Morrisville, North Carolina

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Morrisville is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 5,208 at the 2000 census. A Special Census was conducted by the United States Census Bureau in March 2004, when the population was enumerated at 11,915. The 2005 estimate has the population standing at 12,192.

[edit] Geography

Morrisville is located at 35°49′39″N, 78°49′44″W (35.827493, -78.828930)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.5 km²).Lake Crabtree County Park is located in Morrisville. Portions of 520 acre (2.1 km²) Lake Crabtree are within the town's border.

[edit] History

The area was originally settled in 1840. An historical marker in downtown Morrisville marks the skirmish that occurred here during the closing days of the Civil War. It was the last cavalry battle of the Civil War. As the Confederates were attempting to transport their remaining supplies and wounded to the west, Sherman's cavalry forced the Confederates to leave the train behind and retreat towards Durham and the eventual surrender of the largest Confederate force of the war. The town was officially chartered in 1875 and named for Jerry Morris who owned the town site. The town charter was repealed in 1933, though the town was reincorporated in 1947.

[edit] Demographics

Morrisville, like much of Wake County, has experienced tremendous growth in the last few decades. In 1980, the population was only 251. The town grew to 1,489 by the 1990 Census, and 5,208 by the 2000 Census. Because of the rapid growth, a Special Census was conducted in March 2004, which counted 11,915 residents.

As of the most recent full census^GR2 in 2000, there were 5,208 people, 2,476 households, and 1,297 families residing in the town. The population density was 769.0 people per square mile (297.0/km²). There were 3,210 housing units at an average density of 474.0/sq mi (183.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 76.46% White, 11.00% African American, 0.44% Native American, 9.06% Asian, 1.17% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population. The town has the highest percentage of Asian Americans in North Carolina.

There were 2,476 households out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 50.0% from 25 to 44, 14.2% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 106.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,548, and the median income for a family was $64,625. Males had a median income of $46,750 versus $34,528 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,243. About 3.4% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

Students in grades K-5 attend Morrisville Elementary School (a year-round school) or Cedar Fork Elementary School, which operates on a traditional calendar. Middle school students are sent to primarily two middle schools, Davis Drive Middle School and West Cary Middle School. They both run on traditional schedules, and may opt for year-round calendar in the future. Students in Grades 9-12 are subject to complex districting, and may attend Green Hope High School, or the newly opened Panther Creek High School, as well as Cary and Apex high schools. Wake County high schools are not operated on a year-round schedule.

Morrisville is also home to two for-profit schools including DeVry University, the University of Phoenix. Two accredited colleges have campuses in Morrisville including Campbell University and North Carolina Wesleyan College.

[edit] Industry

Morrisville's location adjacent to Research Triangle Park (RTP), Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), and I-40 makes it a good location for offices, light industry, hotels, and shops. In fact, land use restrictions within RTP (discouraging uses other than large corporate campuses) create considerable demand for offices and shops immediately outside RTP, in locations like Morrisville. Much of Morrisville lies underneath RDU flight paths as well, making the land unsuitable for residential development. Lenovo has its U.S headquarters here, and many small companies, including Lulu.com and Tekelec, have their headquarters in Morrisville. Morrisville is also home to an interesting Taco Bell/KFC restaurant. This location contains a table with a large hot air baloon suspended above it. Many locals refer to this table as the "balloon seat" and generally avoid it. Some patrons though do enjoy sitting at the table due to its large surface area and festive decor.

[edit] Transportation

• Air: Raleigh-Durham International Airport
• Rail: Amtrak, Cary station
• Ground: Interstate 40, Interstate 540, NC-54, NC-55

[edit] External links

• Official website of Morrisville, NC
• Morrisville Chamber of Commerce

• Morrisville, North Carolina is at coordinates 35°49′39″N 78°49′44″W / 35.827493, -78.82893Coordinates: 35°49′39″N 78°49′44″W / 35.827493, -78.82893

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