Cary, NC

In the last 30 years, Cary has gone from a very small town with one main street to a thriving community that has grown exponentially since the development of Research Triangle Park began in the late 1960's.  There are some historic areas, but the vast majority of the Cary area is new and sparkling.    The town has gone from being a bedroom community for Research Triangle Park and Raleigh, to a vibrant community itself. 
 

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In the last 30 years, Cary has gone from a very small town with one main street to a thriving community that has grown exponentially since the development of Research Triangle Park began in the late 1960's.  There are some historic areas, but the vast majority of the Cary area is new and sparkling.  The population doubled  in the 1970's to over 21,000; doubled again in the 1980's and again in the 1990's.   The town has gone from being a bedroom community for Research Triangle Park and Raleigh, to a vibrant community itself.  Cary's current population is just above 100,000 citizens.

Cary was rated the 5th Best Place to Live by Money Magazine.  

The town was actually founded in 1854 by Catherine "Kate" Raboteau who bought approximately 300 acres of land. Cary was named after Samuel Fenton Cary, a leader of the prohibition movement from Ohio.  Two railroads crossing in Cary were also a boon to the area.  The historic train station is now a museum and art center in central Cary.

Page and his wife, Catherine "Kate" Raboteau Page bought 300 acres here in 1854. He named his development after Samuel Fenton Cary, a prohibition leader from Ohio. Cary was incorporated in 1871, several years after the Seaboard and North Carolina railroads formed a junction in Cary.  It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In recent years Cary instituted measures to more closely manage growth and has initiated an open-space conservation program.  Cary has also become a leader in water conservation, starting a first-in-the-state program to conserve drinking water by reclaiming highly treated waste water for irrigation of lawns at homes and at businesses.

Cary is now a sprawling town, which is 10 minutes from Research Triangle Park and Raleigh-Durham International Airport.  It is 25 minutes from downtown Durham and 15 minutes to downtown Raleigh.  Cary is approximately 3 hours from North Carolina beaches and 4 hours to the mountains.  
 

Cary Arts and Entertainment

Cary is home to four performing arts venues including:

• The Jordan Hall Arts Center
• The Page-Walker Arts and History Center
• The Koka Booth Amphitheatre, and
• The Sertoma Amphitheatre in Bond Park

Cary residents can also take advantage of the new Durham Performing Arts Center or the Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh.  Both of these theatres have major Broadway and concert activities.

The Durham Bulls baseball stadium is only 20 minutes from Cary, plus Duke, The University of North Carolina and N.C. State University all offer citizens of Cary top NCAA Division I sports programs.

Biking and jogging trails are abundant in Cary.
 

Major Employers in the Cary Area

• AT&T
• Capital Broadcasting Companies
• Cree Research, Inc.
• GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals
• National Institutes of Environmental Sciences
• Nortel
• Research Triangle Institute
• SAS Institute (home-grown in Cary, recognized as a top national employer)