Apex () is a town in Wake County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, United States. At its southern border, Apex encompasses the community of

Friendship Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept of ...

. In 1994, the downtown area was designated a historic district, and the Apex train depot, built in 1867, is designated a Wake County landmark. The depot location marks the highest point on the old Chatham Railroad, hence the town's name. The town motto is "The Peak of Good Living". In the precolonial era, the town's area was inhabited by the Tuscarora tribe of Native Americans. In the late 19th century, a small community developed around the railroad station. The forests were cleared for farmland, much of which was dedicated to

tobacco farming The cultivation of tobacco usually takes place annually. The tobacco is germinated in cold frames or hotbeds and then transplanted to the field until it matures. It is grown in warm climates with rich, well-drained soil. About ''4.2 million'' hec ...

. Since Apex was near the state capital, it became a trading center. The railroad shipped products such as lumber, tar, and tobacco. The town was officially incorporated in 1873. By 1900 the town had a population of 349. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,780. The population boom occurred primarily in the late 1990s. The Research Triangle Park, established in the 1960s, created strong demand for technology workers. This also drove population growth. Apex is currently the eighteenth largest municipality in North Carolina.

Geography

The town is a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separ ...

of both Raleigh and RTP. It is situated to the southwest of Raleigh with direct highway access via US 1. Apex is south of RTP with direct highway access via NC 540. Apex crests the watersheds of both the Neuse and Cape Fear rivers. Neighboring towns include Cary to the north and northeast, Holly Springs to the south, and Raleigh to the east and northeast.

History

The town of Apex was incorporated in 1873. According to the North Carolina History Project, the town was named for its location as the highest point on a portion of the Chatham Railroad which ultimately extends between

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, and

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which th ...

. According to a 1905 USGS publication on place names, the name refers to the highest point between

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

and the Deep River. Apex grew slowly through the succeeding decades, despite several devastating fires, including a 12 June 1911 conflagration that destroyed most of the downtown business district. The town center was rebuilt and stands to this day, now one of the most intact railroad towns in the state. At the heart of town stands the Apex Union Depot, originally a passenger station for the

Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, t ...

and later home to the locally supported Apex Community Library. The depot now houses the Apex Chamber of Commerce. Apex suffered mild setbacks during the Depression-era, but growth began again in earnest in the 1950s. The town's proximity to North Carolina's

Research Triangle Park Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the largest research park in the United States, occupying in North Carolina and hosting more than 300 companies and 65,000 workers. The facility is named for its location relative to the three surrounding cities ...

spurred additional residential development, yet the town managed to preserve its small-town character. During the 1990s, the town's population quadrupled to over 20,000, placing new demands upon Apex's infrastructure. Apex has continued to grow in recent years. A sizable shopping center was built at the intersection of Highway 55 and US 64, and several new neighborhoods have been built as the town grows toward the west. In October 2006, a chemical explosion and fire in a waste processing facility prompted one of the largest evacuations in U.S. history. There were few serious injuries, and residents were soon able to return home. In 2009, a federal court approved a $7.85M settlement to compensate Apex residents affected by the disaster. Each household received $750. Businesses received $2,200. In addition to the Apex Union Depot, the Apex City Hall,

Apex Historic District The Apex Historic District is the historic commercial and residential center of Apex, North Carolina, a satellite town of the state capital Raleigh. The district revolves around Salem Street, the main thoroughfare in downtown Apex. In 2007, CNNM ...

, Calvin Wray Lawrence House, and Utley-Council House are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Government

Apex's Council-Manager form of government has a mayor and five council members (one of whom serves as Mayor pro tem) who are each elected at-large in staggered four-year terms. The town's attorney and manager serve at the pleasure of the council. All the other staff report to the town manager and manage the town's day-to-day business. The town is led by Mayor Jacques K. Gilbert, elected in 2019. The council members, in order of tenure, are: Brett D. Gantt (2017), Audra M. Killingsworth (2017), Terry J. Mahaffey (2019), Cheryl F. Stallings (2019), and Ed Gray (2021). In the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, ...

, Apex is represented by Julie von Haefen (District 36), Erin Paré (District 37), and

Gale Adcock Gale Adcock (born January 25, 1954) is a family nurse practitioner and American politician who has served in the North Carolina Senate representing the 16th district (including constituents in Wake County) since 2023. Adcock previously served i ...

(District 41). In the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...

, Apex is represented by Sydney Batch (District 17). In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Apex is represented by Deborah Ross (

NC-02 North Carolina's 2nd congressional district is located in the central part of the state. The district contains most of Wake County. Prior to court-mandated redistricting in 2019, it also included northern Johnston County, southern Nash County ...

) and David Price ( NC-04).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, 58,780 people, 18,197 households, and 14,027 families reside in the town.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 37,476 people, 13,225 households, and 9,959 families in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 2,437.9 people per square mile. There were 13,922 housing units at an average density of 905.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 69%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 12% Asian, 3% from other races, and 9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 8% of the population. There were 18,197 total households in Apex in 2019. Of these, 14,027 (77%) were family households, of which 46% had children under 18 living with them. 63% of the family households were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, and 11% had a female householder with no husband. There were 4,170 nonfamily households in Apex, comprising 23% of total households. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 2.81. In 2019 the Census Bureau estimated the town population's ages as 31% under the age of 20, 15% from 20 to 34, 36% from 35 to 54, and 14% from 55 to 74, and 3% of age 75 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96 males. The median income (in 2019 dollars) for a household in the town was $111,435. (2019 estimate). The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $51,370. About 1.5% are below the

poverty threshold The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

(2019 estimate).

Economy

Top employers

According to the 2020 Comprehensive Financial Report for Apex, these were the town's top employers:

Schools

Apex's public schools are operated by the Wake County Public School System. There are over 4,000 students enrolled in two public high schools in Apex: *

Apex Friendship High School Apex Friendship High School, often referred to as AFHS, is a public high school located in the southwestern corner of Apex, North Carolina near the small community of Friendship, North Carolina. The school was founded in 2015 and is part of the ...

Apex High School Apex High School is a public high school in Apex, North Carolina, United States, and is part of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS). It is on a 4x4 block scheduling system. History Apex High School was selected by WCPSS to receive ...

Public middle schools include: *Apex Friendship Middle School *Apex Middle School *Lufkin Road Middle School *Salem Middle School Public elementary schools include: *Apex Elementary School *Apex Friendship Elementary School *Baucom Elementary School *Laurel Park Elementary School *Olive Chapel Elementary School *Salem Elementary School *Scotts Ridge Elementary School Private schools: *Peace Montessori School *St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School *Thales Academy of Apex Charter schools: *Peak Charter Academy

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads

*, , and are the major roads through Apex. *The Triangle Expressway southwestern section () is a toll road connecting to . This is a partially completed loop road around the greater Raleigh area. *The Apex Peakway is a

loop road A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop, bypass or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city, or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist i ...

orbiting downtown Apex. The Peakway was conceived as a means to relieve traffic in the downtown area and provide a bypass for commuters traveling from one side of the town to the other. It is currently the only "peakway" in North Carolina, taking its name from Apex's town motto: "The ''Peak'' of Good Living." When finished, the Apex Peakway will be long; so far have been constructed.

Transit

* Air: is on approximately 12 miles north of downtown Apex. is to the south on , 22 miles from downtown. * Rail:Apex is not served directly by passenger trains.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

serves the nearby municipalities of Cary and Raleigh.

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of trac ...

manages a freight train switch yard in the center of Apex. * Bus: The

Triangle Transit Authority The Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority, known as GoTriangle (previously Triangle Transit and Triangle Transit Authority or TTA), provides regional bus service to the Research Triangle region of North Carolina in Wake, Durha ...

branded as

GoTriangle The Research Triangle Regional Public Transportation Authority, known as GoTriangle (previously Triangle Transit and Triangle Transit Authority or TTA), provides regional bus service to the Research Triangle region of North Carolina in Wake, Durha ...

operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

, and

Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada *Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbou ...

Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Since the rise in large-scale adoption of retired racing Greyhounds, the breed has seen a resurgenc ...

has terminals in Raleigh and Durham. In 2022,

launched its first Apex branded bus service, GoApex.

GoCary GoCary is the public transportation provider in Cary, a community in the Research Triangle urbanized area in North Carolina. While the city of Raleigh provides service to most of the county via GoRaleigh, Cary opted to retain its own town-owned ...

also operates an express route that connects the two communities.

Bicycle

U.S. Bicycle Route 1 U.S. Bicycle Route 1 (often called U.S. Bike Route 1, abbreviated USBR 1) is a cross-country bicycle route that will run the length of the United States eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. It is one of the two original U.S. Bicycle Rout ...

routes through downtown Apex. * US Bike 5 (M1-8)

North Carolina Bicycle Route 5 The following is a List of bicycle routes in North Carolina. These routes are designated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Division. State U.S. Bicycle Route 1 The North Carolina por ...

connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the NCBC Randonneurs 600 kilometer brevet route. *There are numerous greenway trails including the Beaver Creek Trail and the

American Tobacco Trail The American Tobacco Trail (ATT) is a long Rails-to-Trails project located in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina, running along an abandoned railroad bed originally built for the American Tobacco Company in the 1970s. The route cros ...

popular with cyclists.

Utilities

Apex Utilities provides water/sewer, electricity, garbage, recycling, and yard waste pickup. Natural Gas is provided by PSNC.

Health care

Emergency, primary, and specialist care is provided at the WakeMed Apex Healthplex.

Fire

Fire protection is provided by the Apex Fire Department operating from five stations with a sixth under construction.

Police

Police service is provided by the Apex Police Department.

Parks and recreation

The Apex Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources department manages many parks, greenways, and sport programs, and even a skate park near downtown. Major parks include: * Apex Community Park * Apex Jaycee Park * Hunter Street Park & Trackside Skate Plaza * Kelly Road Park *

Nature Park A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected natural area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscape ...

& Seymour Athletic Fields * Salem Pond Park *Pleasant Park, which is in development and for which land has already been bought, is scheduled to open in Fall of 2022. There are both youth and adult sport programs: There are both youth and adult sport programs: * Baseball * Basketball * Lacrosse * Soccer * Softball * Tennis * Volleyball

Arts and culture

*Apex PeakFest is the community's annual festival held on the first Saturday in May. The downtown area is closed off and over 200 vendors provide food, arts & crafts, rides, and other entertainment. *The Halle Cultural Arts Center provides a theater, classroom, and gallery spaces. It was built as the Town Hall in 1912.

Notable people

* Wes Durham, sportscaster *

Tim Federowicz Timothy Joseph Federowicz (born August 5, 1987) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, and ...

, MLB player * Seth Frankoff, MLB player * Randi Griffin,

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

player who competed in the

2018 Winter Olympics , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , wint ...

as part of the Unified Korea women's national team * Susan Higginbotham, American

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other t ...

author and attorney * C. J. Hunter, 1999 World Champion

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's c ...

ter and later

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

Justin Jedlica Justin Jedlica (born August 11, 1980), known as the "Human Ken Doll", is an American man who has garnered international attention for undergoing many cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic procedures At the age of seventeen, Jedlica began to research hi ...

, known as the Human

Ken Doll Kenneth Sean Carson is a fashion doll and fictional character invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by American toy company Mattel in 1961 as the counterpart of Barbie, who was introduced two years earlier. Ken was named after Kenneth Hand ...

* Brendan Lambe, USL player for Atlanta United 2 *

Matt Mangini Matthew Steven Mangini (born December 21, 1985) is an American former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Seattle Mariners in 2010. College career Mangini played college baseball for both the NC State Wolfpack and Oklahoma State C ...

, former MLB player for the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

Sio Moore Snorsio Alston "Sio" Moore (born May 2, 1990) is a Liberian former American football linebacker. He played college football at Connecticut. Moore was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He also played for t ...

, former NFL player for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Ra ...

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...

, and

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play th ...

* Landon Powell, former MLB player for the

Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The t ...

* Julia Montgomery Street, American poet, playwright and author * William Wynn, NFL defensive endWill Wynn Stats
''Pro-Football-Reference''. Retrieved July 15, 2020.

References

External links

Official town of Apex website

Apex Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Towns in North Carolina Towns in Wake County, North Carolina Populated places established in 1873 1873 establishments in North Carolina

Geography

History

Government

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

Economy

Top employers

Schools

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads

Transit

Bicycle

Utilities

Health care

Fire

Police

Parks and recreation

Arts and culture

Notable people

See also

References

External links