Orange County Information

Print Area Information

• Area Info
• State & Local Tax
• Drivers License & Auto Tags
• University & Colleges
• Commuting

Area Information

Population data according to the 2000 Census:
Orange County
Chapel Hill: 48,715
Carrboro: 16,782
Hillsborough: 5,446

Chatham County:
Pittsboro: 2,226

Alamance County:
Mebane: 7,284
Saxapahaw: 1,418

Yes, there was a New Hope Chapel, and it stood on a hill in southern Orange County in the late 18th century when land near the church was donated for a state university. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill was chartered in 1789, began construction with the Old East building in 1793 and opened its doors in 1795, the first state university in the nation to do so. The university and the city have been intertwined as one ever since. Just mention Chapel Hill and nine times out of 10, your listener will assume you're talking about the university.

Indeed, for the six decades after Old East opened, there was only the university; the town was not incorporated until 1851, and it took the 1,000 or so residents until 1879 to elect their first mayor. Like any college town worth its beer, Chapel Hill has earned a reputation as a city of lively ideas, tolerance in living styles, a cultural atmosphere and a shortage of parking spaces. The heart of the city is Franklin Street which separates the campus form the city's oldest mercantile, and entertainment district. Pedestrians rule, and the town's planners have battled long and hard with developers to keep the village ambience intact. The dividing line between Carrboro and Chapel Hill is blurry. The towns are so close that it they share most services including an excellent school system.

From elegant Revolutionary War estates to romantic antebellum gardens, the town of Hillsborough is a charming place to live. Once host to North Carolina's Constitutional Convention of 1788, the town now houses several quaint quaint bed and breakfasts, and old-fashioned soda fountain and the Triangle SportsPlex, with ice skating and swimming facilities.

Further west in Alamance County is the city of Mebane. Mebane is a popular relocation city because it is convenient to both the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) and the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point) via I-40. Mebane was incorporated in 1881 as the town of Mebanesville. The name was officially changed to Mebane in 1883. The charter was amended to the City of Mebane in February of 1987.

Another excellent location for Triangle/Triad commuters is Chatham County. The county is home to classic North Carolina small towns. The Fearrington House, the only AAA Five-Diamond award winner in North Carolina is located in Pittsboro.

Utilities & Public Works Departments

Carrboro (Orange County)
Cable TV: Time Warner 919-732-9878
Electricity: Duke Power Company 919-967-8231
Progress Energy 919-508-5400
Garbage: 919-968-7716
Natural Gas: PSNC Energy 1-877-776-2427
Telephone: BellSouth Residential 1-888-757-6500
Water & Sewer: 919-968-4421

Chapel Hill (Orange County)
Cable TV: Time Warner 919-732-9878
Electricity: Duke Power Company 919-967-8231
Progress Energy 919-508-5400
Garbage: 919-968-2796
Natural Gas: PSNC Energy 1-877-776-2427
Telephone: BellSouth Residential 1-888-757-6500
Water & Sewer: 919-968-4421

Hillsborough (Orange County)
Cable TV: Time Warner 919-732-9878
Electricity: Duke Power Company 919-967-8231
Solid Waste: Republic Waste 919-732-9661
Natural Gas: PSNC Energy 1-877-776-2427
Telephone: Sprint/Centel 919-732-2131
Water & Sewer: Town of Hillsborough 919-732-2104

Mebane (Alamance County)
Electricity: Duke Power Company 919-508-5400
Water/Sewer: Mebane 919-563-5901
Natural Gas: PSNC Energy 1-877-776-2427
Telephone: Mebtel Communications 919-563-9111
Garbage: Mebane 919-563-3401 Voter Registration
North Carolina Law require you to keep your voter registration information current.
Alamance County Board of Elections 336-570-6755
Orange County Board of Elections 919-245-2350
Chatham County Board of Elections 919-542-8206
Public Schools
Alamance-Burlington School System 336-570-6060
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools 919-967-8211
Chatham County Schools 919-542-3626
Orange County Schools 919-732-6271

State & Local Tax

For more information on property taxes call Wake County, 919-856-5400

City (County)	County Rate	City/Town Rate	Combined Rate	Monthly Amount Per $100K Valuation
Burlington (Alamance)	.51	.555	1.065	$89
Carrboro (Orange)	.845	.685	1.53	$128
Chapel Hill (Orange)	.845	.553	1.398	$118
Hillsborough (Orange)	.845	.62	1.465	$122
Mebane (Alamance)	.51	.49	1.000	$83
Pittsboro (Chatham)	.6464	.4300	1.0764	$90
Alamance County Only	.51	--	.51	$43
Chatham County Only	.6464	--	.6464	$54
Orange County Only	.845	--	.845	$70

Drivers License & Auto Tags

New North Carolina residents have 60 days to register their cars and to acquire North Carolina's driver's license. Please note that driver's license offices and car registration facilities are in separate locations. Call the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles at 919-715-7000 to find the ones nearest you. In addition, they also maintain a very informative website where you can search for office locations and download the "Drivers Handbook." www.dmv.dot.state.nc.us

University & Colleges

Central Carolina Community College - (Pittsboro) Pittsboro Campus (Chatham County) is home to numerous curriculum programs.

Duke University - (Durham) University and Medical Center with international academic and research prominence. Established 1924.

Durham Technical Community College - (Durham) Postsecondary education for vocational and technical careers. Established 1948.

Johnston Community College - (Smithfield) Near intersection of I-95 and US70 Business. Established 1969.

Meredith College - (Raleigh) The largest, private four-year women's college in the southeast. Established in 1899.

North Carolina Central University - (Durham) Nation's first public liberal arts institution founded for African Americans. Established in 1910.

North Carolina State University - (Raleigh) National leader in science, engineering and technology education and research. Established in 1887.

Peace College - (Raleigh) Accredited, four-year, baccalaureate women's college. Established 1857.

Saint Augustine's College - (Raleigh) Private, accredited, historically black, coeducational college. Established in 1865.

Shaw University - (Raleigh) The oldest historically black university in the south. Established in1865.

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary - (Wake Forest) Theological training, graduate and post-graduate degree programs. Established 1951.

University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill - (Chapel Hill) The first state university in the US. Known for academics and research. Established 1789.

Wake Technical Community College - (Raleigh) Credit programs leading to associates degrees and certificates. Established 1958.

Commuting

The Triangle is a big place, and we have an honest-to-goodness, stop and roll rush hour. Keep that in mind when you are choosing a home. For easy reference, remember:

It's about 25 minutes driving time between Raleigh and Durham (via I-40 and the Durham Expressway).
It's about 35 minutes from Raleigh to Chapel Hill (via I-40 and NC Highway 54).
It's about 12 minutes from Durham to Chapel Hill (via US15-501).

Definitely add time to these estimates if you're driving during rush hours (7:30-9:00am and 4:00-6:00pm).