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Zebulon ( ) is the easternmost town in
Wake County, North Carolina Wake County, officially the County of Wake, is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's List of coun ...
, United States. The population was 6,903 at the 2020 census. Zebulon is part of the
Research Triangle The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Anchored by the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh an ...
metropolitan region. In May 2022, Zebulon was ranked North Carolina's second fastest growing town, only behind neighboring Wendell.


History

In 1906, the Raleigh and
Pamlico Sound Pamlico Sound ( ) is a large estuarine lagoon in North Carolina. The largest lagoon along the North American East Coast, it extends long and wide. It is part of a large, interconnected network of similar lagoons that includes Albemarle Sou ...
Railroad Company decided to bring the railroad through the Whitley and Horton family farms in eastern Wake County. Edgar B. Barbee and Falconer B. Arendell organized the Zebulon Company for development that same year. The company received its charter on February 15, 1906. Shortly thereafter, they began to divide up their into lots, blocks, streets and avenues. On February 16, 1907, the town was officially recognized as Zebulon, North Carolina. The town was named after
Zebulon Baird Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil ...
, the
Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...
during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. The first election was held in May 1907, and the first elected mayor was Thomas J. Horton. In 1997 Zebulon annexed the neighboring community of Wakefield, increasing the total area inside the corporate limits to and the population to 3,908. The population had grown to 6,903 by 2020. There are three properties in Zebulon listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
: Wakelon School, Bennett Bunn Plantation, and the George and Neva Barbee House.


Law and government

Zebulon follows the council-manager government form of government, in which the elected governing body is responsible for legislative functions such as establishing policy, passing local ordinances, adopting annual budget, and developing an overall town vision. The council then appoints a professional town manager who is responsible for overseeing administrative operations, implementing policies, and advising the council. Zebulon is governed by a five-member Board of Commissioners and a mayor. Three members are elected in one year and the two remaining members and the mayor are elected two years later. The mayor, as the principal elected official of the town, provides leadership to the governing body and the community and presides over Board meetings. As the legislative body of Zebulon, the Board's primary responsibilities include establishing town policies and adopting an annual budget. Local municipality budgets for each fiscal year must be adopted by June 30. The budget for the
fiscal year A fiscal year (also known as a financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. La ...
runs from July 1 to June 30. Current Board members are Shannon Baxter, Quentin Miles, Beverly Wall Clark, Amber Davis, Jessica Harrison, and Mayor Glenn York. The Town Manager is Gilbert Todd, Jr.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.57%, is water. Zebulon 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 borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
regions meet. This area is known as the "
Fall Line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is noticeable especially the place rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the ...
" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. Its central Piedmont location situates Zebulon about three hours by car west of
Atlantic Beach, North Carolina Atlantic Beach is a town in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. It is one of the five communities located on Bogue Banks. The population was 1,364 at the 2020 census. History The idea of Atlantic Beach was first envisioned in the ...
, and four hours east of the
Great Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains and form part of the Blue Ridg ...
. Zebulon is located on an elevated portion of land between the
Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River * Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Haw ...
and Moccasin Creek.


Climate

Zebulon has a cool
subtropical climate The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones immediately 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 3 ...
or warm temperate climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, and fall. Summers are typically hot with high
humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...
. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s
°F The Fahrenheit scale () is a temperature scale based on one proposed in 1724 by the German-Polish physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736). It uses the degree Fahrenheit (symbol: °F) as the unit. Several accounts of how he original ...
(10 to 13
°C The degree Celsius is the unit of temperature on the Celsius temperature scale "Celsius temperature scale, also called centigrade temperature scale, scale based on 0 ° for the melting point of water and 100 ° for the boiling point ...
) 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. 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

Similar to other towns in eastern Wake County, the town recorded a population growth of 13% in the 2020 United States census, making it the second fasting growing town in the state. In August 2023, the town was reported to have reached 10,000 population, according to an estimate by the town's planning department. The sudden growth was attributed to its relative affordability in living, incentives for new businesses, and an increased focus on development and expansion.


Economy

The town's largest employers include
GlaxoSmithKline GSK plc (an acronym from its former name GlaxoSmithKline plc) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with headquarters in London. It was established in 2000 by a Mergers an ...
,
US Foods US Foods Holding Corp. (formerly known as U.S. Food service) is an American food service distributor founded in 1989. With approximately $24 billion in annual revenue, US Foods was the 10th largest private company in the US up until its IPO. ...
,
BB&T BB&T Corporation (previously known as the Branch Banking and Trust Company) was one of the largest banking and financial services firms in the United States, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2019, BB&T announced its intentions to merge ...
, Nomaco, and Vinventions, but is home to a number of
small businesses Small businesses are types of corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships which have a small number of employees and/or less annual revenue than a regular-sized business or corporation. Businesses are defined as "small" in terms of being ...
as well. Until closing in 2022, Whitley Furniture Galleries located downtown was historically one of the largest employers in the town and had the largest furniture stock in the
Research Triangle The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Anchored by the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh an ...
upon closing. Olde Raleigh Distillery, opened in 2021, was awarded "Best Micro Distillery Whiskey" in the U.S. during the 2023 International Whisky Competition. MacLellan Bagpipes, opened in 2023, became the only business in North America to make, sell, and teach how to play bagpipes, and one of the few locations offering custom bagpipes in the world. In addition to these businesses, WakeMed operates the Zebulon/Wendell Outpatient and Skilled Nursing Facility, a satellite facility for the hospital's primary location in Raleigh. In rural areas of the town,
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
is still an important aspect of the local economy with products such as cotton, tobacco, wheat, corn and soybeans being grown.


Education

The town is home to four public schools: including Corinth-Holders Elementary, Wakelon Elementary, Zebulon Elementary, Zebulon Middle. There is also one
charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of autono ...
, being East Wake Academy (K-12), and one
private school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...
, being Heritage Christian Academy. Higher education is provided by Wake Technical Community College


Parks and recreation

The town has six public parks and a community center. The largest park, Zebulon Community Park, contains a number of trails and playing fields. Other parks include: * Little River Dam and Park – natural park situated along the Little River with a
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
and waterfall; picnic areas and hiking trails * Gill Street Park – basketball courts, playgrounds, and picnic areas * Wakelon Elementary School Park – two multipurpose fields, picnic shelter * Whitley Park – picnic areas, two playgrounds, tennis courts, benches and various shelters * Zebulon Elementary School Park – two baseball fields, picnic shelter, soccer field, playground, grass volleyball court


Transportation


Passenger

* Air: Zebulon is served by
Raleigh-Durham International Airport The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Anchored by the cities of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh an ...
, which is located in northwestern Wake County off I-40 and I-540. * Interstate highway: Zebulon is located halfway between
I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
and I-40. I-95 is accessible by driving east on
US 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,281 miles (3,672 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route ...
. I-40 is accessible by driving west on US 64/264 ( Knightdale Bypass) to the I-440 beltline and heading south. * Zebulon is not served directly by passenger trains.
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
has stops in Raleigh, Rocky Mount and Selma. * Local bus: The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.


Roads

*
US 64 U.S. Route 64 (US 64) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,281 miles (3,672 km) from Nags Head in eastern North Carolina to just southwest of the Four Corners in northeast Arizona. The western terminus is at U.S. Route ...
and US 264 split in Zebulon. East of Zebulon they provide access to the
Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separatin ...
, US 64 via Rocky Mount, and US 264 via Wilson. West of Zebulon the two roads remain merged as the Knightdale Bypass which connects eastern Wake County to Raleigh. There is also a Business US 64 which connects Zebulon, Wendell, and Knightdale and represents several former alignments of US 64. Interstate 540 also connects 64 Business, 264 Bypass, I-440 and I-40. * NC 96 is a primary north–south highway through the town. It connects Zebulon to Rolesville to the north and Selma to the south. * NC 39 is another north–south highway that connects Selma to Louisburg and Henderson. It passes to the east of Zebulon near Five County Stadium. * NC 97 is a former alignment of US 64. It parallels US 64 and connects several small unincorporated communities along its route.


Notable people

*
Clifton Daniel Elbert Clifton Daniel Jr. (September 19, 1912 – February 21, 2000) was an American newspaperman who was the managing editor of ''The New York Times'' from 1964 to 1969. Before assuming the top editorial job at the paper, he served as the ...
, editor of the ''New York Times'' and son-in-law of President
Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
* Nick Driver, singer-songwriter *
Marty Gearheart Gary Martin 'Marty' Gearheart (born September 15, 1961 in Zebulon, North Carolina) is an American politician and a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing District 27 since January 12, 2013. Gearheart served cons ...
, member of the
West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature in West Virginia. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular se ...
* J. T. Knott, politician who served as a Wake County Commissioner * Jim Pearce, former
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player for the Washington Senators and
Cincinnati Redlegs Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
* Johnny Perry, professional
strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...
competitorFormer Pro Wrestler, Strongest Man Competitor Found Dead
''WRAL.com''. Retrieved October 29, 2020.


Gallery

File:Wakelon School.JPG, Zebulon town Hall File:Zebulon, North Carolina 02.jpg, ''Welcome to Downtown Zebulon'' Sign File:Town of Zebulon Bench.jpg, town of Zebulon Bench File:Norfolk & Southern Railway Station, Zebulon, N.C..jpg, Historical: Norfolk & Southern Rail Station File:Signs on store window advertising sales during tobacco auction time in Wake County. Zebulon, North Carolina.tif, Historical: Downtown Tobacco auction Ad


References


External links


town of Zebulon official website

''Eastern Wake News''
local newspaper
''The Grey Area newspaper''
local newspaper
''Zebulon Chamber Of Commerce''
local business organization {{authority control Populated places established in 1906 1906 establishments in North Carolina