Fayetteville, NC, is the seat of Cumberland County. Fayetteville, population 176,007 in 2007 (U.S. Census), is the 6th largest city and the 4th largest metropolitan area in North Carolina and still one of the fastest-growing areas in the state. The Fayetteville area population (including Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base) is over 330,000.
The early settlements of Campbellton and Cross Creek were settled around 1739 by Highland Scots, who were attracted by the natural inland port of the Cape Fear River. These settlements merged into Fayetteville in 1783. The town was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, who visited here in 1825, and received a rousing hero’s welcome.
Fayetteville’s unemployment rate is very low (4.5 %) and its large labor pool of trained professionals is in demand with employers that include: Fort Bragg; Pope Air Force Base; Kelly Springfield Tire Co., Black & Decker; and Purolator. The large population also demands a large government and service labor pool for the Cumberland County Schools; Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Cumberland County Government, the City of Fayetteville; and Falcon, Godwin, Hope Mills, Linden, Spring Lake, Stedman and Wade share in this rosy economy and high employment.
Fayetteville is not the hard-rock business town that statistics seem to paint. Patriotism and Southern hospitality run deep here. Fayetteville was named America’s Most Pro-Military Town by Time Magazine in November 2008. Operation Enduring Freedom saw more than 25,000 soldiers and airmen deployed to the Middle East from Fort Bragg and Pope AFB. The city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County created a helpline, “Operation Home Front” offering support to military spouses and dependents. Fayetteville Technical Community College offered a $30,000 scholarship fund for active-duty family members. Many local businesses ran their own help programs such as free flat-tire repairs and discounted auto repairs to military spouses.
Fayetteville’s current downtown revitalization will spotlight culture and the arts while preserving Fayetteville’s history. Shopping and dining are varied and excellent in this historical city.
The Crown Coliseum is the premier venue in eastern North Carolina, with world-class concerts, performances, and an ice floor for pro hockey and ice shows. The Airborne & Special Operations Museum, part of the U.S. Army Museum System, features the history and rare exhibits of Army Airborne and Special Operations units. Museum of the Cape Fear, Fayetteville Arts Center, Fayetteville State University, Fascinate-U Childrens Museum, and the Arts Council of Fayetteville are favorite sites for residents and visitors alike.
As this is North Carolina, Fayetteville boasts over 20 golf courses within an hour’s drive. Putt-Putt Golf was begun in Fayetteville, and it is the home of Putt-Putt corporate headquarters.
The General Court of Justice, North Carolina’s court system, is a statewide system that consists of the Appellate Division (located in the state capitol of Raleigh) and the two-tiered trial courts of Superior Court and District Court. District Court can be divided into four categories, civil, criminal, juvenile and magistrate. The trial courts are located in judicial districts throughout the state and the District Court is located in the county seat of each county. Innovative courts of North Carolina are family and drug treatment courts. Fayetteville is located in the U.S. Eastern District for federal trials and the state’s Judicial District 12. The 12th Judicial District is the fourth largest in North Carolina. The main office of the Cumberland Courthouse is located at 117 Dick St, Fayetteville, NC 28301.
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