Apex, North Carolina

Apex is a town in Wake County, North Carolina and a suburb of Raleigh. The population was 37,476 according to the 2010 census.

Geography
Apex is located at 35.73195°N, -78.85288°W (35.731952, -78.852878).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 10.6 square miles (27.5 km2), of which, 10.5 square miles (27.3 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2) of it (0.57%) is water.

Neighboring towns include Raleigh to the east, Cary to the north and northeast, and Holly Springs to the south.

History


The town of Apex was incorporated in 1873, named for its location as the highest point on a portion of the Chatham Railroad which ultimately extends between Richmond, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida. Apex grew slowly through the succeeding decades, despite several devastating fires, including a June 12, 1911 conflagration which destroyed most of the downtown business district. The town center was rebuilt and stands to this day, now one of the most intact railroad towns in the state. At the heart of town stands the Apex Union Depot, originally a passenger station for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and later home to the locally-supported Apex Community Library. The depot now houses the Apex Chamber of Commerce.

Apex suffered mild setbacks during the Depression-era, but growth began again in earnest in the 1950s. The town's proximity to North Carolina's Research Triangle Park spurred additional residential development, yet the town managed to preserve its small-town character. During the 1990s, the town's population quadrupled to over 20,000, placing new demands upon Apex' infrastructure.

Apex has continued to grow in recent years. A sizable shopping center was built at the intersection of Highway 55 and US 64, and several new neighborhoods have been built as the town grows toward the west.

In October 2006, a chemical fire in an Apex waste processing facility generated worldwide headlines when much of the town was temporarily evacuated. There were few serious injuries, and residents were soon able to return home.

In July 2009, CNN/Money magazine ranked Apex #44th on its list of the nation's top places to live.

Government
Apex's Council-Manager form of government comprises a mayor and five council members (one of whom serves as Mayor pro tem) who are each elected at-large in staggered four-year terms. The town's attorney and manager serve at the pleasure of the council. All other staff report to the town manager and manage the town's day-to-day business.

The town's mayor is Keith Weatherly (4th term); he was first elected to the post in 1995 after serving two years on the council. Bryan Gossage (2nd term) is Apex's Mayor pro tem. Council members are: Mike Jones (6th term), Bill Jensen (3rd term), Gene Schulze (3rd term) and Lance Olive (1st term).

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,212 people, 7,397 households, and 5,584 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,918.2 people per square mile (740.4/km2). There were 8,028 housing units at an average density of 761.9 per square mile (294.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 85.06% White, 7.55% African American, 0.29% Native American, 4.27% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.21% of the population. People from Apex or current residents of Apex are referred to as Apexians or Apexers (pronounced Apeckers)

There were 7,397 households out of which 46.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 44.8% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $71,052, and the median income for a family was $78,689 (these figures had risen to $81,545 and $91,326 respectively as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $55,587 versus $37,057 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,727. About 1.2% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

 * Apex Elementary School
 * AV Baucom Elementary
 * Olive Chapel Elementary
 * Salem Elementary School
 * Laurel Park Elementary School
 * Apex Middle School
 * Salem Middle School
 * Apex High School
 * Middle Creek High School
 * St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School
 * North Chatham School
 * Thales Academy
 * Lufkin Road Middle School

Passenger

 * Air: Raleigh-Durham International Airport is just north of Raleigh on I-40.
 * Interstate Highway: I-40 is accessible from Raleigh by US 64 and from Durham by NC 55.
 * Apex is not served directly by passenger trains. Amtrak serves the nearby municipalities of Cary and Raleigh.
 * Local Bus: The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.

Roads

 * The Apex Peakway will be, when completely finished, a loop road orbiting downtown Apex. The Peakway was conceived as a means to relieve traffic in the downtown area and provide a bypass for commuters traveling from one side of the town to the other. It is currently the only "peakway" in North Carolina, taking its name from Apex's town motto: "The Peak of Good Living." When finished, the Apex Peakway will be 5.86 mi long; so far 2.44 mi have been constructed.
 * The Triangle Expressway southwestern extension of I-540 is under construction in southern Apex to be opened in 2013.
 * US 64 and U.S. 1 are both freeways in the Apex area. NC 55 travels through the center of town.

Bicycle and pedestrian

 * U.S. Bicycle Route 1 routes through downtown Apex. Also, N.C. Bicycle Route #5 connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the NCBC Randonneurs 600 kilometer brevet route.