Wake County
Welcome to Wake County, North Carolina, consistently rated as one of the best places to live and work in America! Wake County is home to North Carolina's capital city, Raleigh. With a population currently at 700,000 and continuing to grow, it is comprised of 12 municipalities. Educational and career opportunities, access to some of the best healthcare facilities in the world and an environment perfectly suited for raising a family make Wake County a premier community in which to live, work and play. But don't take our word for it. Six out of seven newcomers and almost all (96 percent) newcomers with children say they would move to the area again.
Take a look at the different personalities of Wake County.
Motor Vehicle
Economic Development
Healthcare Resources
Raleigh
Located in the heart of North Carolina, Raleigh is a friendly and vibrant city that is consistently named one of America's best places to live and work. The "Capital City" has a strong mixed economy, excellent schools and universities, outstanding health care facilities, and year-round mild climate. Come visit our state capital and all the historical treasures it has to offer.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Wake Forest
A town steeped in tradition and history, Wake Forest continues to progress and prosper. The town grew up around the campus of Wake Forest College, which began as an academy for boys in 1823. The campus, a charming setting featuring Georgian architecture and stately trees, now houses Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Wake Forest, located just a few minutes north of Raleigh, is home to more than 15,000 people. The downtown historic business area is a growing, thriving center where people can walk to restaurants and shops. Wake Forest has nine parks, a public swimming pool and three golf courses. The town is only five minutes from Falls Lake, a major state park. Wake Forest has been successful in bringing more companies and jobs to the town, and several national and international companies are located in the area.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Rolesville
Rolesville is Wake County's smallest, most rural community located north and east of Raleigh and Wake Forest. Its small-town atmosphere is reflected by festival days held as fundraisers for town organizations or citizens in need. The charming yet rustic downtown is filled with antique shops and a flea market. Rolesville also offers many amenities typical of larger communities. Two new elementary schools and a full-service shopping center are located near downtown. A park provides ball fields, concessions and a place to enjoy the area's great weather. Local industries include Pine Glo Products, Inc. and Wake Monument Company. The Chamber of Commerce boasts more than 55 members, including some from Raleigh and Wake Forest.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Garner
Garner calls itself "the most promising corner of the Triangle." Located just beyond the southeastern limits of Raleigh, Garner is a place where neighbors know each other's names and children enjoy many outdoor recreational activities. Six parks offer programs such as softball, basketball, karate and yoga. There are three area golf courses, and an arts association sponsors a community chorus, a theater group and art classes. Garner's seven elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school are among the best in the state. The town boasts more than a family-friendly atmosphere, however. Business thrives here, contributing to the economic success of the entire Triangle area. National and inter-national companies at home here include Goodmark Foods and Pergo, Inc. Only a short drive to the airport and ideally located at the crossroads of U.S. 70 and I-40, Garner is a prime site to locate a business and attract employees throughout the Triangle and eastern North Carolina.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Cary
Cary is not only a vital residential and commercial center but also a regional leader in growth, income, sales and other economic parameters. With a population of over 100,000, Cary's unemployment remains consistently lower than state and national averages and its residents enjoy one of the highest family incomes statewide. Cary is located to the south and west of Raleigh. The population is well-educated: 95 percent of residents over age 25 have a high school diploma, and nearly 50 percent have a college degree. Cary also enjoys the lowest crime rate among North Carolina's 10 largest cities. Cary is home to one of the largest arts and crafts festivals in the Southeast. Some 500 vendors showcase award-winning crafts to more than 60,000 attendees each August at Lazy Daze. Cary is also admired for its golf courses, including Prestonwood, which hosts nationally televised events like the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic (named for the late NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano) and the Senior PGA Tour's SAS Championship.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Apex
Cary's neighbor, Apex, is named the best small town in North Carolina by Business North Carolina magazine. Apex is home to 26,580 people. Apex is carefully preserving its historic downtown district, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, while adding new amenities to benefit the town's growing population. The recently opened Town Campus includes a community center with a full gymnasium, exercise and craft rooms and a game room. Apex's new medical park, just outside the downtown area, is open and has attracted many new physicians to the area. Olive Chapel Village shopping center is newly opened, anchored by Lowes Food Store, and construction has begun on the new Liberty Station retail/office building just up the street from the new Apex Town Hall and Community Center campus. Several new retail centers are in the planning stages.
The 1914 Apex Train Depot, home of the Apex Chamber of Commerce, is the site for a series of free outdoor concerts. Families enjoy strolling downtown to dine at the bistro, sip on freshly squeezed orangeade from the soda shop, or stop by the ice cream parlor for a cone. Four annual festivals, which draw thousands of visitors, are held on Apex's downtown streets. Apex's outstanding schools, indoor and outdoor recreational programs and proximity to Research Triangle Park have been driving factors in the recent growth of residential construction here.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Holly Springs
Holly Springs began as a crossroads on Highway 55 between Apex and Fuquay-Varina. The town's population has grown from 900 to almost 10,000 in just 10 years. However, the community still provides a decidedly rural atmosphere, even though it's only 20 minutes from downtown Raleigh and 30 minutes from RDU Airport. Recreational opportunities abound, with both Jordan and Harris lakes nearby, and the four-star Devil's Ridge golf course inside Holly Springs' limits. The community has two elementary schools and a middle school as well.
Business opportunities exist in two busy industrial parks and office centers that are under construction. Planned development includes a pedestrian-friendly downtown renovation, complete with amphitheater, walkways and bicycle paths connecting residential areas with downtown; a 46-acre park; a library; and additional schools to meet the needs of this rapidly growing, family-friendly community. Many residents easily commute to RTP while enjoying their country home setting.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Fuquay-Varina
Fuquay-Varina began as two communities: Fuquay Springs, a resort near a spring on Stephen Fuquay's property; and Varina, a ridge near a general store founded by J.D. Ballentine. When Fuquay Springs was incorporated in 1909, the Varina community was subsumed. In 1963, the hyphen was added to acknowledge the historical presence of both settlements.
This town of about 9,325 residents is located 25 minutes southeast of Raleigh and 35 minutes from Research Triangle Park and the airport. Fuquay-Varina has six elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and five parks. While the town's early strength and pride came from its mineral springs and tobacco-rich land, high-tech industries and innovative businesses make up the modern economy. Major employers include Guilford Fibers, John Deere Turf Care, Southbend, Freight Handlers and the Bob Barker Company.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Morrisville
Morrisville is located in the very heart of the Triangle region. Adjacent to both the airport and Research Triangle Park, it's a growing community of more than 750 businesses. Morrisville enjoys an enviable tax base, which totaled $1.13 billion in 2000. Major employers include PPD Development, Tekelec, Time Warner Cable and Magellan Labs.
Morrisville's philosophy of controlled growth has a strong emphasis on residential services, and it is investing heavily in parks, recreation and cultural resources.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Knightdale
Knightdale, a community of some 6,000 residents, is located along Highway 64, about 4 miles east of Raleigh and 25 miles east of RDU Airport.
Most of the community's growth stems from new development rather than from annexation. Careful planning and quality development have allowed Knightdale to maintain one of the lowest tax rates in the state. Knightdale has three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school.
Recreation sites include a swimming pool, parks and golf courses. The town is currently building its first large community park. A regional library recently opened in Knightdale. One of the town's major employers is Square D Corporation.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Wendell
Wendell is a laid-back community with an interesting pedigree. It grew slowly around a one-room schoolhouse in 1861, and was named for Oliver Wendell Holmes by the schoolmaster when a post office was established in 1891. Legend attributes the pronunciation (win-DELL), which continues today, to a train conductor. The 4,250-resident town is located 20 minutes from Raleigh and 45 minutes from RDU Airport. Major employers include Cotton Exchange Apparel, Measurements Group, Mortex, Siemens and Leith Auto Corporation. Known as the home of progress and opportunity, Wendell has big-city amenities like a park with athletic fields and tennis courts, the J. Ashley Wall Towne Square with its picturesque gazebo, and a country club with a swimming pool and an 18-hole golf course. An 18,000-square-foot gym/community center recently opened, in addition to a new county park featuring softball/baseball fields, soccer fields and a walking trail at Carver Elementary School. Wendell has two elementary schools (one magnet and one with an alternate and a traditional calendar), a middle school and a high school. Retirement community options include the Robinwood Community and Wendell House.
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site
Zebulon
Zebulon owes its existence to the decision made by the Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad Company, which decided to bring the rail through a dense pine forest between the Whitley and Horton family farms in 1906. That same year, Edgar B. Barbee and Falconer B. Arendell organized the Zebulon Company for development. The company received its charter on February 15, 1906. Shortly thereafter, they began to divide up their 49 acres into lots, blocks, streets and avenues. On February 16, 1907 the town, consisting of 297.5 acres, was officially recognized as Zebulon, North Carolina. The town was named after Zebulon B. Vance, the North Carolina Governor during the civil war. The last three decades in Zebulon have seen tremendous growth. Ninety years after its incorporation, Zebulon welcomed its neighbor community, Wakefield, into the town. This most recent annexation, which took place on December 31, 1997, increased the total acreage inside the corporate limits to 2,115 acres and the population to 3,908. In the year 2000 the population has grown to 4,046. While it continues to grow and prosper, Zebulon still offers a close knit community environment and it remains, "The Town of Friendly People."
Parks and RecreationThings to do
Chamber site