ORANGE COUNTY
County Offices
200 South Cameron Street
Hillsborough 919-732-8181
https://www.orangecountync.gov/
Chamber of Commerce
121 North Churton Street
Hillsborough 919-732-8156
https://www.hillsboroughchamber.com/
While primarily a rural region, beautiful Orange County is also home to some of North Carolina’s finest resources, including the University of North Carolina and the UNC Health Care system. Newcomers will find charming communities that offer a caliber of cultural and entertainment attractions that rival highly developed urban centers.
Services
Few regions can claim the state-of-the-art healthcare facilities and services that are enjoyed by Orange County residents. The presence of a major research university, the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, elevates the educational and healthcare status of the entire Triangle area. The comprehensive UNC Health Care system encompasses leading-edge technologies and pioneering research as well as premier medical and health education. From routine needs like well-baby checkups to chronic diseases or life-saving surgeries and gene therapy, UNC Health Care leads the way in diagnostics, treatment, health, and wellness. The cornerstone of the system is UNC Hospitals, serving patients from across North Carolina and throughout the Southeast at a 708-bed facility. The North Carolina Children’s Hospital and the North Carolina Women’s Hospital are more recent additions to the medical campus, providing advanced care in a comfortable, family-friendly environment. Among the interdisciplinary and specialized services are the Breast Center, Cardiovascular Program, Diabetes Care Center, Lung Center, Rehabilitation Center, Spine Center, Wound Management Program, and Comprehensive Transplant Center. The medical center’s extensive expertise with arthritis, digestive diseases, endocrinology, ENT, gynecology, hemophilia, infertility, rheumatology, and orthopaedics have achieved both regional and national recognition. UNC is also home to the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of a small number of National Cancer Institute-designated centers. The influence of UNC Health Care extends into the Greater Triangle area through a network of primary care and specialty physicians practices. In fact, nearly a half-million people receive care at a UNC practice or clinic each year.
Educational opportunities are equally outstanding in Orange County, where respected public schools combine with options for a private education. The county is the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, although residents also have easy access to Durham Technical Community College and Alamance Community College. Durham Technical Community College has long offered courses in Orange County but has recently opened a new satellite campus south of Hillsborough. The University of North Carolina boasts a number of outstanding recommendations, including a Number One ranking by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine as the best value in American public higher education. May of 2008 saw the first full graduating class for Carolina Covenant Scholars, a program offering a debt-free education to low-income students and has become a national model. UNC enjoys a strong reputation as a research institution, with a celebrated faculty that attracts hundreds of millions of dollars in funding each year. This research results in cures for disease, innovation for industry, and the creation of new businesses and jobs. The examples are many and impressive. Excellence Professor Oliver Smithies, for example, received the 2007 Nobel Prize for work that has fundamentally changed the science of genetic medicine and potentially will help millions of people live healthier lives.
Lifestyle
Panoramic Orange County is a region that contrasts rolling farm fields and picturesque dairy farms with vital urban areas and gracious historic sites. New residents will discover a unique setting that blends the best of small-town living with first-rate cultural, entertainment, shopping, and recreational amenities. The quality of life in Orange County is a point of pride for established residents and a magnet for newcomers of all ages. The intersection of Interstates 85 and 40 ensures easy access to the Triangle area and destinations throughout North Carolina and beyond. The county seat of Hillsborough serves as the colonial capital of the state, and remains today as a vital political and cultural center with unique shopping and activities that celebrates the arts and history. The nationally renowned Ackland Art Museum, the Stone Center for Black Culture and History, the state-of-the-art Carolina Basketball Museum, a planetarium and science center where NASA astronauts trained, and an exciting new children’s museum are a few of the headliners on a long list of venues. Historic attractions range from Alexander Dickson House to Ayr Mount and Poet’s Walk, the 93-acre Battle Park, and Coker Arboretum on the University of North Carolina campus. The university plays an important role in this culturally rich setting, crowned by the first-class national and international artists showcased in the Carolina Union Performing Arts Series in the newly renovated Memorial Hall and other venues.
Recreational opportunities are abundant and accessible, including organized programs for all ages and developed facilities like community centers, recreation centers, and an amenity-rich regional park. Parks and Recreation is dedicated to protecting and promoting the natural and cultural heritage of this beautiful region, offering many educational and conservational programs. The spectator sports scene in Orange County revolves around Tar Heel basketball, football, and other UNC collegiate teams. At the same time, active sports are popular and supported by more than 400 square miles of developed and open recreational land that includes lush parks, nature preserves, playgrounds, walking trails, and bicycle paths. On a grander scale, many residents enjoy visiting nearby state parks, lakes, and reservoirs for year-round outdoor adventure. Tennis, golf, ice-skating, swimming, hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating, water sports, fishing, camping, and picnicking are all common pastimes. For those who desire welcoming communities, a picturesque rural countryside and attractive neighborhoods, few places can rival Orange County.
Carrboro
Town Offices
919-942-8541
http://www.ci.carrboro.nc.us/
Chamber of Commerce
919-967-7075
https://www.carolinachamber.org/
The small town of Carrboro is a neighboring community of Chapel Hill, home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This cozy community has managed to retain the simplicity, slower pace, and charming personality of yesterday’s “Small Town America.” The farmer’s market is especially popular and well-known, featuring the finest and freshest of locally grown produce, prepared foods, flowers, and crafts. Carrboro’s eclectic atmosphere and unique set of attractions has earned the town the nickname of the “Paris of the Piedmont.” The ArtsCenter plays a focal point in the cultural scene, presenting jazz, folk-traditional and world music, theatre, and children’s programs. The ArtSchool provides classes in the visual, literary, and performing arts for all ages. Newcomers will discover a small but unique town where residents take great pride in the area’s reputation as a community that is rich in cultural and economic diversity. The recreational programs are abundant and designed for all age groups. The 54-acre Anderson Community Park is the crowning jewel of the parks system, which also includes a number of smaller neighborhood parks for convenient outdoor enjoyment. Common pastimes include horseshoes, tennis, softball, fishing, walking or jogging, and picnicking.
Chapel Hill
Town Offices
919-968-2743
https://www.townofchapelhill.org/
Chamber of Commerce
919-967-7075
https://www.carolinachamber.org/
Nicknamed “The Southern Part of Heaven,” Chapel Hill seems to draw newcomers and visitors to an atmosphere that casts a magical spell. Home to the majestic and renowned campus for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the town is principally located in Orange County but extends into Durham County. Chapel Hill is one of the three “points” of the Research Triangle, along with Raleigh and Durham. Chapel Hill literally has “something for everyone,” whether you are an avid fan of theatre, fine dining, poetry, music, gardening, competitive sports, or lively festivals. Anchored by colorful Franklin Street, this collegiate atmosphere features an abundance of boutiques, restaurants, cafes, taverns, clubs, and theaters. At the same time, active residents take advantage of the town’s many lush parks and recreational centers. Panoramic greenways connect neighborhoods, commercial areas, parks, schools, and other destinations to create a buffer between nature and urban development. Highlights include the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, the North Carolina Botanical Garden, performing arts, fine museums, and Tar heels sporting events.
Hillsborough
Town Offices
919-732-1270
https://www.hillsboroughnc.gov/
Chamber of Commerce
919-732-8156
https://www.hillsboroughchamber.com/
The seat of Orange County government and the colonial capital of North Carolina, lovely Hillsborough draws residents and visitors to lively Churton Street, where sidewalks bustle with outdoor diners or shoppers carrying their treasures. Steeped in historical significance, Hillsborough features a downtown district that is dotted with historical markers and showcases more than 100 homes, churches, and buildings from the late 18th and 19th centuries. Among them is the local visitor’s center, housed in a building that served as Gen. Joseph E. Johnston’s headquarters when he surrendered the largest of the Confederate armies to Gen. William T. Sherman. The close-knit community spirit in Hillsboro is evidenced by the many colorful celebrations and festivals throughout the year, including Hillsborough Hog Day, Last Fridays events, the Occaneechi Saponi Spring Pow Wow Festival, and Walkable Hillsborough. Today, this quaint town is a destination for artists and writers as well as young professionals and families. The housing is especially attractive and diverse, blending historic treasures with newer construction. This area is home to Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area and several other trails. Interstate 85 runs convenient through the town, and Interstate 40 is just beyond the city limits.
