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Morrisville is a town located primarily in Wake County, North Carolina, United States (a small portion extends into neighboring Durham County). According to the 2020 census, the population was 29,630. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the
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 ...
, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the Raleigh-Durham- Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area. The population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area was 2,106,463 in 2020, while the population of the Raleigh-Cary, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area was 1,413,982 in 2020. The operational headquarters of
Lenovo Lenovo Group Limited, often shortened to Lenovo ( , ), is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in designing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer electronics, Personal computer, personal computers, ...
is located in the municipal limits.


History

The area was originally named in 1852 after Jeremiah Morris. Morris donated land to the North Carolina Railroad for a depot, water tower, and other buildings. The town continued to grow as a result of the rail line and its location at the intersection of roads leading to
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 neighbo ...
, Raleigh, and
Hillsborough Hillsborough may refer to: Australia *Hillsborough, New South Wales, a suburb of Lake Macquarie Canada *Hillsborough, New Brunswick *Hillsborough Parish, New Brunswick * Hillsborough, Nova Scotia, in Inverness County *Hillsborough (electoral d ...
. On April 13, 1865, in the Battle of Morrisville, United States
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
under the command of Gen. Judson Kilpatrick skirmished with the retreating
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...
armies at Morrisville Station. The Confederate troops were successful in evacuating their remaining supplies and wounded to the west toward Greensboro, but Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's cavalry forced the Confederates to leave the train behind and retreat toward Durham and the eventual surrender of the largest Confederate force of the war at Bennett Place. The town was officially chartered in 1875 but was disincorporated in 1933. Eventually the town charter was restored in 1947. Morrisville History (as listed on historical marker):
Morrisville Station: "On April 16, 1865, Union cavalry under the command of General William T. Sherman, captured Raleigh and pursued the retreating Confederate cavalry west along the railroad. Rearguard skirmishes erupted at points along the Hillsborough Road until the combatants reached Morrisville. Using cavalry and artillery, Union forces attacked a Confederate train loaded with supplies and wounded. Before withdrawing, the Confederate cavalry repelled the attack long enough to allow the railcars of wounded to escape while abandoning the supplies. This was the last major cavalry engagement in Sherman's campaign. The next night, a courier from the Confederate commander, General Joseph E. Johnston, rode into the Union camp at Morrisville with a truce proposal. Subsequent negotiations between Johnston and Sherman led to the largest Confederate surrender of the Civil War at the Bennett Farm in Durham on April 26."
The history marker notes it was given in memory of Commissioner C.T. Moore. On December 13, 1994,
Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 was a scheduled flight under the American Eagle branding from Piedmont Triad International Airport to Raleigh–Durham International Airport during which a British Aerospace Jetstream crashed while executing a misse ...
crashed in Morrisville, killing 15 of the 20 people on board.


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.62%, is water. Morrisville is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont and
Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...
regions meet. This area is known as the " Fall Line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Morrisville features gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state's flat coastal plain. Its central Piedmont location situates the county approximately three hours west of
Atlantic Beach Atlantic Beach is the name of some places in the United States: *Atlantic Beach, Florida, a city *Atlantic Beach, New York, a village *Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, a town *Atlantic Beach, South Carolina Atlantic Beach is a town in Horry County, ...
by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains. The central core of Morrisville is located along the upper portion of Crabtree Creek, which then feeds into Lake Crabtree, located in the southeastern part of the town.


Climate

Morrisville enjoys a moderate
subtropical climate The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north and ...
, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s
°F The Fahrenheit scale () is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several accounts of how he originally defined his ...
(10 to 13
°C The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius scale (originally known as the centigrade scale outside Sweden), one of two temperature scales used in the International System of Units (SI), the other being the Kelvin scale. The ...
) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2 °C), although an occasional 60 °F (15 °C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. This is canceled out, however, with several days where highs do not get out of the 30s. There are usually one or two substantial snowfalls per winter, occurring mainly in February. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14 °C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35 °C). The rainiest months are July and August.


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 of ...
, there were 29,630 people, 9,699 households, and 6,781 families residing in the town.


2015 census estimate

As of the 2015
census estimate 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 incl ...
, the population of the town was 23,699.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census there were 18,576 people, 7,641 households, and 4,752 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 8,357 housing units at an average density of . Known as North Carolina's "little India" by locals, Morrisville has become one of the most diverse towns in the state particularly due to the expansion of the technology industry. The racial makeup of the town was 54.0% White, 12.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 27.2%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 2.0% from some other race, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 5.9% of the population. There were 7,641 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 50.3% of all households were headed by
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 t ...
living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43, and the average family size was 3.11. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 44.4% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. In 2017, the median income for a household in the town was $95,763. Males had a median income of $59,982 versus $44,729 for females. The per capita income for the town was $43,054. 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.


Economy

Morrisville's location adjacent to the
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 ...
,
Raleigh-Durham International Airport The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to th ...
, and Interstate 40 makes it an attractive location for offices, light industry and hotels. Companies based in Morrisville include
Oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...
, Syneos Health and
Lenovo Lenovo Group Limited, often shortened to Lenovo ( , ), is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in designing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer electronics, Personal computer, personal computers, ...
(operational headquarters). Prior to its disestablishment, Midway Airlines had its headquarters in Morrisville. The Morrisville Chamber of Commerce serves as the economic development arm for the town.


Employers

The computer technology, clinical trial and telecommunications industries have strong presence in the area. Major employers in 2019 included: *
Catalent Pharma Solutions Catalent, Inc. (Catalent Pharma Solutions) is a multinational corporation headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. It is a global provider of delivery technologies, development, drug manufacturing, biologics, gene therapies and consumer health ...
*
ChannelAdvisor ChannelAdvisor Corp. is an e-commerce company based in Morrisville, North Carolina which provides provides cloud-based e-commerce software. Until 2022, it was traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ECOM. On November 15, 2022, the ...
*
Credit Suisse Credit Suisse Group AG is a global investment bank and financial services firm founded and based in Switzerland. Headquartered in Zürich, it maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world and is one of the nine global " ...
*
Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, abbreviated FDB and also referred to simply as Diosynth, is a biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization that develops manufacturing processes and manufactures active ingredients and provides fill and ...
* Labcorp *
Lenovo Lenovo Group Limited, often shortened to Lenovo ( , ), is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in designing, manufacturing, and marketing consumer electronics, Personal computer, personal computers, ...
*
Metabolon In biochemistry, a metabolon is a temporary structural-functional complex formed between sequential enzymes of a metabolic pathway, held together both by non-covalent interactions and by structural elements of the cell, such as integral membrane pro ...
* NetApp *
Oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...
*
PPD, Inc. Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) is a global contract research organization (CRO) providing comprehensive, integrated drug development, laboratory and lifecycle management services. In December 2021, PPD became a wholly owned subsidiary ...
* Spectrum * TrialCard Inc *
UNC Rex Healthcare UNC Rex Hospital is a general hospital located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the capital city's oldest hospital, founded by a bequest from John T. Rex (1771-1839), a local tanner. Originally located on what is now Dorothea Dix campus, and ...
* Worldwide Clinical Trials


Arts and culture


National Register of Historic Places

The
Morrisville Christian Church Morrisville Christian Church, also known as Morrisville Church of Christ, is a historic church located at Morrisville, Wake County, North Carolina. It was built in 1872–1873, and is a one-story, three-bay by four bay, vernacular front-gable c ...
,
Williamson Page House Williamson Page House is a historic home located at Morrisville, Wake County, North Carolina. It is a two-story, three-bay-wide, frame I-house. The front section was built about 1838, with a transverse stair hall added about 1876, which connec ...
, and Pugh House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


Parks and recreation

Morrisville is home to eight parks, two
community center Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...
s, four greenways and a fitness center. They include: * Morrisville Community Park - includes Hatcher Creek greenway in addition to rentable shelters, athletic fields, gazebo and picnic shelters * Shiloh Community Park & Luther Green Community Center - includes athletic field, picnic shelters, basketball court and playground * Crabtree Creek Nature Park - wooded and wetland site with a multi-purpose field * Ruritan Park - includes a gazebo, open areas, and sand volleyball courts. * Indian Creek Greenway and Trailhead - includes two picnic shelters, a playground, restrooms, and a 1.8-mile trail * Cedar Fork District Park - that includes eight multi-purpose fields *
Church Street Park Church Street Park is a cricket ground in Morrisville, North Carolina, United States. In September 2018, it hosted the matches in the Northern sub-region group of the 2018–19 ICC T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier tournament. In May 2019, the In ...
- including a cricket pitch and tennis courts. *Northwest Park- open seating and compact playground surrounded by a walking path Morrisville has several youth sports groups, such as youth basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
.


Government

Morrisville operates under the council–manager form of government. The citizens elect a mayor and town council as the town's governing body. After each municipal election, the town council selects a mayor pro tem. The town manager, Martha Paige, is appointed by the council to serve as the chief operating officer administering all municipal affairs. The current mayor is TJ Cawley and mayor pro tem is Liz Johnson. Morrisville Council members include Steve Rao, Vicki Scroggins-Johnson, Satish Garimella, Anne Robotti, and Donna Fender. The
North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners is an agency of the Government of North Carolina. Its purpose is to regulate the dental industry in the state. Its headquarters are in Morrisville in the Research Triangle area.Raleigh-Durham International Airport The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to th ...
is located in northwestern Wake county on I-40, just to the north of Morrisville. * Morrisville is not served directly by passenger trains. Amtrak serves the nearby municipalities of Cary and Raleigh. * Local bus: The
Triangle Transit 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 Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.


Roads

* is a major highway that goes through town and provides easy access to Cary, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. * runs through the eastern part of the town. * serves the Morrisville area and is located to the west of the town. The highway offers access to I-40, North Raleigh, RDU airport and eastern Wake County. * is located in the northern part of town and provides easy access to Durham.


Notable people

*
David Ray Boggs David Ray Boggs (born September 8, 1943) is an American stock car racing driver. Now retired, he is a former competitor in the NASCAR Grand American Series, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, and the ARCA Racing Series. NASCAR career Boggs made ...
, former NASCAR driver *
Hill Carrow Harvey Hill Carrow Jr. (born January 3, 1955) is an American-born sports tourism executive who has led the development of the sports tourism industry in the United States. He founded the National Association of Sports Commissions, now known as t ...
, sports tourism executive *
Tom Murry Thomas Otis Murry (born May 8, 1977) is an American politician, state prosecutor, attorney, and pharmacist who served as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's 41st House district in western Wake County between 20 ...
, politician, attorney, and pharmacist *
Mabel Pugh Mabel Pugh (1891–1986) was an art teacher, painter, woodblock printmaker and illustrator. Early life and education Born in Morrisville, North Carolina, she studied at the Art Students League, the Pennsylvania Academy as well as with Char ...
(1891–1986), art teacher, painter, woodblock printmaker and illustrator *
Vic Sorrell Victor Garland Sorrell (April 9, 1901 – May 4, 1972), nicknamed "Lawyer" and "The Philosopher," was a Major League pitcher who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. In 10 Major League seasons, Sorrell had a 92–101 record with a ...
, former Major League Baseball pitcherVic Sorrell Stats
''Baseball-Reference''. Retrieved October 29, 2020.


References


External links


Town of Morrisville official website

Morrisville Chamber of Commerce

Cars & Coffee Morrisville
{{authority control Towns in Durham County, North Carolina Towns in Wake County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina Populated places established in 1840 1840 establishments in North Carolina