Cary, North Carolina

Cary is the second largest city in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. At the 2020 census, Cary had a population of 174,721.^[3] As of 2007, Cary was the 8th fastest growing city in the United States.^[4]

Cary, North Carolina
Town
Cary Town Hall
Motto:  "Live Inspired"
Location in Wake County and North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°46′55″N 78°49′12″W[1]
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Chatham Wake Durham
Founded	1750
Incorporated	April 3, 1871
Named for	Samuel Fenton Cary
Government
• Type	Council-manager government
Area [2]
• Total	61.05 sq mi (158.12 km2)
• Land	59.94 sq mi (155.24 km2)
• Water	1.11 sq mi (2.88 km2)  1.82%
Elevation [1]	410 ft (120 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	174,721
• Rank	150th in the United States 7th in North Carolina
• Density	2,915.03/sq mi (1,125.49/km2)
Demonym	Caryite
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	27511–27513, 27518, 27519
Area code	919, 984
FIPS code	37-10740[1]
GNIS ID	2406229[1]
Website	www.carync.gov

History

Cary began in 1750 as a settlement called Bradford's Ordinary. About 100 years later, the North Carolina Railroad was built between New Bern and Hillsborough and the railroad went through the settlement. Allison Francis Page, a farmer and lumberman, and his wife, Catherine Raboteau Page bought 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land surrounding the railroad in 1854 and named it Cary. Page made the first streets in Cary and built a sawmill, a store and a post office. In 1868, he built a hotel for railroad passengers coming through Cary. Cary officially became a town on April 6, 1871, and Page became the first mayor.^[5]

Education

There are many schools in Cary. The public schools are run by the Wake County Public School System. There are also many private schools, both religious and non-religious. Private schooling and home schooling are popular among many Cary residents.

Transportation

The Town of Cary operates a local bus system called GoCary. It was called C-Tran until 2016. Cary also has an Amtrak station and is just a few miles away from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Cary has many bike trails and many neighborhoods have sidewalks, so it is a good place to walk or ride a bike.