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Hillsborough is located in central North Carolina, three hours from the beautiful coast and three hours from the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh and the Research Triangle Park (RTP) are just a 20-minute drive away!

The oldest town in the Triangle, Hillsborough was founded in 1754 as the seat of local government for Orange County...a distinction it holds to this day. Along with its rich history, Hillsborough is also known for impressive locally-owned shops, restaurants, art galleries, music and literary credentials. In 2014, Hillsborough was described in the Wall Street Journal as "America's Little Literary Town" due to our high concentration of nationally known, bestselling writers. Hillsborough was also named one of America's Coolest Small Towns in 2015 by Budget Travel Magazine.

Hillsborough Stats
  • Population: 9,660*
  • Median age: 39.7
  • Households: 2,739
  • Median household income: $64,598
  • Town limit size: 6.1 square miles

* Source: 2020 U.S. Census

Our State Magazine "Tar Heel Towns" feature on Hillsborough

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