Cary, North Carolina

Cary is a town in Wake, Chatham, and Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2020, more than 174,000 people lived there, making it one of the bigger towns in North Carolina.

Cary started as a small place near the railroad. It became important for learning when Cary High School opened in 1907, the first public high school paid for by the state. Later, many new homes and jobs came when Research Triangle Park was built nearby. Today, Cary is home to big technology companies like SAS Institute.

People in Cary are very educated, with many having college degrees. The town is also known for being a safe and comfortable place to live, and families there often earn more money than the average in the state.

History

Before people from Europe arrived, the Tuscarora and Catawba people lived in what we now call Cary. Their numbers dropped because of diseases like smallpox that Europeans brought with them.

In the 1700s, a man named John Bradford built an inn called Bradford's Ordinary. Later, two men named Nathaniel Jones owned most of the land. After the Revolutionary War, the town grew along the road between Raleigh and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Eli Yates built mills, and Rufus Jones started the first free school and a church.

In 1854, the North Carolina Railroad came through Cary, and Allison Francis Page bought land and helped found the town. He named it Cary to honor Samuel Fenton Cary, a leader in North America who spoke in Raleigh. During the American Civil War, Union soldiers stayed in Cary after Confederate troops left.

After the Civil War, Cary grew with new railroads and factories. Page helped start schools and churches. Cary became an official town in 1871, with Page as its first mayor. The town banned selling alcohol until 1964.

In the 1920s, roads were paved, and Cary got electricity. During the Great Depression, the town faced hard times. In the 1930s, a research farm helped farmers, and a garden club started growing gourds, earning Cary the nickname "Gourd Capital of the World."

After World War II, Cary attracted more businesses and grew quickly, especially after Research Triangle Park opened nearby in 1959. The town planned its growth with new rules and built many schools. By 2000, Cary's population had grown to over 94,000, and the town worked to preserve its history with special districts and landmarks.

Geography

Cary is located in the piedmont area of North Carolina. Most of Cary is in Wake County, with smaller parts in Chatham County and Durham County. The town covers about 61 square miles, with a little bit of that being water. Cary is close to big places like Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, and Morrisville.

Cary has a mix of different types of land, from gentle rolling hills to some steeper areas. There are also creeks and small lakes, like Lake Crabtree. The town has both forests and places where people have built homes and businesses. Some parts still have farms and natural areas with many trees.

Climate

Cary has warm summers and cool winters, with a little snow each year. The weather can change a lot, getting very hot or a bit below freezing. Sometimes big storms, called tropical cyclones, can pass through the area and cause damage.

Demographics

According to the 2020 census, there were 174,721 people living in Cary. They lived in 62,789 homes. Cary has many people living close together, with about 2,949 people for every square mile.

Many adults in Cary have gone to college. About 68.4% of adults older than 25 have a college degree or more. Almost all homes in Cary have a computer, and most have fast internet.

In the past, many people from other places moved to Cary to work. By the 2020 Census, about 29% of Cary’s people were born in North Carolina, while most were born in other parts of the United States, and some came from other countries.

Economy

Cary, North Carolina, has a strong economy. In 2021, families in Cary earned a median income of $113,782 per year. Only 4.4% of people lived in poverty, and most had health insurance.

Many big companies have offices in Cary. Technology firms like Epic Games, Garmin, and SAS Institute are based there. Food companies such as Kellogg's also have facilities in Cary.

Arts and culture

Cary has many places where art and culture come together. The town shows over forty pieces of public art in parks and buildings. You can see changing art shows at places like the Bond Park Community Center, Cary Arts Center, and the Page–Walker Arts & History Center.

Cary holds many fun events each year. Since 1959, Cary Band Day has brought together high school marching bands for a big competition. There are also crafts festivals, a celebration of Indian culture called Diwali, a dragon boat festival, a Latin music and dance event, and a Chinese lantern festival with beautiful lights for the new year.

Old buildings in Cary tell stories from the past. Houses and hotels from the 1800s show different styles of architecture. There are also historic areas like the Cary Historic District and the Carpenter Historic District, where you can see old farms, stores, and homes. Today, modern buildings like those from SAS Institute mix new design with green ideas, such as using solar power. Cary is also home to a large Hindu temple with a very tall tower.

Sports

Cary has two professional soccer teams: the North Carolina Courage and the North Carolina FC. They both play at First Horizon Stadium, which is located at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.

WakeMed Soccer Park has hosted big soccer events, including the NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament. Cary is also home to the USA Baseball National Training Complex, which has hosted the NCAA Division II baseball tournament in several years.

Parks and recreation

Cary has more than thirty public parks and natural areas. Some well-known parks are the new urban Downtown Cary Park, Fred G. Bond Metro Park, Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, and William B. Umstead State Park.

Tennis

The 24-acre Cary Tennis Park is one of the largest public tennis facilities in the southeastern United States. It has 32 courts, including a championship stadium. In 2019, the facility was recognized for "excellence in the construction" by the United States Tennis Association.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Cary, North Carolina

Cary is called a "town" because that is how it was set up with the state, even though it has many people. North Carolina does not make a difference between a city and a town based on size. Cary uses a council-manager style of government. The mayor and council members each serve for four years. Every odd-numbered year, half of the council seats are up for election.

Four of the six council seats are chosen by people living in specific areas, called districts. The other two seats are for people who get the most votes from the whole town. Some well-known mayors of Cary include Fred Bond Jr., Koka Booth, Glen Lang, and Harold Weinbrecht.

As of February 2026, the town council includes Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and six representatives: Brittany Richards, Michelle Craig, Bella Huang, Sarika Bansal, Lori Bush, and Carissa Kohn-Johnson. In 2007, Harold Weinbrecht became mayor after winning the election. People were worried that the town was growing too fast and affecting roads, schools, and the environment. These worries helped Harold Weinbrecht win and stay in office for many years.

Education

Cary is home to many schools. The Wake County Public School System is the largest public school system in North Carolina and has its headquarters in Cary. It includes five public high schools: Cary High School, Green Hope High School, Green Level High School, Middle Creek High School, and Panther Creek High School, along with seven middle schools and nineteen elementary schools.

The town also has three charter schools and several private schools, such as Cary Academy and Hopewell Academy. For higher education, Wake Technical Community College has a campus in Cary on Kildaire Farm Road.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Public transit

The town has a public transportation service called GoCary with six fixed routes. There is also a special door-to-door service for older adults and people with disabilities. Another service, GoTriangle, runs buses that connect Cary to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.

Intercity rail

Passenger trains such as the Silver Star, Carolinian, and Piedmont operated by Amtrak stop at the Cary Station. This station, built in 1995 and enlarged in 2011, offers travel to cities like Charlotte, New York City, and Miami, and had many visitors in 2024.

Bicycle

In 2010, Cary was recognized for being friendly to bicyclists. The town has many miles of bike paths and roads suitable for biking. Two major bicycle routes also go through Cary.

Pedestrian

Cary has many miles of paths and trails that connect neighborhoods and parks. One famous trail is the American Tobacco Trail, which was built on an old railroad line.

Air transit

The nearest major airport is the Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU), located north of Cary. It offers many flights to different places and served many passengers in 2024.

Freeways and primary routes

Main article: North Carolina Highway System

Cary is connected to other places by several major roads, including Interstate 40, U.S. 1, and U.S. 64. There are also state highways and the Cary Parkway. These roads help keep traffic safe.

Health care

Cary has many doctors and a full-service hospital called WakeMed Cary Hospital. The hospital is connected to several well-known healthcare centers.

Utilities

Electricity in Cary is provided by Duke Energy. Natural gas comes from Dominion Energy. The town gets its water from a reservoir called Jordan Lake, which is treated at a local facility. Cary also offers recycling services.

Smart city technology

In 2016, Cary began a program to test new technologies that make the town smarter. These include sensors for parking spots, smart street lights, and smart trash bins. The town also has free Wi-Fi in some areas. In 2021, Cary added technologies to help emergency vehicles move faster through traffic lights and crossings. The town works with companies to create new services and improve its digital systems.

Notable people

Main article: List of notable people from Cary, North Carolina

Cary, North Carolina, has been home to many well-known people who have made their mark in various fields. These individuals have contributed to areas such as sports, entertainment, and more, bringing recognition to the town.

Sister cities

Cary, North Carolina, has special partnerships with five cities around the world. These partnerships help bring people together and share ideas. The cities are Le Touquet-Paris-Plage in France, Hsinchu in Taiwan, County Meath in Republic of Ireland, Markham in Canada, and Bandırma in Turkey.