Communities

OCED-New-Map
  1. Carrboro
  2. Chapel  Hill
  3. Hillsborough
  4. Mebane

ORANGE COUNTY NC SCENIC POND

Centrally located between the Research Triangle Park and the Triad (Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point). With more than 140,000 citizens, Orange County includes historic Hillsborough, the county seat; Chapel Hill, home of the University of North Carolina (the oldest state-supported university in the United Stated); and Carrboro and Mebane, former railroad and mill towns.

Orange County was founded in 1752, and was named after William of Orange (also King William III of England). Hillsborough was the center of North Carolina politics in the colonial era and hosted the state’s Constitutional Convention in 1778, where North Carolina delegates demanded that a Bill of Rights be added before they would ratify the U.S. Constitution.

It’s North Carolina’s ideal landscape. For business, for life, and everything in between. Orange County gives you rolling hills and lush green countryside – a rural, down-home feel that blends seamlessly with a cosmopolitan worldview. Here, you’ll find everything your business needs to thrive: a highly educated workforce, superior schools, a world-renowned university system, pioneering technology and research, unprecedented healthcare, and diversity across the board. Toss in our mild climate, and we’re not just the perfect mix – we’re your perfect business environment. In more ways than one.

The county is strategically positioned along the Eastern seaboard; with major metro areas like DC and New York just a quick flight or few hours’ drive away. Interstates I-40 and I-85 crisscross the region, facilitating quick and efficient travel in all directions. Nearby RDU International Airport, along with proximity to seaports, literally gives you the world of business just outside your door.

Orange County is governed by a seven-member board of commissioners. The commissioners are elected to four-year terms by district and at-large in partisan elections, which are held in November of even-numbered years.


  1. Transportation
  2. Livability
  3. Education/Workforce

Easy Access

Situated at the intersection of two major transportation corridors – Interstate 85 and Interstate 40– Orange County’s location affords a variety of business land opportunities within three Economic Development Districts targeted for non-residential growth by the county. These Districts were created to offer streamlined development procedures in the prime location along the transportation corridor. 

Distance to Major Cities
Atlanta, GA328 Miles
Baltimore, MD384 Miles
Boston, MA781 Miles
Charleston, SC295 Miles
Chicago, IL679 Miles
Cleveland, OH436 Miles
Detroit, MI590 Miles
Jacksonville, FL470 Miles
Memphis, TN630 Miles
New York, NY565 Miles
Norfolk, VA305 Miles
Philadelphia, PA484 Miles
Washington, DC351 Miles


Public Transportation

Chapel Hill Transit offers free bus service throughout Carrboro, Chapel Hill and the University, including its hospitals. The Triangle Transit Authority provides daytime intercity service between Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. It also serves RDU Airport and the Research Triangle Park. Intrastate and national service is available from Carolina Trailways and Greyhound Bus Lines from nearby Raleigh and Durham.

CHAPEL HILL TRANSIT

ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

GOTRIANGLE

Air/Freight

RDU International, Morrisville, NC – ½ hour

Located about 18 miles east of Chapel Hill, the Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) offers 13 air carriers, flying to over 50 nonstop destinations, on 300+ daily flights.

Nonstop Destinations

PTI International, Greensboro, NC – 1 hour

Located in the center of North Carolina just west of Greensboro, serving Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the entire Piedmont Triad region in North Carolina. From five major airlines, PTI offers a combined total of 58 non-stop flights daily to 14 destinations.

Airport Facts and Information

Shipping and Ports

Morehead City, NC – 3¼ hours

One of the deepest ports on the U.S. East Coast, the Port of Morehead City is located just four miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The port handles both break-bulk and bulk cargo and is the second largest importer in the country for natural rubber.

Port of Morehead City

Wilmington, NC – 2¾ hours

The Port of Wilmington is strategically located on the U.S. East Coast. Owned and operated by the North Carolina State Ports Authority, the Port of Wilmington offers terminal facilities serving container, bulk and break-bulk operations.

Port of Wilmington

Railway

Amtrak currently offers direct service from nearby Durham and Raleigh. A Hillsborough station, currently undergoing design and construction, will be serviced by two Amtrak passenger routes that together will provide eight daily departures: the Carolinian, which travels between Charlotte and New York twice daily (once in each direction), and the Piedmont, which travels between Charlotte and Raleigh six times daily (three times in each direction).

Amtrak