Cary, North Carolina

Town of Cary
—  Town  —
A train station in Cary
Nickname(s): Technology Town of North Carolina
The red dot is where Cary is at in the state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°46′44″N 78°48′1″W
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Wake, Chatham
Founded	1750
Incorporated	April 6, 1871
Government
• Mayor	Harold Weinbrecht
Elevation	480 ft (146 m)
Population (2007)
• Total	127,640
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP Code
Area code(s)	919
Website	www.townofcary.org
The town was named after Samuel Fenton Cary

Cary is the second largest city in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. After January 1, 2008, Cary had a population of 127,640. According to CNN, Cary is the 8th fastest growing city in the United States.

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.

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 C-Tran. 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.