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Coordinates: 35°47′N 78°39′W / 35.79°N 78.65°W / 35.79; -78.65
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===Libraries===
===Libraries===
The Wake County [[Public Library]] system operates 19 branches throughout the county. There are nine facilities in Raleigh. Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Wake Forest, Zebulon, Knightale, and Wendell each have one library facility.<ref>http://www.wakegov.com/libraries/locations/default.htm</ref>
The Wake County [[Public Library]] system operates 19 branches throughout the county. There are nine facilities in Raleigh. Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Wake Forest, Zebulon, Knightale, and Wendell each have one library facility.<ref>http://www.wakegov.com/libraries/locations/default.htm</ref>

==Culture==
===Museums===
*[[North Carolina Museum of Art]]
*[[North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences]]
*[[North Carolina Museum of History]]
*[[Raleigh City Museum]]
*[[Exploris|Marbles Kid's Museum]]
*[[J.C. Raulston Arboretum]]
*[[Joel Lane House]]
*[[Page-Walker Arts & History Center]]
*[[Mordecai House]]
*[[North Carolina Railroad Museum]]
*[[Pope House Museum]]
*[[Contemporary Art Museum]]
*[[Artspace]]

===Performing arts===
The [[Walnut Creek Amphitheatre]] 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 [[NC State Fair|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.

===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.]] and [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]]. In addition to collections of [[Visual arts of the United States|American Art]], [[Western art history|European Art]] and [[ancient art]],<ref>http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/north-carolina/raleigh/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654619261</ref> 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. <ref>http://www.artscapemedia.com/podcasts/archives/2006/09/dr_lawrence_whe.html</ref><ref>http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1137143/</ref> 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 [[sculpture park|art parks]] in the country.<ref>http://www.ncartmuseum.org/museumpark.shtml</ref>


==Sports==
==Sports==

Revision as of 20:25, 5 March 2008

Wake County
County
Official seal of Wake County
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Wake County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 35°47′N 78°39′W / 35.79°N 78.65°W / 35.79; -78.65
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1771
SeatRaleigh
Area
 • Total857 sq mi (2,220 km2)
 • Land832 sq mi (2,150 km2)
 • Water25 sq mi (60 km2)  2.95%
Population
 (2007)
 • Total823,345
 • Density750/sq mi (291/km2)
Websitewww.wakegov.com

Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2007, the population was 823,345,[1] making it the second most populated county in the state. Its county seat is Raleigh6, also the state capital.

Wake County is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region, which consists of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill and surrounding 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 1,565,223 as of July 1, 2006, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) portion estimated at 994,551 residents.[2]

Wake County is the 9th fastest growing county in the Unites States,[3] with cities such as Cary and Raleigh being the 8th and 15th fastest growing cities, respectively.[4]

History

Early history

The earliest inhabitants of present day Wake County were the Tuscarora Native Americans. After the Tuscarora War in 1711, they were defeated and moved to New York to join the Iroquois nation.

The 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 place called Wake Courthouse, commonly known as Bloomsbury. In 1771, the first elections and court were held, and the first militia was formed.

Wake County lost some its land area during the subsequent formation of other new counties. Portions were taken by Franklin County in 1787 and by Durham County in 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. In 1792, a commission was appointed to select a site for a permanent state capital. The members of the commission were leaning toward land owned by Colonel John Hinton across the Neuse River, but on 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 was in Lane's favor.

Raleigh was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, and established on 1,000 acres purchased from Lane. Sir Walter Raleigh never set foot in the United States, but two centuries earlier he had sponsored the establishment of the first English colony on the North Carolina shore at Roanoke Island. The city of Raleigh became both the state capital as well as the new county seat of Wake County. Raleigh is the only planned state capital in the United States.[5]

19th century

20th century

Law and government

Wake County is a member of the regional Triangle J Council of Governments. The county is governed by 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 Commissioners are Joe Bryan (Chair), Betty Lou Ward (Vice-Chair), Lindy Brown, Paul Coble, Kenn Gardner, Tony Gurley, and Harold Webb. David Cooke is the County Manager. [6]

North Carolina State Capitol

Politics

Although Democratic presidential candidates have only won the county in three of the last 12 elections (Kennedy in 1960, Johnson in 1964 and Clinton in 1992), 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%.

Recently, statewide Democrats have fared well here. In the 1998 Senate Race, Democrat John Edwards won in Wake County, which helped him in his defeat of incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth. In 2000 Democrat Governor Mike Easley won here with 55% of the vote. In 2004, Easley won again in Wake County by nearly 20%, winning with 59% to 40% for opponent Patrick Ballantine. Democratic candidate for US Senate Erskine Bowles won in Wake 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.

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.[citation needed]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 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.

Climate

Wake County enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. 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 receives on average 2 inches of snow in the winter. Freezing rain and sleet occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damaging ice storm.[7]

Economy

Demographics

Historical populations
Census
year		 Population
1900 54,626
1910 63,229
1920 75,155
1930 94,757
1940 109,544
1950 136,450
1960 169,082
1970 229,006
1980 301,429
1990 426,311
2000 627,846
2007 823,345

As of the census² 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.

Cities and towns

Municipalities

Municipalities, with populations as of July 2006. Municipalities in italics overlap county borders. These population figures reflect only the part of those municipalities that lie within Wake County.[8]

Map of Wake County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Unincorporated communities

Townships

The county is divided into twenty townships: 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.

Adjacent counties

Education

Higher education

Memorial Bell Tower at North Carolina State University

Wake County is home to seven institutions of higher learning. They include: Meredith College, North Carolina State University, Peace College, Saint Augustine's College, Shaw University, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and Wake Technical Community College.

Primary and secondary education

Public education in Wake County is administered by the Wake County Public School System, the 19th largest public school district in the country with over 134,000 students.[9] 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.

Libraries

The Wake County Public Library system operates 19 branches throughout the county. There are nine facilities in Raleigh. Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Wake Forest, Zebulon, Knightale, and Wendell each have one library facility.[10]

Culture

Museums

Performing arts

The Walnut Creek Amphitheatre 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.

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. and Atlanta. In addition to collections of American Art, European Art and ancient art,[11] 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. [12][13] 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.[14]

Sports

Professional

The National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes franchise moved to Raleigh in 1997 from Hartford, Connecticut. 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 their home field is the WakeMed Soccer Park. The team won the 2007 Southern Derby competition.

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.

College

North Carolina State University, 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 Divsion II, CIAA).

Amateur

The North Carolina Tigers, an Australian Rules football 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.

Transportation

Passenger

An American Airlines Boeing 777 lands at RDU.

Roads

  • I-40 is the only Interstate that runs through the county. It offers direct access to RDU, Morrisville, Cary, Raleigh, and Garner.
  • I-440 is a beltway that encircles most of downtown Raleigh. The southern portion of the beltway is I-40.
  • I-540 is a 66-mile partially completed loop that will connect the satellite towns 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.
  • Major highways that run through the Wake County include US 1, US 64, US 264, US 70, and US 401. Other highways include NC 55, NC 42, NC 50, 751, NC 39, NC 98, and NC 231.

Bicycles

The mountains-to-the-sea North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 travels through Wake County, as does the Maine-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.

Falls Lake

Parks and recreation

State parks

Wake County is home to three state parks: Falls Lake State Recreation Area, William B. Umstead State Park, and the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area. Falls Lake Park is located in northern Wake County and contains the 12,000 acre Falls Lake and 26,000 acres of woodlands.[18] Umstead Park is situated between Raleigh and Cary near RDU. Located right off of I-40, it is divided into two sections, Crabtree Creek and Reedy Creek and contains 5,579 acres of woodlands.[19] Jordan Lake Park, which is partially located in Wake County near Apex, contains 13,940 acre Jordan Lake and 46,768 acres of woodlands. This park is known for being home to bald eagles. [20]

County parks and recreation centers

There are 152 city parks, public swimming and public tennis facilities in Wake County. In addition, there are 53 community centers. [21] Notable parks include Pullen Park and Yates Mill Park. The American Tobacco Trail is a 22 mile rail trail project that is located in the Research Triangle Park region. Fifteeen 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.

Hospitals

Wake County is served by three hospitals, Rex Hospital, 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.[22]

References

  1. ^ "WakeGov.com Population". Wake County Government. Retrieved 2008-02-11. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 (CBSA-EST2006-01)" (CSV). 2006 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2007-04-05. Retrieved 2007-04-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/real_estate/0703/gallery.fastest_growing_counties/9.html
  4. ^ http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/27/real_estate/258_fastest_growing_cities/index.htm
  5. ^ http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncwake/history.htm
  6. ^ http://www.wakegov.com/commissioners/default.htm
  7. ^ http://www.wakegov.com/about/facts/default.htm
  8. ^ Population figures from [1], retrieved Nov. 7, 2007.
  9. ^ http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/wake/story/734480.html
  10. ^ http://www.wakegov.com/libraries/locations/default.htm
  11. ^ http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/north-america/united-states/north-carolina/raleigh/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154654619261
  12. ^ http://www.artscapemedia.com/podcasts/archives/2006/09/dr_lawrence_whe.html
  13. ^ http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1137143/
  14. ^ http://www.ncartmuseum.org/museumpark.shtml
  15. ^ http://rdu.com/airlineflightinfo/destinations.htm
  16. ^ http://rdu.com/news/2008/release_011708.htm
  17. ^ http://wral.com/traffic/story/2291218/
  18. ^ http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/fala/main.php
  19. ^ http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/wium/main.php
  20. ^ http://ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/jord/ecology.php
  21. ^ http://www.wakegov.com/parks/general/links.htm
  22. ^ http://www.wakemed.org/body.cfm?id=51&oTopID=51

35°47′N 78°39′W / 35.79°N 78.65°W / 35.79; -78.65

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