Morrisville Land Use Plan 2021

Community Context

Regional Context Morrisville, North Carolina is centrally located within the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Area (CSA), a region of over 2.1 million residents. This area is also known as the Research Triangle due to major universities in each of its three most prom- inent municipalities: North Carolina State University in Raleigh, Duke University in Durham, and the University of North Caro- lina in Chapel Hill. Since 2010, the CSA has experienced considerable growth, including a roughly 15 percent population increase, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the United States.

Long-range planning relies on an under­ standing of where Morrisville is today and where it wants to be in the future. Chapter 2 - Community Context provides a snapshot of Morrisville today, including the Town’s regional context; planning area; outreach and engagement undertaken in the planning process; a review of past plans, studies, and reports; demographic analysis; existing land use; and current zoning. Collectively, this information provides a profile of the Morris - ville community as context for the planning process. It also establishes the foundation for the recommendations and policies of the Morrisville Land Use Plan . For a complete summary of existing condi- tions, trends, and influences that guided the planning process, see the Morrisville Land Use Plan Appendices , which are compiled as a separate document..

54 International Airport boosts Morrisville’s economic competitiveness and supports greater access both nationally and interna- tionally. Morrisville borders Durham to the north, and Cary, the third largest municipality in the region, surrounds much of the southern half of Morrisville. In addition, Research Triangle Park (RTP), one of the largest research parks in the world, borders Morris- ville to the northwest. In the past 20 years, Morrisville has expanded from a Town of just 5,000 residents in 2000 to just shy of 30,000 in 2019. Much of this growth is reflective of the surrounding region as neighboring communities are also expe- riencing a surge in population and economic prosperity. Today, Morrisville is a thriving and evolving community looking to better define its own identity and position within the greater region, rather than being further defined by other towns and institutions. Morrisville is positioned at a crossroads between major highways that connect the community to key destinations within the region. Interstate 40, a major route between Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, runs along the Town’s northeastern boundary while the northwestern portion of the Town is bounded by Interstate 540. Nearby Raleigh Durham

Hillsborough

Gorman

Youngsville

98

Wake Forest

Durham

50

40

1

147

70

Chapel Hill

Rolesvil

Carrboro

540

Research Triangle Park

401

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

501

440

40

540

MORRISVILLE

Raleigh

Fearrington Village

54

Knightdale

751

55

87

Cary

64

64

Apex

Garner

1

40

50

Holly Springs

Clay

401

70

Moncure

Fuquay-Varina

5 Morrisville Land Use Plan | Chapter 2 – Community Context