Orange County, North Carolina

Orange County
Orange County Courthouse
Orange County Courthouse
Flag of Orange County
Official seal of Orange County
Official logo of Orange County
Map of North Carolina highlighting Orange County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°04′N 79°07′W / 36.06°N 79.12°W / 36.06; -79.12
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1752
Named forUnknown; possibly William V of Orange or William of Orange[1]
SeatHillsborough
Largest communityChapel Hill
Area
 • Total
400.96 sq mi (1,038.5 km2)
 • Land397.56 sq mi (1,029.7 km2)
 • Water3.40 sq mi (8.8 km2)  0.85%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
148,696
 • Estimate 
(2023)
150,626 Increase
 • Density370/sq mi (140/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district4th
Websiteorangecountync.gov

Orange County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 148,696.[2] Its county seat is Hillsborough.[3] Orange County is included in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023.[4] It is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the flagship institution of the University of North Carolina System and the oldest state-supported university in the United States.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CountyNamesake was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CensusQuickFacts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.