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Cumberland
County, North Carolina is found in
the Upper Cape Fear Valley. Settled in 1730,
this riverfront county served as an important
transportation link on the
Cape
Fear River. Today it is home to
Pope
Air Force Base and
Fort
Bragg, as well as the vibrant city of
Fayetteville,
the county seat, making it a vital military and
commercial region.
Cumberland County encompasses almost 660 square
miles in the south-central portion of
North
Carolina. The population of almost 303,000
(Census 2000 data) is spread through twelve
towns and townships, the military posts and one
city. The tiny towns of Wade, Linden, Falcon and
Godwin contain less than a thousand residents,
Vander and Eastover less than two thousand.
Hope
Mills, located six miles south of
Fayetteville and ten miles from Fort Bragg, is
the county's fastest growing town. With a
current population of almost 12,000, Hope Mills
has grown 26% since 1990 and is estimated to
reach 15,000 by 2010. Founded as an old mill
village during the hey-day of the cotton
industry, today many of its residents are
military personnel. A lovely town graced with
many
parks
and recreational areas, as well as beautiful
Hope Mills Lake, residents here look forward to
future growth while retaining their small-town
atmosphere and quality of life. The historic
downtown district mixes the old with the new by
carefully preserving their architecture while
offering the best in modern retail.
Spring
Lake is a smaller town, with a population of
just over 8,000. It is also a residential area
for much of the military personnel. Fort Bragg
is home to Special Operations Forces, the Army
Parachute Team and the
Delta
Force, which concentrates on
counter-terrorism. Almost 30,000 people reside
on the base itself.
Fayetteville remains the shining star of
Cumberland County. Directly off Interstate 95
and an hour's drive from the
South
Carolina border, Fayetteville mixes the
grace and charm of Southern hospitality with the
excitement and prosperity of a rapidly growing
economy. With a population of over 130,000, the
city is one of the sixth largest in North
Carolina. The National Civic league honored
Fayetteville with the prestigious
All-American
Civic Award in 2001.
Cumberland County's lovely moderate climate
makes it a Mecca for
golfers,
and the many rivers and lakes offer fantastic
fishing. The Clark Park Nature Center runs along
the Cape Fear River, with trails throughout,
perfect for jogging and cycling. More outdoor
opportunities are available at the beautiful
Cape
Fear Botanical Gardens. Fayetteville serves
as the cultural hub for Cumberland County, with
many fine centers for the
arts
as well as eight different
museums.
The city teems with
historic
sites and it is an
antique
buyer's dream come true, with a number of
specialty shops devoted just to them. Like the
rest of Cumberland County, Fayetteville is
growing at a fast rate, and offers many state
and local
incentives,
encouraging new industries to locate in the
city.
Fayetteville
State University and
Technical
Community College keep area students
well-educated and prepared for careers in the
quickly changing technological age.
From its early beginnings as a mere stop-off
site along the river, Cumberland County, North
Carolina has grown into a wonderful region with
a prospering economy. With a major city or fine
small towns from which to choose, it is an
excellent place to work and live, and shows
great promise for the future.
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