Morrisville is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. A small
portion of the town extends into Durham County. The population was 18,576 at the
2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town's population to be
21,932 as of July 1, 2013. Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle
metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of
the Research Triangle Park, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and
Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's
Combined Statistical Area of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. The estimated
population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,565,223 as of July 1, 2006,
with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area portion estimated at
994,551 residents. Geography
Morrisville is located at 35°49′39″N 78°49′44″W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.3
square miles, of which 8.3 square miles is land and 0.04 square miles, 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 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 about three hours west of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina,
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, 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 with lows in the
low-to-mid 30s°F, although an occasional 60 °F 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 about 1 or 2 substantial snowfalls per winter,
occurring mainly in February. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid
70s°F, with lows at night in the lower 50s°F. Summer daytime highs often reach
the upper 80s to low 90s°F. The rainiest months are July and August.
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, Raleigh, and Hillsborough.
On April 13, 1865, in the Battle of Morrisville, Federal cavalry under the
command of Gen. Judson Kilpatrick skirmished with the retreating
Confederate 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:
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.
Morrisville was the home of noted artist Mabel Pugh.
The Morrisville Christian Church, Williamson Page House, and Pugh House
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Government Morrisville operates under the
Council-Manager form of government. The citizens elect a Mayor and Town Council
as the town's governing body. 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 Mark Stohlman and current Council
members include Steve Rao(Mayor Pro Tem), Michael Schlink, TJ Cawley, Liz
Johnson, Vicki Scroggins-Johnson, and Satish Garimella.
The North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners has its headquarters in
Morrisville. Demographics
A special census was conducted in 2015, and the total population reported by the
U.S. Census Bureau was 23,699. 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 2,237.7 people per square mile. There were 8,357 housing units at
an average density of 1,006.9 per square mile. 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, 2.0% from some other race, and 3.4% from two or more
races. Hispanic or Latino 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 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. At the 2000 census the median income for
a household in the town was $56,548, and the median income for a family was
$64,625. Males had a median income of $46,750 versus $34,528 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $32,243. 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, Raleigh-Durham
International Airport, and Interstate 40 makes it an attractive location for
offices, light industry and hotels. Companies based in Morrisville include
Lenovo, Oracle and QBE First. 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. Parks and recreation
Morrisville is home to six parks and a community 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 - 34-acre 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 - 37 acres that
includes eight multi-purpose fields Church Street Park - including a cricket
pitch and tennis courts. Morrisville has several youth sports
groups, such as youth basketball, baseball, softball, soccer, and cricket.
Employers The computer technology, clinical trial
and telecommunications industries have strong presence in the area. Lenovo is
one of the larger employers with 2,215 employees in 2014.
= List of employers = Oracle
iContact Credit Suisse
Cisco Systems NetApp
PPD Quintiles
Fidelity Investments IBM
Issuer Direct Corporation Moduslink
JDSU Lenovo
Salix Sheraton
Time Warner Cable Triangle United Way
Metlife QBE First
AT&T Hotel Indigo
Merge Healthcare Healthcare
Bühler Motor Transportation
= Passenger = Air: Raleigh-Durham International
Airport 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 operates
buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh,
Durham and Chapel Hill. = Roads =
NC 54 is a major highway that goes through town and provides easy access to
Cary, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. I‑40 runs through the eastern part of
the town. I‑540 / NC 540 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.
NC 147 is located in the northern part of town and provides easy access to
Durham. References
External links Town of Morrisville official website
Morrisville Chamber of Commerce