Wake Forest, North Carolina

Wake Forest
White Street
White Street
Official seal of Wake Forest
Location in Wake County and the state of North Carolina.
Location in Wake County and the state of North Carolina.
Coordinates: 35°57′24″N 78°31′29″W / 35.95667°N 78.52472°W / 35.95667; -78.52472
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountiesWake, Franklin
Incorporated1880
Named forThe large wooded areas of northern Wake County[1]
Government
 • MayorVivian A. Jones (R)
Area
 • Total
19.67 sq mi (50.95 km2)
 • Land19.52 sq mi (50.55 km2)
 • Water0.15 sq mi (0.40 km2)  0.76%
Elevation295 ft (90 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
47,601
 • Estimate 
(2023)
54,337
 • Density2,438.83/sq mi (941.62/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
27587–27588
Area code(s)919, 984
FIPS code37-70540[4]
GNIS feature ID2406816[3]
Websitewww.wakeforestnc.gov

Wake Forest is a town in Wake and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. At the 2020 census, the population was 47,601,[5] up from 30,117 in 2010.[6] It is part of the Raleigh metropolitan area. Wake Forest was the original home of Wake Forest University for 122 years before it moved to Winston-Salem in 1956.

  1. ^ "North Carolina Gazetteer". Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Wake Forest, North Carolina
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ "QuickFacts: Wake Forest town, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  6. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Wake Forest town, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 30, 2011.