Fayetteville Facts

City Stats

  • The population of the Fayetteville area, which includes Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, is just over 300,000. Fayetteville, with over 202,000 residents, is Cumberland County's county seat and its largest municipality.
  • Fayetteville is the 6th largest city and the 5th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina. It is among the fastest-growing areas in the state. 
  • Other municipalities in Cumberland County are Falcon, Godwin, Hope Mills, Linden, Spring Lake, Stedman and Wade. 
  • About 50,000 military personnel are stationed at Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. In addition to active-duty personnel, the military employees approximately 10,000 civilians.

Economy

  • The area's largest employers are: Fort Bragg; Cumberland County Schools; Kelly Springfield Tire Co., Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Cumberland County Government, Black & Decker; City of Fayetteville; Purolator; and Fayetteville Technical Community College.
  • Two military installations are the backbone of the county's economy. Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base pump about $4.5 billion a year into the region's economy, making it one of the best retail markets in the country.
  • Fayetteville serves as the region's hub for shops, restaurants, services, lodging, health care and entertainment.
  • Fayetteville boasts a low unemployment rate of 4.5 percent with a large labor pool of trained professionals.

Visitor-Friendly

  • Fayetteville has a Visitors Center open six days a week, including a drive-through window (on Saturday, just the drive-through window is open). It offers a comprehensive selection of brochures on the area and across the state.
  • Cumberland County has about 60 hotels with over 5,000 rooms.
  • The recently-opened Crown Coliseum which seats 13,500 is the centerpiece for entertainment, sporting events, theater productions and special events.
  • The military presence enhances the community's offerings, from museums and theaters, dining and shopping, recreation and entertainment.
  • Fayetteville is undergoing a downtown revitalization to recreate the heart of the city. Efforts are underway to transform downtown into a showplace for arts, culture, shopping, dining and commerce.
  • More than 20 golf courses are within an hour's drive of Fayetteville.

Local Information

Cumberland County/Fayetteville General Information:

County seat:
Fayetteville. Fayetteville is the sixth largest city in NC and its fourth largest metropolitan area.
Origin of county name:
Named for William Augustus (1721-1765), the Duke of Cumberland
County size:
652.4 Square Miles
County population:
(Projection) 2000: 300,281
1990 Census: 274,566
1980 Census: 247,160
1899 Population: Under 30,000
Rank of county by pop.:
4
County median age:
28.49 Years
County racial breakdown:
62% white; 32% black, 2% Indian, 4% other
County per capita income:
(1996 estimate) $19,556
Municipal populations:
(1997 Estimate) Falcon: 369; Fayetteville: 113,406; Godwin: 73; Hope Mills: 10,523; Linden: 170; Spring Lake: 8,579; Stedman: 668; Wade: 457.
Largest employer:
Government (includes military) followed closely by retail and wholesale trade. The Kelly-Springfield Tire Co. which employs about 3,500 is the largest private employer. Other large employers include Black & Decker, which makes power tools; Purolator, which produces automotive filters; and Wal-Mart, which has a distribution center, a super center and two other retail merchandise stores in the county.


Fayetteville has more than 1,500 retail shops, more than 400 restaurants, and more than 600 banks, real estate agencies and insurance agencies. For more information on employment in Cumberland County, contact the Employment Security Commission at 910-486-1010.

NC Information

General information on the state of North Carolina is provided below. For more specific information we suggest you contact the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction at 1-800-663-1250 and request a copy of the Student Sampler. There is a fee for this publication. You may also want to contact the North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development:

North Carolina Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development
Department of Commerce
301 North Wilmington Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-2825
(919) 733-4171 or 1-800-VISIT NC
Fax: 919-715-3097
Web site: http://www.visitnc.com

Population:
7.1 million - 11th largest in the country
Size:
52,669 square miles - 28th in the country
Capital:
Raleigh (established 1792)
Origin of Name:
From the Latin, "Carolus", in honor of
King Charles I of England
Nickname:
Tar Heel State
Motto:
"To Be, Rather Than to Seem"
Song:
"The Old North State"
Flower:
Dogwood
Tree:
Longleaf Pine
Bird:
Cardinal
Shell:
Scotch Bonnet
Fish:
Channel Bass
Insect:
Honey Bee
Reptile:
Box Turtle
Mammal:
Gray Squirrel
Dog:
Plott Hound
Stone:
Emerald
Rock:
Granite
Beverage:
Milk
Vegetable:
Sweet Potato
State Flag:
North Carolina's official flag, adopted in 1885, contains two broad stripes, red over white, and a blue field containing the initials NC separated by a star.

Sales Tax:

North Carolina state sales tax is 6%; groceries and prescription drugs are exempt.

Famous North Carolinians:

Presidents:
Andrew Jackson, James Polk, Andrew Johnson
Religion:
Dr. Billy Graham
Literature:
Doris Betts, O. Henry, Thomas Wolfe
News Media:
Charles Kuralt, David Brinkley, Edward R. Murrow
Astronauts:
Mike Smith (Space Shuttle Challenger), Dr. William Thornton
Entertainers:
Roberta Flack, Ava Gardner, Andy Griffith, Ronnie Milsap, James Taylor, Randy Travis
Basketball:
Michael Jordan, Phil Ford, Meadowlark Lemon, Pistol Pete Maravich, Dominique Wilkins, James Worthy
Football:
Kelvin Bryant, Roman Gabriel, Sonny Jurgensen
Baseball:
Catfish Hunter, Gaylord Perry, Jim Perry
NASCAR:
Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson, Richard Petty, Lee Petty, Kyle Petty
Movies Filmed in North Carolina:

North Carolina is one of the top U.S. film making states, taking in almost $325 million each year in movie, TV and commercial revenues. The state hosts at least 40 major productions each year, including the popular Dawson's Creek television series. North Carolina has more production studios (7) and more soundstages (27) than any state in the nation outside of California.

Several box office hits have been filmed in North Carolina including Patch Adams, Dirty Dancing, and both Teenage Mutant Turtles I and II. Seventy of the state's 100 counties have hosted feature film shoots during the past 20 years. Film making creates almost 25,000 jobs for North Carolinians.

Other movies filmed in North Carolina include: Blue Velvet, Billy Bathgate, Bull Durham, The Butcher's Wife, The Color Purple, Crimes of the Heart, Days of Thunder, Dirty Dancing, Elmo in Grouchland, Forrest Gump, The Fugitive, The Hunt for Red October, The Last of the Mohicans, Muppets in Space, Nell, Patch Adams, Sleeping with the Enemy, and Weekend at Bernie's.

NC Laws To Remember

  • State law requires drivers to turn on headlights whenever windshield wipers are used during inclement weather.
  • North Carolina requires seat belts for front-seat passengers; however, back-seat passengers over age 12 are exempt. Failure to wear required seat belts will result in a $25 fine.
  • Citywide speed limits are 35 mph unless otherwise posted. School zone and residential area speed limits are 25 mph. The statewide speed limit is 55 mph unless otherwise posted on certain sections of interstate highways.
  • Motor carriers operating vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds must register their vehicles with the Motor Fuels Tax Division (919-733-3409) and receive a fuel registration card and vehicle ID marker. Carriers also may register in the state where their vehicle is licensed.
  • The legal age for purchasing and consuming liquor, beer, and wine in North Carolina is 21. Spirituous liquor and some fortified wines are sold in ABC stores, but beer and wine may be purchased in licensed retail, convenience, and grocery stores.
  • Alcoholic beverages may be served from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., Mon.-Sat.; and noon to 2 a.m. on Sundays.
  • The North Carolina Safe Roads Act forbids a driver to consume an alcoholic beverage while driving or to have an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area.
  • Right turn on red after making a complete stop is allowed except where specified.