Cary, North Carolina

About

Cary is a town located in the county of Wake in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population at the 2010 census was 135,234 and a population density of 907 people per km². After 10 years in 2020 city had an estimated population of 173,587 inhabitants.

The town was created 274 years ago in 1749.

Cary is a large town located in Wake and Chatham counties in North Carolina, primarily in the Research Triangle metropolitan area. With a population of over 173,000, it is the seventh largest municipality in North Carolina.

Early History

The Cary area was first settled in the 1750s as an agricultural community. It was named after Samuel Fenton Cary, a former slave owner who donated land for a railroad depot upon Cary's founding in 1871.

Cary remained a very small, predominantly African American town focused on farming and regional railroad operations in its early years. Until the late 20th century, the population never surpassed a few thousand people.

Growth and Development

The establishment of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in the 1960s spurred Cary’s rapid growth into the 21st century. Thousands migrated to work in RTP's high-tech jobs.

Cary’s population leapt from just over 5,000 in 1970 to nearly 100,000 residents by 2000. Careful planning and infrastructure development allowed the town to absorb the rapid growth.

In more recent decades, Cary focused on revitalizing its historic downtown with cultural attractions and a minor league baseball stadium while adding new residential and commercial areas.

Cary Today

Today, Cary is known for its exceptional schools, green spaces, recreation, and high standard of living. It perennially lands on “Best Places to Live” rankings in America.

Cary retains ties to its past through historic district preservation. But constant growth has made Cary among the largest municipalities in North Carolina. It has successfully evolved into a leading edge technology hub and a “smart city”.

The Research Triangle region continues expanding, and Cary serves as one of the area's economic and population anchors as it approaches nearly 200,000 residents.

Quick Facts about Cary

Cary NC Town Hall image

Geography

Cary is located at 35°47'30"N 78°46'52"W (35.7915400, -78.7811200).

Cary map

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People born in Cary, including actress Bevin Prince, politician Robert N. Page, journalist, publisher, and diplomat Walter Hines Page, .

List

• Anoop Desai (singer) he was born in 20/12/1986
• Brian Ackley (Footballer) he was born in 27/09/1986
• Kendall Fletcher (soccer defender for the United States and Canberra United) she was born in 06/11/1984
• Spright Dowell (American academic administrator) he was born in 02/01/1878
• Jim Johnson (American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach, college athletics administrator) he was born in 10/09/1912
• Debbie Antonelli (American sports announcer)
• Isaiah Johnson (American football safety born October 14, 1992) he was born in 14/10/1992
• Luke Maye (American basketball player) he was born in 07/03/1997
• Max Povse (Professional Baseball Pitcher) he was born in 23/08/1993
• Kevin Janson Neal (American spree killer and marijuana grower) he was born in 01/01/1973
• Jordyn Adams (baseball player (1999-)) he was born in 18/10/1999
• Gale Adcock (American politician) she was born in 25/01/1954
• Caleb Duvernay (American association football player) he was born in 24/07/1996
• Greg Jones he was born in 07/03/1998
• Greg Jones (American baseball player (1998-)) he was born in 07/03/1998
• Ryan Spaulding (soccer player) he was born in 10/09/1998

• Cary , Illinois village in Illinois, United States with a population of 17,929 people.
• Cary , Mississippi town in Mississippi with a population of 264 people.