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Cary,_North_Carolina
Cary,_North_Carolina

Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a town 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 behind Raleigh and Durham. The town's population was 94,536 at the 2000 census, but the Census Bureau estimates that its population had grown to 121,796 by 2007, making it the largest town and seventh largest municipality statewide. According to CNN, Cary is the 5th fastest growing city in the United States.

Geography

Cary is located at (35.778919, -78.800208). It is situated at the heart of North Carolina's Research Triangle Region. It is edged on the north and east by Raleigh, on the north and west by Research Triangle Park and Morrisville, on the south by Apex and Holly Springs, and on the west by the Jordan Lake area. The majority of Cary is in western Wake County, with a small part in Chatham County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.5 mi² (112.6 km²). 42.1 mi² (109.0 km²) of it is land and 1.4 mi² (3.6 km²) of it (3.17%) is water. More recent Cary records show that as of 2007 the town has a total area of 52.79 mi².

History

Today's Cary began in 1750 as a settlement called Bradford's Ordinary. About 100 years later, the construction of the North Carolina Railroad between New Bern and Hillsborough placed Bradford's Ordinary on a major transportation route. Allison Francis "Frank" Page is credited with founding the town. Page was a Wake County farmer and lumberman. He and his wife, Catherine "Kate" Raboteau Page bought surrounding the railroad junction in 1854 and named his development Cary after Samuel Fenton Cary (a former Ohio congressman and prohibitionist he admired). Page became a railroad agent and a town developer. He laid out the first streets in Cary and built a sawmill, a general store and a post office (Page became the first Postmaster). In 1868, Page built a hotel to serve railroad passengers coming through Cary. Cary was incorporated on April 6, 1871, with Page becoming the first mayor. In 1879, the Raleigh and Augusta Air-Line Railroad (later the Seaboard, now CSX Transportation) arrived in Cary from the southwest, creating Fetner Junction just north of downtown and spurring further growth.

In the early years Cary adopted zoning and other ordinances on an ad-hoc basis to control growth and give the city structure. Beginning in 1971, the town created a Planned Unit Development (PUD) zoning to accommodate population growth related to the growth of Research Triangle Park nearby. A PUD allows a developer to plan an entire community before beginning development, thus allowing future residents to be aware of where churches, schools, commercial and industrial areas will be located well before such use begins. Kildaire Farms, a Planned Unit Development in Cary was North Carolina's first PUD. It was developed on the Pine State Dairy Farm by Thomas F. Adams, Jr. Adams named a section of Kildaire Farms "Farmington Woods" in their honor. The local government has placed a high value on creating an aesthetically pleasing town.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census
year 		Population
1940 1,141
1950 1,496 (31%)
1960 3,356 (124%)
1970 7,640 (128%)
1980 21,763 (185%)
1990 43,858 (102%)
2000 94,536 (116%)
2007 125,460 (33%)

As of the census of 2000, there were 94,536 people, 34,906 households, 25,132 families residing in the town. The population density was 867.2/km² (2,246.0/mi²). There were 36,863 housing units at an average density of 338.2/km² (875.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.17% White, 6.15% African American, 0.27% Native American, 8.08% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.28% of the population.

There were 34,906 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 38.6% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $75,122, and the median income for a family was $88,074. Males had a median income of $62,012 versus $38,819 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,974. About 2.1% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over. According to the Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, median incomes had risen to $80,986 (household) and $96,602 (family).

Prosperity

In terms of higher education, 68.0% of adult residents in Cary ages 25 and older) hold an associate degree or higher, and 60.7% of adults possess a baccalaureate degree or higher. Cary has the most Ph.D.s per capita in the U.S. for towns larger than 75,000 people. Cary has one of the lowest crime rates in the state for cities of its size. The home ownership rate (owner-occupied housing units to total units) is 72.8%.

In 2001, Town of Cary was declared the fourth safest of 327 large cities in the nation in the 8th Annual Morgan Quitno Safest (And Most Dangerous) City Award.

The town's reputation as a bedroom community for transplants from outside the South has led to backronyms for its name such as "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees." Data from the 2000 Census shows 29.2% of Cary residents are native to North Carolina. 55.2% were born in other states. Additionally, 15.6% of the town population were born outside the United States.

Government

Cary has a council-manager government; the mayor and council members serve a term of four years, with half of the council seats being up for election each odd-numbered year. Four of the six council seats are elected by district; the remaining two seats are at-large representatives.

The current town council consists of Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and Representatives Jennifer Robinson (District A), Don Frantz (District B), Jack W. Smith (District C), Gale Adcock (District D), Erv Portman (at-large), and Julie Aberg Robison (at-large).

On October 9, 2007, Harold Weinbrecht defeated then-mayor Ernie McAlister. Citizen concern over the impact rapid growth was having on the town, especially on roads, schools, and the environment, led to McAlister's ouster.

Mayors

From 1871 to Present Read left to right.
Name Years Name Years Name Years Name Years
A. F. Page 1871 J. H. Adams 1884 R. J. Harrison 1887 John Nugeer 1897
E. C. Hayes 1900 A.R. McGarrity 1902 R. J. Harrison 1903 H. B. Jordan 1903
N. C. Hines 1910 J. M. Templeton, Jr. 1912 G. S. Leacock 1914 T. H. Taylor 1916
W. G. Crowder 1916 E. P. Bradshaw 1921 W. H. Atkins 1921-25 G. H. Jordan 1925
E. P. Bradshaw 1925 Dr. F. R. Yarborough 1927-28 A. N. Jackson 1928-29 H. H. Waddell 1929-33
Dr. J. P. Hunter 1933-35 M. T. Jones 1935 T. W. Addicks 1935 L. L. Raines 1935-37
R. W. Mayton 1935-37 Robert G. Setzer 1947-49 H. Waldo Rood 1949-61 Dr. W. H. Justice 1961-62
James Hogarth 1962-63 Dr. E. B. Davis 1963-69 Joseph R. Veasey 1969-71 Fred G. Bond 1971-83
Harold D. Ritter 1983-87 Koka E. Booth 1987-1999 Glen Lang 1999-2003 Ernie McAlister 2003-2007
Harold Weinbrecht 2007-present

Business

Largest Employer in Cary:

  • SAS Institute - Largest privately-held software company in the world

Businesses based in Cary:

Education

Primary and secondary education

History of Cary Elementary and Cary High Schools Established in the late 1800s.

High schools

Middle schools

Elementary schools

Private schools

Higher education

Transportation

Public transit

Public transit within the town is provided by C-Tran There are three fixed-routes: North-South, East-West and the Maynard Loop. There is also a door-to-door service for the elderly (55+) and riders with disabilities. Triangle Transit operates fixed-route buses that serve the metropolitan region and connect to the local municipal transit systems in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

Intercity rail

Amtrak's Silver Star, Carolinian and Piedmont passenger trains stop at the Cary Amtrak station. They offer service to Charlotte, New York City, Miami, and intermediate points.

Bicycle

The League of American Bicyclists has designated Cary one of the fourteen recipients of the first Bicycle-Friendly Community awards for "providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists and encouraging residents to bike for transportation and recreation". Cary Bicycle Plan

Pedestrian

Cary Greenways and Trails maintains a network of sidewalks and paved trails connecting neighborhoods and parks throughout town. These greenways place strict requirements on environmental conditions to preserve a park-like atmosphere. In addition, standard sidewalks and paths exist throughout the city.

Air

The Raleigh-Durham International Airport, located northwest of downtown Raleigh via Interstate-40 between Raleigh and Durham, serves the city and the greater Research Triangle metropolitan region. It is a focus city for American Airlines and a hub for American Eagle Airlines.

Freeways and primary routes

Recreation

Tennis

Golf

Honors & Awards

Events

  • Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival
  • Cary Road Race, Every April includes a 10K, 5K, and 1 Mile Fun Run
  • Run for Life, includes a 5K and 1 Mile Run
  • 2008 Division I Women’s Soccer College Cup
  • 2009 Division I Women’s Basketball Regional
  • 2009 Division I Men’s Soccer College Cup
  • 2010 Division I Women’s Soccer College Cup
  • 2010 Division II Baseball Championship
  • 2011 Division III Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships
  • 2012 Division III Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships

Sister cities

Cary has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

Residents (former and current)

  • Former Cary citizen Walter Hines Page was a U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom.
  • Cary resident Marshall Brain is the founder of the HowStuffWorks website. He is also a published author and a futurist who believes that robots will have taken over unskilled jobs by 2050.
  • Cary resident David Potorti became a peace activist following the death of his brother James in the World Trade Center attack of 2001. He is a founding member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.
  • Cary resident Deborah Gonzales is a novelist who writes under the names Sabrina Jeffries, Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas.
  • Cary residents Aaron Ward and Jesse Boulerice are former Carolina Hurricanes players who have made their homes here.
  • Cary resident Kay Yow is the head coach of the women's basketball team at North Carolina State University.

See also

References

External links

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia © 2001-2006 Wikipedia contributors (Disclaimer)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Wednesday October 08, 2008 at 21:18:59 PDT (GMT -0700)
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