Orange County NC Website
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About <br />Orange <br />County... <br />Amid the pastoral landscapes and historic towns of Orange County, a vibrant center of <br />education, culture, research and commerce thrives. The combination of strategic location <br />and great quality of life makes Orange County a sought -after place in which to live, work, <br />learn, and play. <br />The county's towns - Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Mebane, and Hillsborough - as well as its rural <br />areas are marked by a stable labor market, well- educated workforce, low unemployment and <br />diversified employment base. Recent job growth has been strong in the areas of health care, <br />high -end manufacturing, service, and retail. <br />At the heart of Orange County is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The first <br />public university to open its doors in 1795, the school is perennially ranked as one of the <br />nation's best undergraduate and graduate institutions. In 2011, Kiplinger's Personal Finance <br />ranked UNC- Chapel Hill the No. 1 Best Value in Public Colleges - making it a remarkable <br />ten -year run. The county's two public school systems - Chapel Hill /Carrboro and Orange <br />County - also are rated among the best in the Southeast. The two school systems continue <br />to grow. To meet the demands of the growing system, the Chapel Hill Carrboro Schools <br />opened an additional elementary school in the fall of 2013. <br />The convergence of Interstates 40 and 85 in central Orange County gives the area access to <br />Research Triangle and Piedmont Triad regions. An ambitious infrastructure plan is currently <br />underway that will make this area very attractive for a variety industrial and commercial <br />applications. Raleigh- Durham International Airport is 15 miles east of Chapel Hill, while <br />Piedmont Triad International Airport is about 40 miles west of Hillsborough. <br />In addition to solid education and location, Orange County offers a good dose of history - <br />Hillsborough is home to more than 100 structures dating from the late 18th century to the <br />early 19th century. <br />Research Triangle Region Partnership. (July 25, 2012). 2012 State of the Research Triangle Region. <br />Retrieved from: http://www.researchtriangle.org/ elements /media /publications /state- research - triangle- region- <br />book.pdf. <br />V <br />