While our website is not intended to be only for people in Raleigh, Wake County, or any of the surrounding areas, we are based out of Raleigh and from time to time will discuss a little bit about the area.
Wake County is located in the Piedmont area of North Carolina and is where the Capital, Raleigh, is located. For those not familiar with North Carolina, it is basically divided into 3 different sections, the coast, Piedmont, and mountains. This is one of the great things about North Carolina, as it is possible to see a vastly changing terrain, without ever leaving the state.
There are close to a million people currently living in Wake County, with the census of 2010 reporting just over 900,000 people. It is second to only Mecklenburg County in terms of population, which is where Charlotte is located. There are actually a number of cities that make up Wake county, including Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Garner, and Knightdale. However, Raleigh and Cary are probably the most populated.
Wake County has long been a source of innovation and growth, with Cary often being rated one of the best places to live in the Country, as well as the area being the ninth fastest growing county. Wake County falls in the Research Triangle, which is a term used to describe the area between Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Durham, where a great deal of innovation and industry is preformed.
Of course, as is the case with most areas, the oldest recorded settlers in Wake County were Native Americans, specifically those from the Tuscara Tribe, however the county itself was officially created in 1771, taking parts of the surrounding Cumberland, Orange, and Johnston counties to form what is now Wake County. Named after Margaret Wake, who was the wife of Governor William Tryon, Wake Country has a rich history that dates back to before the American War for Independence.
After the Revolutionary War and Until 1793, the state capital changed several times, with congress men meeting in several different areas. Fayetteville was the state capital for four years, starting in 1789, however in 1792 it was decided that a new capital should be chosen.
Raleigh, the current state capital, was first created in 1792 and made the capital the following year, in 1793. It is named after the English Writer and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, who had been involved with the initial colonization of North Carolina in 1584.
Today, Raleigh is a rich source of entertainment, industry, and culture, offering a number of areas where a person can explore the deep history of the state. It is also quite convenient to many other areas, like Harnett Country, Johnston County, and Chapel Hill.