View source for Orange County, North Carolina

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county = Orange County
| state = North Carolina
| seal = Orange County, North Carolina seal.png
| founded = 1752
| named for = [[William V of Orange]]
| seat wl = Hillsborough
| largest city wl = Chapel Hill
| city type = town
| area_total_sq_mi = 401
| area_land_sq_mi = 398
| area_water_sq_mi = 3.5
| area percentage = 0.9%
| census estimate yr = 2020
| pop = 149077
| density_sq_mi = 336
| web = orangecountync.gov
| district = 4th
| time zone = Eastern
| ex image = Orange County Courthouse NC.jpg
| ex image cap = Orange County Courthouse
}}

'''Orange County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[North Carolina]]. As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], the population was 133,801.<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37135.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=October 27, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607001223/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/37/37135.html|archive-date=June 7, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Hillsborough, North Carolina|Hillsborough]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503072804/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 3, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Orange County is included in the [[Durham, NC|Durham]]–[[Chapel Hill, NC|Chapel Hill]], NC [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which is also included in the [[Raleigh, NC|Raleigh]]–Durham–Chapel Hill, NC [[Research Triangle|Combined Statistical Area]], which had a 2012 estimated population of 1,998,808.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/metro/totals/2012/index.html |title=Population Estimates 2012 Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317045641/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/metro/totals/2012/index.html |archive-date=March 17, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

It is home to the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], the flagship institution of the [[University of North Carolina]] System and the oldest state-supported university in the [[United States]].

==History==
The county was formed in 1752 from parts of [[Bladen County, North Carolina|Bladen]], [[Granville County, North Carolina|Granville]], and [[Johnston County, North Carolina|Johnston]] Counties. It was named for the infant [[William V of Orange]], whose mother Anne, daughter of King [[George II of Great Britain]], was then regent of the [[Dutch Republic]].

In 1771, Orange County was greatly reduced in area. The western part of it was combined with the eastern part of [[Rowan County, North Carolina|Rowan County]] to form [[Guilford County, North Carolina|Guilford County]]. Another part was combined with parts of [[Cumberland County, North Carolina|Cumberland County]] and Johnston County to form [[Wake County, North Carolina|Wake County]]. The southern part of what remained became [[Chatham County, North Carolina|Chatham County]].

In 1777, the northern half of what was left of Orange County became [[Caswell County, North Carolina|Caswell County]]. In 1849, the western county became [[Alamance County, North Carolina|Alamance County]]. Finally, in 1881, the eastern half of the county's remaining territory was combined with part of Wake County to form [[Durham County, North Carolina|Durham County]].

Some of the first settlers of the county were [[England|English]] [[Quaker]]s, who settled along the [[Haw River|Haw]] and [[Eno River]]s.<ref name="nc architecture">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NccTgQkmPIEC|publisher=[[UNC Press]]
|year=2005|page=38|title=North Carolina Architecture |first=Catherine |last=Bishir |isbn=978-0-8078-5624-6}}</ref> Arguably, the earliest settlers in the county were the Andrews family, which would later marry into the [[Thomas F. Lloyd|Lloyd]] family.<ref name="carrboro free press">{{cite news|work=Carrboro Free Press|date=October 22, 2008|page=16|title=Carrboro's Founders: People You Should Know |first=Rebekah |last=Cowell}}</ref>

===Colonial period and Revolutionary War===
The Orange County [[county seat|seat]] of Hillsborough was founded in 1754 on land where the [[Trading Path|Great Indian Trading Path]] crossed the Eno River, and was first owned, surveyed, and mapped by [[William Churton]] (a [[Surveyor (surveying)|surveyor]] for [[John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville|Earl Granville]]). Originally to be named Orange, it was named Corbin Town (for Francis Corbin, a member of the governor's council and one of Granville's land agents), and renamed Childsburgh (in honor of Thomas Child, the attorney general for North Carolina from 1751 to 1760 and another one of Granville's land agents) in 1759. In 1766, it was named Hillsborough, after [[Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire|Wills Hill]], then the [[Earl of Hillsborough]], the [[British Empire|British]] secretary of state for the colonies, and a relative of royal Governor [[William Tryon]].

[[File:Eoh.jpg|right|thumb|The Earl of Hillsborough]]
Hillsborough was an earlier [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] colonial town where court was held, and was the scene of some pre-[[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] tensions. In the late 1760s, tensions between Piedmont farmers and county officers welled up in the [[Regulators of North Carolina|Regulator movement]], or as it was also known, the [[War of the Regulation]], which had its epicenter in Hillsborough.<ref name="nc architecture2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NccTgQkmPIEC|publisher=[[UNC Press]]|year=2005|pages=55–56|title=North Carolina Architecture |first=Catherine |last=Bishir |isbn=978-0-8078-5624-6}}</ref> Several thousand people from North Carolina, mainly from Orange County, [[Anson County, North Carolina|Anson County]], and [[Granville County, North Carolina|Granville County]] in the western region, were extremely dissatisfied with the wealthy North Carolina officials whom they considered cruel, arbitrary, tyrannical, and corrupt. With specie scarce, many inland farmers found themselves unable to pay their [[taxes]] and resented the consequent seizure of their property.  Local sheriffs sometimes kept taxes for their own gain and sometimes charged twice for the same tax. At times, sheriffs would intentionally remove records of their tax collection to further tax citizens. The most heavily affected areas were said to be those of [[Rowan County, North Carolina|Rowan]], Anson, Orange, Granville, and [[Cumberland County, North Carolina|Cumberland]] Counties. It was a struggle of mostly lower-class citizens, who made up the majority of the population of North Carolina, and the wealthy ruling class, who composed about 5% of the population, yet maintained almost total control of the government. Of the 8,000 people living in Orange County at the time, an estimated 6000 - 7000 of them were in support of the Regulators.

Governor [[William Tryon]]'s conspicuous consumption in the construction of [[Tryon Palace|a new governor's mansion]] at [[New Bern]] fuelled the movement's resentment. As the western districts were under-represented in the colonial legislature, obtain redress by [[legislature|legislative]] means was difficult for the farmers. Ultimately, the frustrated farmers took to arms and closed the court in Hillsborough, dragging those they saw as corrupt officials through the streets and cracking the church bell.<ref name="nc architecture2" /> Tryon sent troops from his [[militia]] to the region, and defeated the Regulators at the [[Battle of Alamance]] in May 1771.<ref name="nc architecture2"/> Several trials were held after the war, resulting in the hanging of six Regulators at Hillsborough on June 19, 1771.
[[Image:hboro small.jpg|left|thumb|An early map of Hillsborough produced in 1768 by [[Claude J. Sauthier]]]]

Hillsborough was used as the home of the North Carolina state legislature during the [[American Revolution]].<ref name="chahillnews">{{cite news |title=Minding the museum |url=http://www.chapelhillnews.com/weekend/story/8656.html|work=Chapel Hill News |date=July 25, 2007 |access-date=July 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929040755/http://www.chapelhillnews.com/weekend/story/8656.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=September 29, 2007}}</ref> Hillsborough served as a military base by British [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|General Charles Cornwallis]] in late February 1781. The [[United States Constitution]] drafted in 1787 was controversial in North Carolina. Delegate meetings at Hillsboro in July 1788 initially voted to reject it for [[antifederalist]] reasons. They were persuaded to change their minds partly by the strenuous efforts of [[James Iredell]] and [[William Richardson Davie|William Davie]] and partly by the prospect of a [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]]. The Constitution was later ratified by North Carolina at a convention in [[Fayetteville, North Carolina|Fayetteville]].

[[William Hooper]], a signer of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], was buried in the [[Presbyterian]] Church cemetery in October 1790. However, his remains were later reinterred at [[Guilford Courthouse]] Military Battlefield. His original gravestone remains in the town cemetery.

====University of North Carolina====
{{Main|History of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill}}
[[Charter]]ed by the [[North Carolina General Assembly]] on December 11, 1789, the University of North Carolina's cornerstone was laid on October 12, 1793, near the ruins of a chapel, chosen due to its central location within the state.<ref>{{cite book |last=Snider |first=William D.|title=Light on the Hill: A History of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aKRPWDroJSwC|publisher=UNC Press|location=Chapel Hill, NC|year=1992|pages=13, 16, 20|isbn=0-8078-2023-7}}</ref> Beginning instruction of undergraduates in 1795, UNC is the oldest public university in the United States and the only one to award degrees in the 18th century.<ref>Snider, William D. (1992), pp. 29, 35.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=C. Dixon Spangler Jr. named Overseers president for 2003–04|url=http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/05.29/01-spangler.html|work=Harvard University Gazette|location=Cambridge, MA|date=May 29, 2003|access-date=April 5, 2008}}</ref>

[[Image:Old Well 2008.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Old Well]], UNC's most recognized landmark]]

===19th century===
The Reverend Robert and Margaret Anna Burwell<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.burwellschool.org/overview|title=The Burwell School|website=www.burwellschool.org|language=en|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref> founded and ran a school for girls called the [[Burwell School]] from 1837 to 1857 in their home on Churton Street in Hillsborough.
When the Civil War began, Hillsborough was reluctant to support secession. However, many citizens went off to fight for the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. During the war, [[Governor of North Carolina|North Carolina Governor]] [[David Lowry Swain]] persuaded [[President of the Confederate States of America|Confederate President]] [[Jefferson Davis]] to exempt some UNC students from the draft, so the university was among the few in the Confederacy that managed to stay open.<ref>Snider, William D. (1992), p. 67.</ref> However, Chapel Hill suffered the loss of more of its population during the war than any village in the South. When student numbers did not recover, the university was forced to close during [[Reconstruction era of the United States|Reconstruction]] from December 1, 1870 to September 6, 1875.<ref>{{cite book|last=Battle|first=Kemp P.|title=History of the University of North Carolina: From 1868–1912|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AdshAAAAMAAJ|publisher=Edwards & Broughton Printing Company|location=Raleigh, NC|year=1912|pages=39, 41, 88}}</ref>

In March 1865, [[Confederate States Army|Confederate General]] [[Joseph E. Johnston]] wintered just outside Hillsborough at the Dickson home, which now serves as the Hillsborough Welcome Center in downtown (the house was moved from its original site in the early 1980s due to commercial development). The main portion of the Confederate Army of Tennessee was encamped between Hillsborough and [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]].

After his [[Sherman's March to the Sea|March to the Sea]], while camped in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], [[Union Army|Union]] General [[William T. Sherman]] offered an armistice to Johnston, who agreed to meet to discuss terms of surrender. Johnston, traveling east from Hillsborough and Sherman, traveling west from Raleigh along the Hillsborough-Raleigh Road, met roughly half-way near present-day Durham (then Durham Station) at the home of James and Nancy Bennett, a farmhouse now known as the [[Bennett Place]]. The two generals met on April 17, 18th, and finally on the 26th, which resulted in their agreeing to final terms of surrender. Johnston surrendered 89,270 Southern troops who were active in North Carolina, [[South Carolina]], Georgia, and [[Florida]]. This was the largest surrender of troops during the war, and effectively ended the Civil War.<ref name="chahillnews"/>

===20th century===
[[Occoneechee Speedway]], just outside Hillsborough, was one of the first two [[NASCAR]] tracks to open, and is the only track remaining from that inaugural 1949 season. [[Bill France Sr.|Bill France]] and the early founders of NASCAR bought land to build a one-mile oval track at Hillsborough, but opposition from local [[religion|religious]] leaders prevented the track from being built in the town and NASCAR officials built the large speedway [[Talladega Superspeedway]] in [[Talladega, Alabama]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historichillsborough.org/images/Speedway-Complete.pdf|title=Racing vs. Religion|access-date=July 16, 2007 |publisher=Historic Hillsborough |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008210038/http://www.historichillsborough.org/images/Speedway-Complete.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=October 8, 2007}}</ref>

Chapel Hill, along with [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] and [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], makes up one of the three corners of the [[Research Triangle]], so named in 1959 with the creation of [[Research Triangle Park]], a research park between Durham and Raleigh.

The [[Morehead Planetarium]] at UNC was, when it opened in 1949, one of only a handful of [[planetarium]]s in the nation, and it has remained an important town landmark for Chapel Hill. During the [[Mercury program|Mercury]], [[Gemini program|Gemini]], and [[Apollo program]]s, astronauts were trained there.

[[File:Franklin Street Chapel Hill NC.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The intersection of [[Franklin Street (Chapel Hill)|Franklin Street]] and Columbia Street in Chapel Hill]]
During the 1960s, the UNC campus was the location of significant political protest. Prior to the passage of the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]], protests about local [[racial segregation]] which began quietly in [[Franklin Street (Chapel Hill)|Franklin Street]] restaurants led to mass demonstrations and disturbance.<ref>Snider, William D. (1992), p. 269.</ref> The climate of civil unrest prompted the 1963 [[North Carolina Speaker Ban|Speaker Ban Law]] prohibiting speeches by [[Communism|communists]] on state campuses in North Carolina.<ref>Snider, William D. (1992), p. 270.</ref>  The law was immediately criticized by University Chancellor [[William Brantley Aycock]] and University President [[William Friday]], but was not reviewed by the North Carolina General Assembly until 1965.<ref>Snider, William D. (1992), pp. 272–273.</ref>  Small amendments to allow "infrequent" visits failed to placate the student body, especially when the university's board of trustees overruled new Chancellor Paul Frederick Sharp's decision to allow speaking invitations to [[Marxist]] speaker [[Herbert Aptheker]] and civil liberties activist [[Frank Wilkinson]]; however, the two speakers came to Chapel Hill anyway. Wilkinson spoke off campus, while more than 1,500 students viewed Aptheker's speech across a low campus wall at the edge of campus, christened "Dan Moore's Wall" by ''[[The Daily Tar Heel]]'' for Governor [[Dan K. Moore]].<ref>Snider, William D. (1992), pp. 274–275.</ref> A group of UNC students along with Aptheker and Williamson filed a lawsuit in [[United States federal courts|U.S. federal court]], and on February 20, 1968, the Speaker Ban Law was struck down.<ref>Snider, William D. (1992), pp. 267–268.</ref>

In 1968, only a year after its schools became fully integrated, Chapel Hill became the first predominantly white municipality in the country to elect an African American mayor, [[Howard Nathaniel Lee|Howard Lee]]. Lee served from 1969 until 1975 and, among other things, helped establish [[Chapel Hill Transit]], the town's [[bus]] system.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|401|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|398|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|3.5|sqmi}} (0.9%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_37.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 18, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112071425/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_37.txt|archive-date=January 12, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The county is drained, in part, by the [[Eno River]].

The city of [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]], is in the southeastern part of Orange County, as is [[Carrboro, North Carolina|Carrboro]]. [[Hillsborough, North Carolina|Hillsborough]] is in the central part of the county and is the county seat.

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Person County, North Carolina|Person County]] – northeast
* [[Durham County, North Carolina|Durham County]] – east
* [[Chatham County, North Carolina|Chatham County]] – south
* [[Alamance County, North Carolina|Alamance County]] – west
* [[Caswell County, North Carolina|Caswell County]] – northwest

===Major highways===
{{div col}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I|40}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|I|85}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|15}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|70}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|US|501}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|49}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|54}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|57}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|86}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|157}}
* {{Jct|state=NC|NC|751}}
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 12216
|1800= 16362
|1810= 20135
|1820= 23492
|1830= 23908
|1840= 24356
|1850= 17055
|1860= 16947
|1870= 17507
|1880= 23698
|1890= 14948
|1900= 14690
|1910= 15064
|1920= 17895
|1930= 21171
|1940= 23072
|1950= 34435
|1960= 42970
|1970= 57707
|1980= 77055
|1990= 93851
|2000= 118227
|2010= 133801
|estyear=2020
|estimate=149077
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-evaluation-estimates/2010s-counties-total.html|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|access-date=May 5, 2021}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 18, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/nc190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=January 18, 2015}}</ref> 2010-2019<ref name="QF"/>
}}

As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 133,801 people living in the county. 74.4% were [[white American|White]], 11.9% [[African American|Black or African American]], 6.7% [[Asian American|Asian]], 0.4% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 4.0% of some other race and 2.5% [[Multiracial American|of two or more races]]. 8.2% were [[Hispanic and Latino American|Hispanic or Latino]] (of any race).

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 118,227 people, 45,863 households, and 26,141 families living in the county.  The [[population density]] was 296 people per square mile (114/km<sup>2</sup>).  There were 49,289 housing units at an average density of 123 per square&nbsp;mile (48/km<sup>2</sup>).  The racial makeup of the county was 78.05% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 13.79% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.39% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 4.10% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.96% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.71% from two or more races.  4.46% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race.

There were 45,863 households, out of which 28.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.60% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.00% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the county, the age distribution was as follows: 20.30% under the age of 18, 21.00% from 18 to 24, 29.90% from 25 to 44, 20.40% from 45 to 64, and 8.40% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 90.10 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,372, and the median income for a family was $59,874. Males had a median income of $39,298 versus $31,328 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $24,873.  About 6.20% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.00% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.  FY 2008-09 Orange County had the second highest property tax rate in NC at 0.998 per $100 of valuation.  For FY 2009-10 after the 2009 Orange County revaluation, the rate is now ninth highest in the state at 0.858 per $100 of valuation.

==Communities==
[[Image:Map of Orange County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels.PNG|thumb|200px|Map of Orange County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels]]

===Cities===
* [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]] (part, most of city is in Durham County)
* [[Mebane, North Carolina|Mebane]] (part, most of city is in Alamance County)

===Towns===
* [[Carrboro, North Carolina|Carrboro]]
* [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]] (most, small portions in Durham and Chatham Counties)
* [[Hillsborough, North Carolina|Hillsborough]] (county seat)

===Census-designated place===
* [[Efland, North Carolina|Efland]]

===Townships===
* Bingham
* Cedar Grove
* Chapel Hill
* Cheeks
* Eno
* Hillsborough
* Little River

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Blackwood, North Carolina|Blackwood]]
* [[Buckhorn, North Carolina|Buckhorn]] (also known as Cheeks Crossroads)
* [[Caldwell, Orange County, North Carolina|Caldwell]]
* [[Calvander, North Carolina|Calvander]]
* [[Carr, North Carolina|Carr]]
* [[Cedar Grove, Orange County, North Carolina|Cedar Grove]]
* Dodsons Crossroads
* [[Dogwood Acres, Orange County, North Carolina|Dogwood Acres]]
* [[Eno, North Carolina|Eno]]
* [[Eubanks, North Carolina|Eubanks]]
* Fairview, Hillsborough
* [[Hurdle Mills, North Carolina|Hurdle Mills]]
* Laws
* [[McDade, North Carolina|McDade]]
* [[Miles, North Carolina|Miles]]
* [[Oaks, North Carolina|Oaks]]
* Orange Grove
* Piney Grove
* [[Rougemont, North Carolina|Rougemont]]
* [[Schley, North Carolina|Schley]]
* [[Teer, North Carolina|Teer]]
* [[University, Orange County, North Carolina|University]] (formerly known as Glenn)
* White Cross
{{div col end}}

==Law and government==
Orange County is governed by a seven-member board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected to four-year terms by district and at-large in partisan elections, which are held in November of even-numbered years. Orange County is a member of the regional [[Triangle J Council of Governments]].

==Politics==
Orange County has gained a reputation as one of the most [[Liberalism|liberal]] counties in North Carolina. The county consistently delivers one of the largest Democratic majorities in the state in presidential, state, and local elections. This trend predates the recent swing toward the Democrats in counties dominated by college towns. The last Republican to win the county at a presidential level was [[Herbert Hoover]] in 1928<ref>Sullivan, Robert David; [http://www.americamagazine.org/content/unconventional-wisdom/how-red-and-blue-map-evolved-over-past-century ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’]; ''America Magazine'' in ''The National Catholic Review''; June 29, 2016</ref> – when opposition to the Catholicism of Democratic nominee [[Al Smith]] was a powerful force among voters. It has only supported a Republican two other times since the Civil War–[[William Howard Taft]] in 1908 and [[William McKinley]] in 1900.<ref>The Political Graveyard; [http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/NC/OR-votes.html Orange County, North Carolina Votes for President]</ref> Since 1928, a Republican has only cleared 40 percent of the vote only five times, the last being [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984.

{{Hidden begin
|titlestyle = background:#ccccff;
|title      = Presidential elections results
}}
{| align="center" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|+ '''Presidential elections results'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=2018-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://geoelections.free.fr/|access-date=January 13, 2021}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! '''[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]'''
! '''[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]'''
! '''[[Third Party (United States)|Third parties]]'''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2020 United States presidential election in North Carolina|2020]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|23.7% ''20,176''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''74.8%''' ''63,594''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% ''1,227''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 2016|2016]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|22.5% ''18,557''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''72.8%''' ''59,923''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.7% ''3,860''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 2012|2012]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|28.1% ''21,539''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''70.2%''' ''53,901''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% ''1,317''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 2008|2008]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|27.1% ''20,266''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''71.8%''' ''53,806''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% ''838''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 2004|2004]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.4% ''20,771''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''66.9%''' ''42,910''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% ''472''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 2000|2000]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|36.3% ''17,930''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''62.7%''' ''30,921''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.0% ''493''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1996|1996]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.2% ''15,053''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''61.3%''' ''28,674''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.5% ''3,038''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1992|1992]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|27.5% ''13,009''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.5%''' ''28,595''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.0% ''5,696''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1988|1988]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.1% ''14,503''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.2%''' ''22,326''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% ''238''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1984|1984]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|43.0% ''15,585''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''56.7%''' ''20,564''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% ''128''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1980|1980]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.4% ''9,261''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.3%''' ''15,226''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|14.4% ''4,102''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1976|1976]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|36.9% ''9,302''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''62.5%''' ''15,755''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% ''169''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1972|1972]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|47.7% ''11,632''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.8%''' ''12,634''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% ''142''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1968|1968]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|33.3% ''6,097''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''45.7%''' ''8,366''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|21.0% ''3,845''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1964|1964]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.6% ''5,785''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''61.4%''' ''9,206''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1960|1960]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.2% ''5,231''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.9%''' ''7,180''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in North Carolina, 1956|1956]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|48.1% ''4,396''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.9%''' ''4,743''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1952 United States presidential election|1952]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.5% ''3,813''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.5%''' ''5,156''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1948 United States presidential election|1948]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|31.0% ''1,813''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.3%''' ''3,523''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.7% ''507''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1944 United States presidential election|1944]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|30.9% ''1,467''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''69.1%''' ''3,274''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1940 United States presidential election|1940]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|23.1% ''1,100''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''77.0%''' ''3,673''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1936 United States presidential election|1936]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|27.3% ''1,446''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''72.8%''' ''3,860''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1932 United States presidential election|1932]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|26.5% ''1,114''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''69.6%''' ''2,924''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.9% ''165''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1928 United States presidential election|1928]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''58.8%''' ''2,564''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|41.2% ''1,799''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1924 United States presidential election|1924]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|35.4% ''1,065''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''62.4%''' ''1,879''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% ''66''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1920 United States presidential election|1920]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.6% ''1,737''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.4%''' ''1,993''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1916 United States presidential election|1916]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|48.5% ''1,158''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.5%''' ''1,230''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1912 United States presidential election|1912]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|8.6% ''172''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''50.0%''' ''997''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|41.4% ''825''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1908 United States presidential election|1908]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''51.3%''' ''1,073''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|48.6% ''1,017''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.1% ''2''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1904 United States presidential election|1904]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.6% ''558''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.7%''' ''900''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% ''25''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1900 United States presidential election|1900]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''49.9%''' ''1,280''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|49.7% ''1,275''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% ''10''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1896 United States presidential election|1896]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.4% ''1,264''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.1%''' ''1,700''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% ''14''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1892 United States presidential election|1892]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|33.1% ''936''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''39.5%''' ''1,117''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|27.5% ''777''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1888 United States presidential election|1888]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|44.1% ''1,299''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''54.7%''' ''1,613''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% ''35''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1884 United States presidential election|1884]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.8% ''1,064''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.9%''' ''1,668''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% ''8''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1880 United States presidential election|1880]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.9% ''1,902''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.2%''' ''2,537''
|  style="text-align:center;|
|}
{{Hidden end}}

Chapel Hill and [[Carrboro, North Carolina|Carrboro]] have a reputation for being two of the most liberal communities in the [[Southern United States]]. Carrboro was the first municipality in [[North Carolina]] to elect an openly gay [[mayor]], [[Michael R. Nelson (politician)|Mike Nelson]] (who also served as an Orange County commissioner from 2006 to 2010), and the first municipality in the state to grant [[domestic partnership|domestic-partner]] benefits to same-sex couples. In October 2002, Carrboro was among the first municipalities in the South to pass resolutions opposing the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Iraq War]] and the [[USA PATRIOT Act]]. Orange County voted 78.98% against [[North Carolina Amendment 1|Amendment 1]].  This was the highest vote against a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage of any [[County (United States)|county]] in the United States, even higher than [[San Francisco]] in 2008.<ref>[http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/Orange/36664/85728/en/summary.html OFFICIAL RESULTS]</ref>

==Education==
The county is served by 2 school districts:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/nceddirectory/2008-09education.pdf|title=2008-2009 Education Directory|last=North Carolina|first=Public Schools of|date=September 2008|access-date=May 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321111020/http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/nceddirectory/2008-09education.pdf <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=March 21, 2009}}</ref>
* [[Orange County School District|Orange County Schools]]
* [[Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools|Chapel Hill-Carrboro]]

==Notable people==
{{See also|List of alumni from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill}}
[[File:McCorkle-Place.jpg|300px|thumb|right|[[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill|UNC's]] wooded campus buffers the town center of Chapel Hill]]
* [[Alice Adams (writer)|Alice Adams]], author, who grew up in Chapel Hill<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/28/arts/alice-adams-72-writer-of-deft-novels.html |title=Alice Adams, 72, writer of deft novels |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 11, 2013}}</ref>
* [[K.A. Applegate]], author
* [[Thomas Samuel Ashe]], [[United States Congressman]] from North Carolina<ref name="Marquis 1607-1896">{{cite book |title=Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896 |publisher=Marquis Who's Who |location=Chicago |year=1963}}</ref>
* [[Lewis Black]], comedian
* [[David Brinkley]], newscaster
* [[Fred Brooks]], computer science pioneer
* [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]], basketball coach
* [[Cam Cameron]], football coach
* [[William Carter Love]], [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] from North Carolina
* [[Spencer Chamberlain]], musician
* [[Elizabeth Cotten]], blues singer who grew up in Carrboro
* [[Floyd Council]], blues singer, the "Floyd" in Pink Floyd
* [[Butch Davis]], football coach
* [[Sarah Dessen]], author
* [[Elizabeth Edwards]], an attorney and activist for liberal causes, Chapel Hill
* [[John Edwards]], former North Carolina Senator, 2008 Presidential candidate, Chapel Hill
* [[Sam Ervin]], former North Carolina senator, chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee
* [[Lawrence Ferlinghetti]], beat poet, co-founder of City Lights Booksellers
* [[Ben Folds]], musician
* [[Paul Green (playwright)|Paul Green]], playwright
* [[Andy Griffith]], actor
* [[Mia Hamm]], soccer player
* [[Harpe Brothers]], Micajah and Wiley, America's first [[serial killers]]
* [[Bunn Hearn|Bunny Hearn]], major league baseball pitcher
* [[Jack Hogan]], actor, noted for his role as Private William Kirby on [[Combat!]] television series, 1962–1967
* [[Laurel Holloman]], actress
* [[Herman Husband]], a leader of the North Carolina [[Regulator Movement]]
* [[Marion Jones]], former [[track and field]] athlete
* [[Michael Jordan]], basketball player
* [[Elizabeth Keckley]], former slave and servant of [[Mary Todd Lincoln]]
* [[Charles Kuralt]], longtime journalist with [[CBS]]
* [[Jim Lampley]], sportscaster
* [[Howard Nathaniel Lee|Howard Lee]], pioneering politician
* [[Doug Marlette]], cartoonist and writer
* [[Alexander Mebane|Alexander Mebane Jr.]] (1744–1795), Revolutionary War militia general and U. S. Congressman
* [[Benjamin Merrill]], leader in the [[Regulator movement]] and at the [[Battle of Alamance]]
* [[Elisha Mitchell]], geologist
* [[Archibald Murphey]], North Carolina politician
* [[Beverly Perdue]], 73rd Governor of North Carolina
* [[Nick Perumov]], author
* [[Mary Pope Osborne]], author
* [[Frank Porter Graham]], [[United States senator]] and president of the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]]
* [[David Price (American politician)|David Price]], U.S. congressman
* [[Connie Ray]], actress and playwright
* [[David Rees (cartoonist)|David Rees]], satirist
* [[Dexter Romweber]], rockabilly roots-rocker
* [[Terry Sanford]], [[United States senator]] and [[governor of North Carolina]]
* [[Stuart Scott]], sportscaster
* [[Dean Smith]], former basketball coach
* [[Lee Smith (author)|Lee Smith]], author, lives in Hillsborough
* [[Oliver Smithies]], 2007 recipient of the [[Nobel Prize]]
* [[Silda Wall Spitzer]], wife of former New York governor [[Eliot Spitzer]]
* [[Chris Stamey]], musician
* [[James Taylor]], popular musician
* [[Lawrence Taylor]], football player
* [[Manly Wade Wellman]], novelist
* [[Daniel Wallace (author)|Daniel Wallace]], author, lives in Carrboro
* [[Kent Williams (artist)|Kent Williams]], painter, illustrator and comics artist
* [[Roy Williams (coach)|Roy Williams]], basketball coach
* [[Thomas Wolfe]], novelist
* [[James Worthy]], basketball player

==See also==
* [[List of commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Orange County, North Carolina]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.orangecountync.gov/ Official website]
* [http://www.chalt.org Chapel Hill Alliance for a LIvable Town]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130323055239/http://ncgenweb.us/nc/orange/ NCGenWeb Orange County] – free genealogy resources for the county
* [http://citizenwill.org/ CitizenWill.org] Hyper-local single-author blog concentrating on Chapel Hill,Carrboro,Orange County
* [http://chapelhillwatch.com/ ChapelHillWatch.com] Multi-author blog created by former Chapel Hill News reporters
* [http://orangepolitics.org/ OrangePolitics.org] Multi-author blog about progressive politics in Orange County
* [http://squeezethepulp.com/ Squeeze the Pulp] Internet forum on politics, news, and community in Orange County
* [http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~orangecountync Orange County historic information cache]

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Orange County, North Carolina
|North     =
|Northeast = [[Person County, North Carolina|Person County]]
|East      = [[Durham County, North Carolina|Durham County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Chatham County, North Carolina|Chatham County]]
|Southwest =
|West      = [[Alamance County, North Carolina|Alamance County]]
|Northwest = [[Caswell County, North Carolina|Caswell County]]
}}

{{Orange County, North Carolina}}
{{Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area}}
{{North Carolina}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|36.06|-79.12|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-NC_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Orange County, North Carolina| ]]
[[Category:1752 establishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1752]]