Carrboro City Guide

Carrboro, the second largest town in Orange County, NC, is a historic town with distinctive retail stores, restaurants and many arts activities. The history of Carrboro began in 1882, when a spur from the Durham-Greensboro Southern Railway line was extended to link the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with the outside world.

Carrboro is named after Julian Carr, who owned two hosiery mills here and was responsible for much of its commercial growth. One of his former textile mills, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was renovated as a charming shopping mall, and the former railroad depot was redeveloped for office and retail space. Both contribute significantly to the vitality of the downtown business district, which serves a lively population of 16,782 (in 2000).