the cities of Cary
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
and Apex
Apex, North Carolina
Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 37,476 according to the 2010 census., wakegov.com-Geography:Apex is located at ....
are where most of the swing voters are located and thus where moderates have recently voted Democratic.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 857 square miles (2,220 km²), of which, 832 square miles (2,155 km²) of it is land and 25 square miles (66 km²) of it (2.95%) is water.
Wake County is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
and Atlantic Coastal Plain
Atlantic Coastal Plain
The Atlantic coastal plain has both low elevation and low relief, but it is also a relatively flat landform extending from the New York Bight southward to a Georgia/Florida section of the Eastern Continental Divide, which demarcates the plain from the ACF River Basin in the Gulf Coastal Plain to...
regions meet. This area is known as the "fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Wake County features gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state's flat coastal plain. Its central Piedmont location situates the county about three hours west of Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2008, there were 1,815 people, 971 households, and 498 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 4,728 housing units at an average density of 2,206.0 per square mile...
, North Carolina, by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
of the Appalachian range
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
.
Bodies of water that are located in Wake County include Lake Crabtree
Lake Crabtree
Lake Crabtree is a reservoir in Cary, North Carolina. In order to alleviate the possibility of flooding, it was constructed in 1989 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service via damming the Crabtree Creek. It is currently within the Lake Crabtree County Park and provides sailing and...
, Crabtree Creek, Lake Johnson, the Neuse River
Neuse River
The Neuse River is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring in area,...
, and portions of Falls Lake
Falls Lake
Falls Lake is a 12,410 acre reservoir located in Durham, Wake, and Granville counties in North Carolina, USA.Falls Lake extends up the Neuse River to its source at the confluence of the Eno, Little, and Flat rivers...
and Jordan Lake
Jordan Lake
B. Everett Jordan Lake is a reservoir located west of Raleigh and south of Durham in Chatham County, North Carolina, in the United States of America. The northernmost end of the lake actually reaches into southwestern Durham County...
.
Climate
Wake County enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidityHumidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s°F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
(10 to 13 °C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2°C), although an occasional 60°F (15°C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14°C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35°C). The rainiest months are July and August.
The county, at the National Weather Service in Raleigh, receives on average 7 inches (177.8 mm) of snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
in the winter. Freezing rain
Freezing rain
Freezing rain is the name given to rain that falls when surface temperatures are below freezing. The raindrops become supercooled while passing through a sub-freezing layer of air, many hundred feet , just above the surface, and then freeze upon impact with any object they encounter. The resulting...
and sleet
Rain and snow mixed
Rain and snow mixed is precipitation composed of rain and partially melted snow. This precipitation can occur where the temperature in the lower part of the atmosphere is slightly above the freezing point...
occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damaging ice storm
Ice storm
An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also known as a glaze event or in some parts of the United States as a silver thaw. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on exposed surfaces...
.
Economy
Wake County's unemployment rate is much lower than the national unemployment rate as of July 2010.Wake County's economy is heavily influenced by the Research Triangle Park (RTP), located between Durham and Raleigh. RTP is the country's largest industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
and a primary center in the United States for high-tech and biotech research, as well as textile development. The Park is home to more than 160 companies employing over 50,000 people. The largest employers in the Park include IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
(11,000 employees), GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
(6,400 employees), and Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
(3,400 employees).
Wake County's industrial base includes electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment; clothing and apparel; food processing; paper products; and pharmaceuticals. The agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
industry is visible in rural areas of the county, with tobacco, cotton, wheat, soybeans and corn being the most common products grown.
SAS Institute
SAS Institute
SAS Institute Inc. , headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, USA, has been a major producer of software since it was founded in 1976 by Anthony Barr, James Goodnight, John Sall and Jane Helwig...
, one of the largest privately held software companies in the world, is located in Cary. Other major companies based in Wake County include RBC Centura, Progress Energy Inc
Progress Energy Inc
Progress Energy , headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 500 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. Progress Energy includes two major electric utilities that serve approximately 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and...
, Dex One
Dex One
Dex One Corporation provides online, mobile and print search marketing via their DexKnows.com website, print yellow pages directories and pay-per-click ad networks in the U.S.-History:...
, 3Dsolve
3Dsolve
3Dsolve creates educational interactive 3D graphics simulations for government, military, and corporate applications. The company was purchased by Lockheed Martin....
, Carquest
Carquest
Carquest Auto Parts is a chain of auto-supply stores. There are over 3,400 Carquest Auto Parts locations in North America. The company is a supplier to National Account customers like Goodyear, Firestone, CarMax, Meineke, Midas, American Tire Dealers. General Parts International Inc. is the largest...
, Bear Rock Foods, Cotton Incorporated
Cotton Incorporated
Cotton Incorporated aims "To increase the demand for and profitability of cotton through research and promotion." and "To ensure that cotton remains the first choice among consumers in apparel and home products." The organization is funded by cotton growers in the United States through per-bale...
, Epic Games
Epic Games
Epic Games, Inc., also known as Epic and formerly Epic MegaGames, is an American video game development company based in Cary, North Carolina. Its most recent success has been the Gears of War series of games, although it is also known for its Unreal Engine technology. It is the parent company of...
, Lord Corporation
Lord Corporation
LORD Corporation is a privately held company that designs, manufactures and markets devices and systems to manage mechanical motion and control noise and vibration. The company formulates, produces and sells general purpose and specialty adhesives and coatings; and develops products and systems...
, Lenovo Group
Lenovo Group
Lenovo Group Limited is a Chinese multinational personal technology company that develops, manufactures and markets desktop and notebook computers, workstations, servers, storage drives, IT management software, and other related products and services. Lenovo was incorporated in Hong Kong in 1988...
(U.S. headquarters), Tekelec
Tekelec
Tekelec, Inc. is a US company , founded 1971 in California, but now headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. Tekelec produces hardware and software solutions for telecoms - land line, mobile and data.-Jean-Claude Asscher:...
, Red Hat
Red Hat
Red Hat, Inc. is an S&P 500 company in the free and open source software sector, and a major Linux distribution vendor. Founded in 1993, Red Hat has its corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina with satellite offices worldwide....
, Golden Corral
Golden Corral
Golden Corral is an American family-style restaurant chain that features a large buffet and grill offering numerous hot and cold items, a carving station and their Brass Bell Bakery...
and Martin Marietta Materials
Martin Marietta Materials
Martin Marietta Materials is in the aggregate, chemical, and composite material business. It is the second largest producer of crushed stone, sand, and gravel in the United States behind Vulcan Materials Company. It is a leading U.S. producer of magnesia-based chemical products used as additives...
.
In 2007, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine listed Raleigh and Cary among the best cities to find jobs in the United States, as well as being the area ranked as the best place for business and careers. Also in 2007, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
ranked the region has the 3rd best area for job growth, the top region for technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
workers, and Bizjournals.com ranked it as the 4th best place for young adult job seekers.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 627,846 people, 242,040 households, and 158,778 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 755 people per square mile (291/km²). There were 258,953 housing units at an average density of 311 per square mile (120/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.40% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 19.72% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.34% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 3.38% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.48% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.64% from two or more races. 5.41% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There were 242,040 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.50% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 10.70% from 18 to 24, 36.50% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 7.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $54,988, and the median income for a family was $67,149. Males had a median income of $44,472 versus $31,579 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $27,004. About 4.90% of families and 7.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.60% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.
Municipalities
Municipalities, with populations as of the 2010 census. Municipalities in italics overlap county borders, and these population figures reflect only the part of those municipalities that lie within Wake County.
|
Unincorporated communities
- AuburnAuburn, North CarolinaAuburn is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, USA, just southeast of Raleigh. It lies about halfway between Garner and Clayton along Old Garner Road, a former alignment of US 70.-Landmarks:...
- BonsalBonsal, North CarolinaBonsal is an unincorporated community in the New Hill, North Carolina postal district, part of the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction of Apex, North Carolina, in extreme southwestern Wake County, North Carolina...
- CarpenterCarpenter, North CarolinaCarpenter is a small community located in western Wake County, North Carolina. Carpenter is centered around the intersection of Carpenter-Upchurch Road and Morrisville-Carpenter Road just east of North Carolina Highway 55. Most of Carpenter has been annexed by the Town of Cary. The community was...
- Chestnut HillsChestnut Hills, Wake County, North CarolinaChestnut Hills is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina. It lies at an elevation of 348 feet . It was begun in the early 1950s and was one of North Raleigh's original suburbs, preceding North Hills and North Hills Estates, although the total area is now referred to as North...
- CleggClegg, North CarolinaClegg is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, United States on North Carolina Highway 54, north of the highway's intersection with North Carolina Highway 540....
- Eagle RockEagle Rock, North CarolinaEagle Rock is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. It is located at 35°47'28N 78°24'31W, and is approximately east of Knightdale, and northwest of Wendell. The Hood-Anderson Farm is located in Eagle Rock and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
- FallsFalls, North CarolinaFalls, North Carolina, is an unincorporated area in Wake County, North Carolina on Falls of Neuse Road, west of Forestville, North Carolina. It lies at an elevation of 210 feet ....
- FeltonvilleFeltonville, North CarolinaFeltonville is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is located north of Holly Springs, near where Interstate 540 will meet North Carolina Highway 55, south of Apex.-External links:...
- ForestvilleForestville, North CarolinaForestville is an unincorporated area in Wake County, North Carolina, United States, east of Falls, North Carolina at an elevation of 390 feet or 119 m.-References:...
- Green LevelGreen Level, North Carolina (community)Green Level is an unincorporated community near the town of Cary in southwestern Wake County, North Carolina, United States. Originally founded around 1800, Green Level is one of the oldest surviving crossroads communities in the Raleigh area....
- KennebecKennebec, North CarolinaKennebec is a small unincorporated community in southern Wake County, North Carolina along the border of Harnett County. The community is situated along North Carolina Highway 55 and is the site of the Fuquay-Angier Airfield . Much of the area has been recently annexed by the Harnett County town...
- Lizard LickLizard Lick, North CarolinaLizard Lick is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The community is located at the crossroads of Lizard Lick Road and NC 97.The community is approximately east of the state capital of Raleigh...
- McCullers CrossroadsMcCullers Crossroads, North CarolinaMcCullers Crossroads is an unincorporated community in southern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, located midway between of Raleigh and Fuquay Varina. It lies at the intersection of US 401 and SR 1010 . Located nearby is the main campus of Wake Technical Community College....
- NeuseNeuse, North CarolinaNeuse is an unincorporated community in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. Located on the Neuse River, it is south of Wyatt, North Carolina.-External links:...
- New HillNew Hill, North CarolinaNew Hill is an unincorporated community located in southwestern Wake County, North Carolina, at the crossroads of old U.S. 1, New Hill-Olive Chapel Road and New Hill-Holleman Road...
- Riley HillRiley Hill, North CarolinaRiley Hill, North Carolina, USA, is an unincorporated community in mideastern Wake County. It is at the southern end of Broughton Road, on Riley Hill Road. It is approximately 6 miles northeast of Knightdale, and approximately 3.8 miles north of the intersection of U.S. 64/264, and Business U.S...
- ShotwellShotwell, North CarolinaShotwell is an unincorporated community in southeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, located southeast of Raleigh....
- Stony HillStony Hill, North CarolinaStony Hill is an unincorporated area in Wake County, North Carolina, United States at an elevation of 407 feet or 124 m.-References:...
- Swift CreekSwift Creek, North CarolinaSwift Creek, North Carolina is an unincorporated community within Wake County, located between the municipalities of Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Garner....
- Willow SpringWillow Spring, North CarolinaWillow Spring is an unincorporated community in southeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of 2007, the population was 11,576. The Frank and Mary Smith House and Turner and Amelia Smith House, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are located in Willow Spring...
Townships
The county is divided into twenty townshipsTownship (United States)
A township in the United States is a small geographic area. Townships range in size from 6 to 54 square miles , with being the norm.The term is used in three ways....
: Bartons Creek
Bartons Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Bartons Creek Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Bartons Creek Township had a population of 18,408, a 57.3% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.73 people per acre .Bartons Creek Township, occupying 25,152 acres in the...
, Buckhorn
Buckhorn Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Buckhorn Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Buckhorn Township had a population of 2,160, a 30.8% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.09 people per acre .Buckhorn Township, occupying 22,848 acres in southwestern Wake County,...
, Cary
Cary Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Cary Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Cary Township had a population of 69,044, a 53.0% increase over 1990, and a population density of 3.95 people per acre .Cary Township, occupying 17,472 acres in western Wake County, includes the...
, Cedar Fork
Cedar Fork Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Cedar Fork Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Cedar Fork Township had a population of 10,911, a 309.6% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.37 people per acre .Cedar Fork Township, occupying 29,376 acres in northwestern Wake...
, Holly Springs
Holly Springs Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Holly Springs Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Holly Springs Township had a population of 16,304, a 180.1% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.44 people per acre .Holly Springs Township, occupying 36,800 acres in...
, House Creek
House Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina
House Creek Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, House Creek Township had a population of 51,727, a 16.1% increase over 1990, and a population density of 3.92 people per acre .House Creek Township, occupying 13,184 acres in north-central...
, Leesville
Leesville Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Leesville Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Leesville Township had a population of 29,998, an 87.4% increase over 1990, and a population density of 1.89 people per acre .Leesville Township, occupying 35,968 acres in northwestern Wake...
, Little River
Little River Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Little River Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Little River Township had a population of 10,985, a 26.8% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.31 people per acre .Little River Township, occupying 35,968 acres in eastern Wake...
, Marks Creek
Marks Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Marks Creek Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Marks Creek Township had a population of 16,278, a 44.0% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.48 people per acre .Marks Creek Township, occupying 33,664 acres in eastern Wake...
, Meredith
Meredith Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Meredith Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Meredith Township had a population of 11,492, a 44.4% increase over 1990, and a population density of 1.03 people per acre .Meredith Township, occupying 11,136 acres in central Wake County, is...
, Middle Creek
Middle Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Middle Creek Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Middle Creek Township had a population of 25,151, a 66.7% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.67 people per acre .Middle Creek Township, occupying 37,376 acres in southern...
, Neuse
Neuse Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Neuse Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Neuse Township had a population of 48,256, a 47.6% increase over 1990, and a population density of 2.51 people per acre .Neuse Township, occupying 19,200 acres in north-central Wake County, is...
, New Light
New Light Township, Wake County, North Carolina
New Light Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, New Light Township had a population of 4,708, an 82.8% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.15 people per acre .New Light Township, occupying 32,064 acres north of Falls Lake at...
, Panther Branch
Panther Branch Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Panther Branch Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Panther Branch Township had a population of 14,844, a 107.5% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.72 people per acre .Panther Branch Township, occupying 20,608 acres in...
, Raleigh
Raleigh Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Raleigh Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Raleigh Township had a population of 110,664, a 6.5% increase over 1990, and a population density of 6.94 people per acre .Raleigh Township, occupying 1115 acres in central Wake County, is...
, St. Mary's
St. Mary's Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Saint Mary's Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Saint Mary's Township had a population of 38,272, an 18.6% increase over 1990, and a population density of 1.06 people per acre .Saint Mary's Township, occupying 36,032 acres in...
, St. Matthew's
St. Matthew's Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Saint Matthew's Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Saint Matthew's Township had a population of 44,631, a 65.4% increase over 1990, and a population density of 1.10 people per acre .Saint Matthew's Township, occupying 40,448 acres in...
, Swift Creek
Swift Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Swift Creek Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, Swift Creek Township had a population of 35,472, a 70.0% increase over 1990, and a population density of 1.29 people per acre .Swift Creek Township, occupying 27,392 acres in south-central...
, Wake Forest
Wake Forest Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Wake Forest Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, Wake Forest Township had a population of 29,845, a 91.5% increase over 1990, and a population density of 0.73 people per acre .Wake Forest Township, occupying 40,768 acres in...
, and White Oak
White Oak Township, Wake County, North Carolina
White Oak Township is one of twenty townships within Wake County, North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, White Oak Township had a population of 38,710, a 260.0% increase over 1990, and a population density of 1.01 people per acre .White Oak Township, occupying 38,464 acres ...
.
Adjacent counties
- Granville County, North CarolinaGranville County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 59,916 people in 20,628 households residing in the county. The population density was 111.6 people per square mile . There were 22,827 housing units at an average density of 42.5 per square mile...
- north - Franklin County, North CarolinaFranklin County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 47,260 people, 17,843 households, and 12,882 families residing in the county. The population density was 96 people per square mile . There were 20,364 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
- northeast - Nash County, North CarolinaNash County, North CarolinaNash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of the Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2000, the population was 87,420. Its county seat is Nashville.- History :...
- east - Johnston County, North CarolinaJohnston County, North Carolina-Major highways:* Interstate 40* Interstate 95* U.S. Highway 70* U.S. Highway 301* U.S. Highway 701-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 121,965 people, 46,595 households, and 33,688 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were...
- southeast - Harnett County, North CarolinaHarnett County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 91,025 people, 33,800 households, and 24,099 families residing in the county. The population density was 153 people per square mile . There were 38,605 housing units at an average density of 65 per square mile...
- southwest - Chatham County, North CarolinaChatham County, North CarolinaChatham County is a county located in the Piedmont area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 49,329. Its county seat is Pittsboro.-History:...
- west - Durham County, North CarolinaDurham County, North Carolina-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile . There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile...
- northwest
Higher education
Meredith College
Meredith College is a liberal arts women's college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were approximately 2,300 students enrolled, including about 350 graduate students, making Meredith the largest women's college in the southeastern United States...
, North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law is a private law school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1976, the law school is one of six graduate programs offered by Campbell University...
, Peace College
Peace College
William Peace University is a small liberal arts college located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.-History:...
, Saint Augustine's College, Shaw University
Shaw University
Shaw University, founded as Raleigh Institute, is a private liberal arts institution and historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest HBCU in the Southern United States....
, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention , created to meet a need in the SBC's East Coast region. It was voted into existence on May 19, 1950 at the SBC annual meeting and began offering classes in the fall of 1951 on the original campus of Wake...
and Wake Technical Community College
Wake Technical Community College
Wake Technical Community College, commonly known as Wake Tech, is a two-year accredited institution of higher education and technical training school. Its main campus is located approximately five miles south of Raleigh, North Carolina, near McCullers Crossroads. It also operates several branch...
.
The State Library of North Carolina
State Library of North Carolina
The State Library of North Carolina is an institution which serves North Carolina libraries, state government employees, genealogists, and the citizens of North Carolina...
is an institution which serves North Carolina libraries, state government employees, genealogists
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
, and the citizens of North Carolina. There are two locations in Raleigh.
Primary and secondary education
Public education in Wake County is administered by the Wake County Public School SystemWake County Public School System
The Wake County Public School System is a public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. With 143,289 students enrolled in 163 schools as of the 2010/11 academic year, it is the largest public school district in North Carolina and the 17th largest district in the United States.-...
, the 18th largest public school district in the country with over 134,000 students. There are 20 high schools, 30 middle schools, 93 elementary schools and 8 specialized schools. In addition, nine charter schools and 31 private schools are located in the county. Wake County is ranked the #1 school district in the country for certified teachers.
Libraries
The Wake County Public LibraryPublic library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
system operates 20 branches throughout the county. There are 10 facilities in Raleigh. Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Wake Forest, Zebulon, Knightale, and Wendell each have one library facility. The Wake County library system keeps books, periodicals and audio books and has recently expanded the selection to include downloadable e-books.
Museums
- North Carolina Museum of ArtNorth Carolina Museum of ArtThe North Carolina Museum of Art is an art museum in Raleigh, North Carolina, featuring paintings and sculpture representing 5,000 years of artistic work from antiquity to the present. The museum features more than 40 galleries as well as more than a dozen works of art in its Museum Park...
- North Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesNorth Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesThe North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is located in Raleigh, North Carolina. This museum is the oldest established museum in North Carolina and the largest museum of its kind in the Southeast...
- North Carolina Museum of HistoryNorth Carolina Museum of HistoryThe North Carolina Museum of History is located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Permanent exhibits focus on the state’s military history, decorative arts, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, and more. Visitors will see a variety of short-term and traveling exhibits...
- Raleigh City MuseumRaleigh City MuseumThe Raleigh City Museum is a local history museum associated with Raleigh, North Carolina. The museum is located in the historic Briggs Hardware Building on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh and has a number of exhibits and programs that are free to the public.- History :The Raleigh City...
- Marbles Kid's MuseumExplorisExploris is a large public aquarium situated in Portaferry, Northern Ireland.As of 2009, the future of the aquarium, one of Northern Ireland's top tourist attractions, is in doubt because ards Borough Council is seeking to reduce the £750,000 per year it costs.-External links:*Exploris...
- J.C. Raulston Arboretum
- Joel Lane HouseJoel Lane HouseThe Joel Lane House, built between 1760 and 1770, is a historic restored home and museum located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the oldest dwelling in Raleigh and contains collections of 18th century artifacts and period furnishings. The museum grounds include a detached kitchen, formal city...
- Page-Walker HotelPage-Walker HotelThe Page-Walker Hotel, also known as The Page-Walker Arts & History Center is an historic house museum and former hotel located in Cary, North Carolina. The founder of the town of Cary, Allison Francis Page, built the Second Empire style hotel in 1868, and J. R...
- Mordecai HouseMordecai HouseThe Mordecai House , built in 1785, is a registered historical landmark and museum in Raleigh, North Carolina that is the centerpiece of Mordecai Historic Park, right outside the Historic Oakwood neighborhood. It is the oldest residence in Raleigh on its original foundation...
- North Carolina Railroad Museum
- Pope House MuseumPope House MuseumThe Pope House Museum, built in 1901, is a restored home once owned by Dr. M.T. Pope, a prominent African-American citizen of Raleigh, North Carolina...
- North Carolina Contemporary Art Museum
- Artspace
Performing arts
The Walnut Creek AmphitheatreWalnut Creek Amphitheatre
The Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek is an outdoor amphitheatre in Raleigh, North Carolina that specializes in hosting large concerts. The amphitheatre is part of a complex located on the west bank of Walnut Creek, southeast of Raleigh near the I-40/US 64/I-440 interchange...
hosts major international touring acts. The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts is the main venue for the performing arts in Raleigh, North Carolina.The naming rights to the center currently are held by Progress Energy, which purchased them from the city in 2005 for a 20-year term at the cost of $7.5 million...
complex houses the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the Fletcher Opera Theater, the Kennedy Theatre, and the Meymandi Concert Hall. During the North Carolina State Fair, Dorton Arena
Dorton Arena
The J.S. Dorton Arena is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair...
hosts headline acts. Theater performances are also offered at the Raleigh Little Theatre
Raleigh Little Theatre
Raleigh Little Theatre is a community theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina that produces 10 to 11 full productions annually and maintains a comprehensive youth and adult theatre education programs.-About:...
, Theatre in the Park and Stewart Theater at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Applause! Cary Youth Theatre, Cary Players Community Theatre, Sertoma Amphiteatre at Bond Park, and Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Koka Booth Amphitheatre
The Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park is a performing arts amphitheatre in Cary, North Carolina. It is located in Regency Park, which is owned and operated by the Town of Cary; the venue is managed by Spectacor Management Group. The venue was formerly known as The Amphitheatre at Regency Park...
are located in Cary. Other theatre and performing arts locations include The Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex and Garner Historic Auditorium in Garner. Local colleges and universities add to the options available for viewing live performances.
Wake County is home to several professional arts organizations, including the North Carolina Symphony
North Carolina Symphony
The North Carolina Symphony is an American orchestra based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with sixty-nine full time musicians. The orchestra performs in Meymandi Concert Hall and performs occasionally with the Carolina Ballet and the The Opera Company of North Carolina. In 2007, the organization...
, the Opera Company of North Carolina, the North Carolina Theatre, and Carolina Ballet.
Visual arts
The North Carolina Museum of Art, occupying a large suburban campus on Blue Ridge Road near the State Fairgrounds, houses one of the premier public art collections located between Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. In addition to collections of American Art
Visual arts of the United States
American art encompasses the history of painting and visual art in the United States. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, artists primarily painted landscapes and portraits in a realistic style. A parallel development taking shape in rural America was the American craft movement,...
, European Art
Western art history
Western art is the art of the North American and European countries, and art created in the forms accepted by those countries.Written histories of Western art often begin with the art of the Ancient Middle East, Ancient Egypt and the Ancient Aegean civilisations, dating from the 3rd millennium BC...
and ancient art
Ancient art
Arts of the ancient world refer to the many types of art that were in the cultures of ancient societies, such as those of ancient China, India, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Greece and Rome.-Egypt:...
, the museum recently has hosted major exhibitions featuring Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
(in 2000) and Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
(in 2006-07), each attracting more than 200,000 visitors. Unlike most public museums, the North Carolina Museum of Art acquired a large number of the works in its permanent collection through purchases with public funds. The museum's outdoor park is one of the largest such art parks in the country.
Professional
The National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
franchise moved to Raleigh in 1999 from their temporary home of Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, after having departed Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in 1997. Their home arena, the RBC Center, also plays host to concerts and other public events. The Hurricanes are the only major league (NFL, NHL, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, MLB) professional sports team in North Carolina to have won a championship, winning the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 2006, over the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
The Carolina Railhawks of the United Soccer Leagues
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
are located in Cary and play at the WakeMed Soccer Park.
The Carolina Mudcats
Carolina Mudcats
The Carolina Mudcats are a minor league baseball team based in the eastern suburbs of Raleigh, North Carolina. The team, which plays in the Carolina League, are the Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians major-league club beginning in 2012.-History:...
are a minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team located in eastern Wake County. The team, which plays in the Southern League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Their ballpark, Five County Stadium
Five County Stadium
-External links:*...
, is located in Zebulon.
The Research Triangle region has hosted the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA)
Professional Golfers' Association of America
Founded in 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and is made up of more than 28,000 men and women golf professional members...
Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
Rex Hospital Open
Rex Hospital Open
The Rex Hospital Open is a regular golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It is played annually at the TPC Wakefield Plantation in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.The 2011 purse was $550,000, with $99,000 going to the winner.-Winners:...
since 1994, with the current location of play at Raleigh's Wakefield Plantation.
College
North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, which is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I, plays their home basketball games at the RBC Center and home football games at Carter-Finley Stadium
Carter-Finley Stadium
Carter-Finley Stadium is home to the North Carolina State University Wolfpack football team. It was opened in 1966 and now has a seating capacity of 57,583 seats....
.
Other institutions of higher learning that compete in competitive sports includes: St. Augustine's College (NCAA Division II, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a college athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities. Recent addition Chowan University is the first non-HBCU to play in the conference. Conference teams participate in the NCAA's Division II...
(CIAA)), Meredith College (NCAA Division III and USA South Athletic Conference
USA South Athletic Conference
The USA South Athletic Conference is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III...
), Peace College (NCAA Division III and USA South Athletic Conference), and Shaw University (NCAA Division II, CIAA).
Amateur
The North Carolina Tigers, an Australian Rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
club in the United States Australian Football League (USAFL) and competing in the Eastern Australian Football League (EAFL), are based in Raleigh.
Wake County is also home to the Carolina Rollergirls
Carolina Rollergirls
Founded in January 2004, the Carolina Rollergirls, known as CRG or Carolina Roller Derby, Inc. is an all-women, flat-track roller derby league with a stated mission to foster an alternative sport in North Carolina while training for national competition. Operating as a 501 non-profit organization,...
, an all-women flat-track roller derby team that is a competing member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The Carolina Rollergirls compete at the North Carolina State Fairground's Dorton Arena
Dorton Arena
The J.S. Dorton Arena is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair...
.
The USA Baseball
USA Baseball
USA Baseball was founded in , and is the governing body for amateur baseball in the United States of America. It is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the United States national baseball team...
National Training Complex is located in Cary.
Passenger
- Air: Raleigh-Durham International AirportRaleigh-Durham International AirportRaleigh-Durham International Airport is a public international airport located 4.5 miles northeast of the town of Morrisville in suburban Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The airport covers and operates three runways, providing direct service to 40 domestic and international...
(RDU) is located in northwestern Wake county off of I-40Interstate 40 in North CarolinaInterstate 40 runs through the state of North Carolina from the Tennessee state line in the west to its eastern terminus in Wilmington.-Pigeon River Gorge:...
. The airport offers service to more than 35 domestic and international destinations. The airport currently serves more than 9 million passengers a year. - Wake County is served by AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
with facilities in Raleigh and Cary. - Local Bus: The Triangle Transit AuthorityTriangle Transit AuthorityThe Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority which is known by the name Triangle Transit provides regional bus service to The Triangle region of North Carolina in the counties of Wake, Durham and Orange.- History :The 1989 Session of the North Carolina General Assembly enabled...
operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in RaleighCapital Area Transit (Raleigh)Raleigh CAT, or Capital Area Transit operates 43 public transit routes to serve the city of Raleigh, North Carolina.-Early days:Previous to the CAT system CP&L provided public transit to the city, starting in 1886 with mule-drawn vehicles and covering routes in of central Raleigh...
, DurhamDurham Area Transit AuthorityDurham Area Transit Authority is the public transit system serving Durham, North Carolina.The fixed-route system incorporates 165 employees and 53 buses transporting more than 13,000 daily riders on 18 routes...
, and Chapel HillChapel Hill TransitChapel Hill Transit operates public bus and van transportation services within the contiguous municipalities of Chapel Hill and Carrboro and the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the southeast corner of Orange County in the Research Triangle metropolitan region of North...
. - Regional Rail - Plans are being made for a light railLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
system that would be built over the next 10 to 20 years.
Roads
- I-40Interstate 40 in North CarolinaInterstate 40 runs through the state of North Carolina from the Tennessee state line in the west to its eastern terminus in Wilmington.-Pigeon River Gorge:...
is the only major Interstate that runs through the county. It offers direct access to RDU, Morrisville, Cary, Raleigh, and Garner. It has two spur routes in Wake County:- I-440Interstate 440 (North Carolina)Interstate 440 in North Carolina, also known as the Raleigh Beltline and the Cliff Benson Beltline, is a 16.4-mile partial beltway that nearly encircles central Raleigh. Prior to August 2002, it was a complete loop and shared a concurrency with its parent, Interstate 40 along the loop's southern...
is a beltway that encircles most of downtown Raleigh. The southern portion of the beltway is I-40. - I-540/NC-540Interstate 540 (North Carolina)In the U.S. state of North Carolina, Interstate 540 and North Carolina Highway 540 share a partially completed interstate grade beltway, also known as the Raleigh Outer Loop, around the city of Raleigh. -Route description:...
is a 66 miles (106.2 km) partially completed loop that will connect the satellite townSatellite townA satellite town or satellite city is a concept in urban planning that refers essentially to smaller metropolitan areas which are located somewhat near to, but are mostly independent of, larger metropolitan areas.-Characteristics:...
s of Wake Forest, Knightdale, Garner, Apex, Cary, Morrisville, Rolesville, and Fuquay-Varina. The completed portions are called the Northern Wake Expressway in northern Wake County and the Western Wake Parkway in western Wake County.
- I-440
- Major highways that run through the Wake County include US 1U.S. Route 1 in North CarolinaU.S. Route 1 is an north–south United States highway that runs for from the South Carolina state line, near Rockingham, to the Virginia state line, near Wise...
, US 64U.S. Route 64U.S. Route 64 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,326 miles from eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 160 in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. The highway's eastern terminus is at NC 12 and U.S. Route...
, US 264U.S. Route 264U.S. Route 264 is an east–west United States highway that runs for from Raleigh to Manns Harbor, entirely in the U.S. state of North Carolina.-Route description:...
, US 70U.S. Route 70U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
, and US 401U.S. Route 401U.S. Route 401 is an north–south United States highway, a spur of U.S. Route 1, that traverses along the fall line from Sumter, South Carolina to Interstate 85 near Wise, North Carolina.-Route description:...
. Other highways include NC 55, NC 42, NC 50North Carolina Highway 50NC 50 is a major cross-state route in North Carolina that runs from near the Virginia border to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the major north/south route through Wake County and the state capital of Raleigh.-Route description:...
, 751North Carolina Highway 751NC 751 is a north–south state road in North Carolina that runs from Business U.S. 70 in Durham to an intersection with U.S. 64 near the town of New Hill and Jordan Lake State Park. The road continues south approximately to U.S. 1 as New Hill-Olive Chapel Road, although it is not signed as...
, NC 39North Carolina Highway 39NC 39 is a primary North Carolina state highway. It runs from the intersection of US 70, US 301, and NC 96 in Selma north along US 301/NC 96 through downtown Selma. It splits from US 301 and heads north via Louisburg and Henderson to the Virginia state line, where it continues as secondary State...
, NC 98North Carolina Highway 98NC 98 is a 45-mile North Carolina state highway and a semi-urban traffic artery connecting Durham to Wake Forest as well as many small-to-medium sized towns in the north portion of The Triangle region...
, and NC 231.
Bicycles
The mountains-to-the-sea North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 travels through Wake County, as does the MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
-to-Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
U.S. Bicycle Route 1
U.S. Bicycle Route 1
U.S. Bicycle Route 1 is a cross-country bicycle route that will run the length of the United States eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. It is one of the two original U.S. Bicycle Routes, the other being U.S...
. North Carolina Bicycle Route 5, the Cape Fear run, connects Apex to the coastal city of Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, North Carolina.
State parks
Wake County is home to three state parks: Falls Lake State Recreation AreaFalls Lake State Recreation Area
Falls Lake State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park in Durham and Wake Counties, North Carolina in the United States. Near Wake Forest, North Carolina, it covers over 30,000 acres and includes the 12,000 acre Falls Lake....
, William B. Umstead State Park
William B. Umstead State Park
William B. Umstead State Park is a North Carolina state park in Wake County, North Carolina in the United States. It covers nestled between the expanding cities of Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, North Carolina. It offers hiking, bridle, and bike trails, boat rentals, camping, picnic areas, and...
, and the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park spanning Chatham County, and Wake County North Carolina in the United States. It includes the over Jordan Lake.-History:...
. Falls Lake Park is located in northern Wake County and contains the 12000 acres (48.6 km²) Falls Lake
Falls Lake
Falls Lake is a 12,410 acre reservoir located in Durham, Wake, and Granville counties in North Carolina, USA.Falls Lake extends up the Neuse River to its source at the confluence of the Eno, Little, and Flat rivers...
and 26000 acres (105.2 km²) of woodlands. Umstead Park is situated between Raleigh and Cary near RDU. Located right off I-40, it is divided into two sections, Crabtree Creek and Reedy Creek and contains 5579 acres (22.6 km²) of woodlands. Jordan Lake Park, which is partially located in Wake County near Apex, contains 13940 acres (56.4 km²) Jordan Lake and 46768 acres (189.3 km²) of woodlands. This park is known for being home to bald eagles.
County parks and recreation centers
There are 152 county parks, city parks, public swimming and public tennis facilities in Wake County. In addition, there are 53 community centersCommunity centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
. Notable parks include Pullen Park
Pullen Park
Pullen Park is a public park in Raleigh, North Carolina west of downtown, adjacent to the campus of North Carolina State University, between Western Boulevard and Hillsborough Street. The park features picnic areas, a concessions stand along with several small rides including the Pullen Park...
and Yates Mill Park
Yates Mill
Yates Mill is a fully restored, circa 1756 gristmill located five miles south of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the centerpiece of Historic Yates Mill County Park, located in central Wake County...
. The American Tobacco Trail
American Tobacco Trail
The American Tobacco Trail is a long Rails-to-Trails project located in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, running along an abandoned railroad bed originally built for the American Tobacco Company in the 1970s. The route crosses through the City of Durham, Durham County, Chatham...
is a 22 miles (35.4 km) rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
project that is located in the Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
region. Fifteen miles of the trail is located in Wake County and is open to pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
(in non-urban sections), and other non-motorized users.
Hospitals
Wake County is served by three hospitals, Rex HospitalRex Hospital
Rex Hospital is a general hospital located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the capital city's oldest hospital, founded by a bequeath from John T. Rex , a tanner and respected member of the local society. Originally located on what is now Dorothea Dix campus, and later on St...
, WakeMed
WakeMed
WakeMed Health and Hospitals is a 870-bed healthcare system with multiple facilities placed around the metropolitan Raleigh, North Carolina area. WakeMed’s main campus is located on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, North Carolina...
, and Duke Raleigh Hospital
Duke University Health System
The Duke University Health System, combines the Duke University School of Medicine, the Duke University School of Nursing, the Duke Clinic, and the member hospitals into a system of research, clinical care, and education.-Duke University Hospital:...
. In addition to WakeMed's primary facility, the hospital also operates seven satellite locations throughout the county. These locations include North Raleigh, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Zebulon, Wake Forest, Apex, Wake Forest Road, and Brier Creek.
See also
- List of North Carolina counties
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wake County, North CarolinaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Wake County, North CarolinaThis list includes properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Wake County, North Carolina. Click the "Map of all coordinates" link to the right to view a Google map of all properties and districts with latitude and longitude coordinates in the table below.-See...