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Information on Cary, NC

 

Cary is a thriving community in the heart of the Triangle area of North Carolina, between Raleigh and renowned Research Triangle Park. The Triangle area repeatedly has ranked among the top regions in the country to live or work, to find a home or start a business, to raise a family or retire.

The January 2004 issue of Money Magazine names Cary, N.C. the hottest town in the East and one of six Hottest Towns in America.In August 2006, Cary was again recognized by Money Magazine as one of the Best Small Cities in America, ranking fifth on the magazine's 2006 list of Best Places to Live.

Cary weather

On the whole, Caryites are a blessed, hard-working group with one of the highest median household incomes in the state. And being no further than 20 minutes from major universities such as Duke, North Carolina State, and the University of North Carolina, it's no wonder that education is an important part of Cary life. More than two-thirds of adults hold a college degree. Nearly 9 in 10 citizens have access to the Internet in this, the Technology Town of North Carolina.

Cary embraces the best of city life:

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  • Our sense of security - Cary continually ranks as one of the top 20 safest large cities nationally and the safest in the Southeast. Its Police and Fire departments and Emergency Medical Services are nationally accredited.
  • Livability - Tree-lined streets and well-groomed subdivisions and office parks show Cary has grown the right way.
  • Vibrancy - Cary is home to world class businesses and national retail stores. Our fast-growing Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources program has something for everyone, regardless of age or interest.
  • Diversity - School-age children comprise nearly a quarter of Cary's population. Yet people of retirement age are the fastest-growing group in Cary. Fourteen percent of townspeople were born in another country, and the Asian population - Cary's largest minority - tripled during the 1990s.
  • A progressive approach to challenge - Cary is proactive. We're conserving drinking water by reclaiming treated wastewater for irrigation and industrial processes, preserving open space, and working with citizens and county leaders to make our schools even better.
Yet we've remained the Town of Cary while growing to more than 100,000 people.

At the Town of Cary, we focus every day on enriching the lives of our citizens by creating an exceptional environment and providing exemplary services that enable our community to thrive and prosper.

Cary by the Numbers

132,647 (October 2008)
5.73 percent increase since October 2007
4.37 percent annual population growth rate (October 01, 2003 to October 01, 2008)

Median age - 33.7 years (2000 Census)

GPS Location: (Chatham and Academy streets) -78.7812 35.7873

Getting Here

Cary is just over a two-hour drive from the North Carolina coast and within three hours of the mountains.

The town is adjacent to Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Amtrak provides daily passenger train service from the Cary Depot downtown. Cary is adjacent to Raleigh, the state capital. Downtown Durham and Chapel Hill are less than 25 miles away.



At Play
  • Cary has more than 20 public parks, 20 miles of trails, cultural arts programs as well as concerts and other special events throughout the year.
  • The Amphitheatre at Regency Park is the Town's state-of-the-art performance center nestled in the trees by a lake, featuring N.C. Symphony concerts and other performances. Downtown, Cary's Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival has become one of the South's premier festivals over the past quarter century.
  • The annual Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic draws big names from the sporting and entertainment worlds to raise money for cancer research.
  • The Triangle boasts major league hockey, Triple A baseball and other professional and college sports teams, including N.C. State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.
  • Now Playing - What's happening in the Cary area
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At Work

At School

Schools in Cary are part of the Wake County Public School System. The system includes schools on traditional and year-round calendars.


Although schools are not a Town government responsibility in North Carolina, Cary leaders have responded to public interest in schools by making education a priority. Half of Cary adults have school-age children.

The Town appropriated more than $8 million to benefit schools with Cary students during the 2000-2001 through 2002-2003 school years. The schools funding project was the first such economic development through education initiative in the state.

The first public high school in North Carolina began as a prestigious boarding school in Cary during the late 1800s. Today, two-thirds of adults in Cary have a college degree. Three major universities - N.C. State University in Raleigh, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University in Durham - are less than 25 miles away.

Looking Back

A settlement called Bradford's Ordinary began in 1750 in what is now Cary. However, the man credited with founding Cary was Allison Francis "Frank" Page, who was its first developer, mayor, postmaster and railroad agent.


Page and his wife, Catherine "Kate" Raboteau Page bought 300 acres here in 1854. He named his development after Samuel Fenton Cary, a prohibition leader from Ohio. Cary was incorporated in 1871, several years after the Seaboard and North Carolina railroads formed a junction in Cary.

Page, whose main business was a sawmill, laid out the first streets of Cary and built a hotel. What became known as the Page-Walker Hotel is now an arts and history center on Town Hall campus. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

One of Frank and Kate Page's sons is Cary's most famous son. Walter Hines Page (1855-1918) was an editor, publisher, social reformer and proponent of public education. He was ambassador to Great Britain during World War I. The British honored him with a tablet in Westminster Abbey.

With development of Research Triangle Park in the 1960s, Cary began to grow as a bedroom community for the park from a quiet town of a few thousand people. Growth escalated during the 1970s, with the population nearly tripling to 21,763. The population doubled during the 1980s, and doubled again during the 1990s.

To Learn More

The Cary Heritage Museum on the third floor of the Page-Walker Arts and History Center has a listening station for oral histories. Artifacts include medical instruments and the World War I uniform of Dr. James Templeton, who volunteered for the Army at age 62, and was a "country doctor" for nearly half a century.

Looking Ahead


Cary has steadfastly remained a town, preserving the comfort, security and neatness that have helped define it. But Cary embraces the best of city life - vibrancy, diversity and a progressive approach to challenge.

In recent years, the Town has instituted measures to more closely manage growth, which remains a regional issue. Cary has embarked on an ambitious open space conservation program to protect water quality and preserve the natural beauty of the region.

The Town of Cary believes in getting out in front of challenges rather than waiting and reacting. It leads the way in protecting the environment and was the first in the state to conserve drinking water by reclaiming its highly treated wastewater for irrigation at hundreds of homes and businesses.

From humble beginnings, Cary has developed into the Technology Town of North Carolina in the heart of one of the most dynamic and livable areas in the country.

Cary Superlatives

Town Government

Hottest Town
The Town of Cary was named the “hottest town” over 100,000 in the East by Money Magazine in 2004 and one of the six most desirable places to live in America. In 2006, Cary was again recognized by Money Magazine as one of the Best Small Cities in America, ranking fifth on the magazine's list of Best Places to Live. Cary also ranked second on Relocate-America.com's annual list of America's Top 100 Places to Live in 2006.

Finance

Best possible financial position
The Town of Cary is one of seven municipalities in North Carolina with the best possible credit ratings from the leading New York investment firms - Moody's, Fitch, and Standard & Poor's.

Commitment to sound budgeting
The Town of Cary is a perennial recipient of the Government Finance Officers award for Distinguished Budget Presentation, demonstrating the highest principles of governmental budgeting.

The highest standards in government accounting and financial reporting
The Government Finance Officers Association of United States and Canada annually recognizes the Town of Cary for excellence in comprehensive financial reporting.

Continuing excellence in accounting and financial management
The State Treasurer's office has honored Cary with its Governmental Award for running innovative and progressive programs.

Sports & Leisure

Where people know how to have a good time
The Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department was the first parks department in the Triangle to receive national accreditation.

Where future Olympians will swing for the fences
Construction of USA Baseball's National Olympic Training Center at Thomas Brooks Park is scheduled for completion in 2007.

Home field advantage for championship soccer
WakeMed Soccer Park is the home of professional men’s soccer team the Carolina RailHawks, a United Soccer League expansion team. The soccer park is also host to world class soccer, including the ACC Championships and NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Cup tournaments.

An oasis in the midst of the city
Fred G. Bond Metro Park, located geographically in the center of town, hosts annual community
events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Kite Festival and the July 4th Olde Time Celebration.

A place for man’s best friend to run and play
The Town of Cary’s first dog park, located adjacent to Godbold Park, provides pets and their owners with a safe place to interact.

The best place to spend a lazy summer Saturday
The Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival is the top rated one-day festival in the nation as ranked by Sunshine Artist Magazine, September 2006. It has become one of the Southeast's largest premier festivals during the past three decades, with an estimated 60,000 people gathering in downtown Cary.

National draw for tournament softball
Cary will once again host the PONY National Fastpitch Softball Tournament in 2007, drawing teams from as far away as Alaska and the West Coast. The tournament brings in millions of dollars to the area's economy.

A great place to serve and volley
Awarded the United States Tennis Association’s Outstanding Tennis Facility of the Year for 2006 and Racquet Sports Industries’ Municipal Facility of the Year, Cary Tennis Park is one of the premier facilities in the Southeast for recreational and tournament play.

Where stars of professional golf tee it high and let it fly
The WakeMed Championship of the Professional Golfers Association's Champions Tour returns to Prestonwood Country Club in September 2007.

Home of Cary Band Day
Since 1959, the oldest marching band competition in the southeast includes an annual downtown
parade and field competition.

Summer home of the N.C. Symphony
Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park is a state-of-the-art outdoor performance center nestled on 14 acres of trees where the N.C. Symphony performs its annual Summerfest concert series.

Creative programming for teens
Cary’s Teen Council was named the Most Diverse Council at the 2006 State Youth Council convention, becoming only the second youth council in the state to receive the award. Cary’s Teen Forum was awarded the 2004 Innovative Program Award by the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Association.

Meeting the recreational needs of all age groups
Sk-8 Cary was the first public skate park in Wake County.

The place to tour on two wheels
With its safe cycling classes for children, annual Cycling Celebration and a growing bicycle network throughout the Town, Cary has received national recognition as a “Bicycle-Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists.

Where celebrities "play a little golf" and raise money for cancer research
Top names in the sports and entertainment fields gather each August at Prestonwood Country Club for the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic in memory of Jim Valvano, N.C. State University basketball coach and TV commentator.
 
Host to Special Olympians from throughout the world
Cary was a host of the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games, holding two road cycling events through the heart of Cary in addition to golf at Prestonwood Country Club. Embassy Suites in Cary was the main media center, accommodating 1,500 media members from throughout the world.

A jewel in the crown of Mother Nature
Hands-on exhibits, Nature’s Niche Gift Shop, native wildlife garden, and environmental education programs are just a few of the natural experiences awaiting you at Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. Eastern Hemlocks, usually found more than 200 miles away in the Appalachian Mountains, thrive on the north-facing bluffs of Swift Creek in Hemlock Bluffs.

Health & Safety

Safest city in the Southeast
Cary ranked as the 14th safest of 378 large cities in the Morgan Quitno Safest (And Most Dangerous) Cities report in 2007. Cary has been among the 20 safest large cities during all nine years that it has been rated.

Proactive in fire protection
The Cary Fire Department became the second department in North Carolina to earn national accreditation.

Progressive in law enforcement
The Cary Police Department became nationally accredited in 1992 by voluntarily demonstrating adherence to professional standards. It is one of four accredited police departments in the Triangle.

Statewide leader in emergency medical care
Cary Emergency Medical Services was the first agency in the state to have a federally certified ambulance service.

Environmental Protection

Leading the way in reducing what we throw away
Cary's curbside computer recycling program was the first in the state.
Protecting water quality by controlling storm water runoff
The N.C. Sedimentation Control Commission granted Cary its Erosion and Sedimentation Control Award.

Keeping Cary green
The Town received its 23rd Tree City USA award in 2006, demonstrating its long-term commitment to urban forestry. Cary was one of the first towns in the state to get a tree protection bill through the N.C. General Assembly.

Conserving our natural resources
Cary was the first in the state to save drinking water by reclaiming treated wastewater for irrigation.

Where careful planning preserves high quality of life
The Town has received the Outstanding Planning Award from the N.C. chapter of the American Planning Association for its Open Space & Historic Resources Plan.

Putting the brakes on stop-and-go traffic
Cary is the largest municipality in the state to fully fund its own traffic signal system, reducing air pollution caused by frequent stops and delays. The system includes closed circuit cameras at key intersections, allowing the Town to change signal timing and keep traffic moving smoothly, and real-time traffic information via dynamic message signs at Town gateways and rush-hour programming on Cary TV 11.

Education

Groundbreaking in public education
North Carolina's first public high school was on the campus of what is now Cary Elementary School.

A public school system with boldness and vision
The Wake County Public School System is poised to lead the nation in narrowing the achievement gap and attaining remarkably high academic goals for all.

Technology

The Technology Town of North Carolina
Ninety-four percent of Cary's citizens have access to the Internet at home or at work — about twice the national average. The town's top employer is WakeMed Institute, Inc., the largest privately held software developer in the world. The Town of Cary Web site, townofcary.org, has more than 55,000 files. Connected by more than 80 miles of fiber optics, Cary has the most advanced traffic timing and monitoring program in the region.

Award winning Town government Web site
Townofcary.org has received two Golden Web awards from the International Association of Web Masters and Designers.

History

Where history and heritage come alive
The Page-Walker Arts and History Center is located in Cary’s oldest and most historic building. Built by Town founder Allison Francis “Frank” Page as a railroad hotel, it is one of Wake County’s best examples of Second Empire-style architecture, which was popular in 1868 when the hotel was built. It is also home to the Cary Heritage Museum.

A "friend of Britain in her sorest need"
Walter Hines Page, son of Allison Francis Page, was an editor and public education proponent. He was also ambassador to Great Britain from 1913-1918 and is honored with a tablet in Westminster Abbey for advocating that the United States side with Britain and its allies during World War I.

Commitment to historic preservation
Cary is fortunate to have three National Register Historic Districts that recognize the past and provide incentives for preservation. Those districts are the Cary Historic District around Academy Street; Harrison Avenue in downtown Cary; and the Carpenter and Green Level Historic Districts in west Cary, which recognize farming communities from the last century. In addition there are two individual listings on the National Register of Historic Places: the Page-Walker Hotel (now the Page-Walker Arts and History Center) on the Town Hall campus and the Nancy Jones House on Chapel Hill Road.

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