Cary is a town in the Research Triangle of North Carolina. It is primarily a fast-growing suburb of Raleigh, the state capital; however, in recent years it has begun to develop some economic gravity of its own. Cary is known throughout the area for having a very high population of non-native residents. The name of the city is jokingly referred to as standing for Containment/Concentration Area for Relocated Yankees.
Get in
By plane
Cary is approximately 9 miles from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU IATA). RDU is served by all major U.S. airlines including Southwest, American Airlines, and Delta Airlines. These and other airlines provide direct connections to most major hubs, including Atlanta, Washington-Dulles, Baltimore-Washington, Chicago (Midway and O'Hare), New York City (LaGuardia), Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, and London, among others. Most other major cities are reachable after a single connecting flight.
By car
- Interstate 40 runs just north of Cary and goes to points west including Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Asheville. Two and a half hours east on I-40 is Wilmington and the North Carolina Beaches.
- Interstate 440 serves as the inner loop surrounding Raleigh.
- US 1 runs through Cary on its way to points north and south.
- US 64
By train
Amtrak's Carolinian/Piedmont and Silver Service/Palmetto lines serve Cary. The station is located at 211 North Academy Street.
By bus
Get around
The immediate downtown area can be walked but Cary is fairly widespread and is best traveled by car. If you are visiting the area there are several car rental locations nearby at RDU International Airport.
See
Do
- Carolina Railhawks Football Club, 201 Soccer Park Drive. The Carolina Railhawks are a second division (NASL) professional soccer team that plays in WakeMed Soccer Park, a 7,000 seat stadium that is part of a larger 150 acre multi-use complex. The team plays from April through October and tickets start at $10.
- Fred G. Bond Metro Park, 801 High House Rd. A 310 acre park that includes 4.2 miles of walking trails, a lake and boathouse, amphitheater, athletic fields, playground, and picnic areas.
- Golf. If golf is your thing then try visiting on of Cary's several public and private courses. Check out MacGregor Downs Country Club, Lochmere Golf Club, and The Fairways Golf Course at Prestonwood Country Club. Prestonwood CC also hosts the SAS Championship in late September-early October.
- Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve, 2616 Kildaire Farm Rd.. Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve has three miles of trails on 150 acres along Swift Creek. The preserve has several plants and trees that are not common to the piedmont region of North Carolina along with bird and wildlife viewing opportunities and various nature programs throughout the year.
Buy
- Cary Towne Centre Mall. Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM and Sun 12PM-6PM. Enclosed shopping center with department stores Belk, Dillard's, J.C. Penney, Macy's and Sears.
Eat
- An, 2800 Renaissance Park Place, ☏ +1 919-677-9229. Upscale French/Vietnamese cuisine
- Cinellis Pizza, 107-119 Edinburgh Dr. S, ☏ +1 919-461-3799. Italian. Most dishes between $10-20
- Hot Bread Cafe, 1901 NW Cary Pkwy, ☏ +1 919 677-1331. Morrisville, NC 27560.
- Jimmy V's Steakhouse & Tavern, 107-131 Edinburgh Dr. S, ☏ +1 919-380-8210. Entrees $28-50.
- Outback Steakhouse, 1289 Kildaire Farm Road, ☏ +1 919-460-1770.
- Ruth's Chris Steak House, 2010 Renaissance Park Pl, ☏ +1 919-468-1133.
- Sushi Thai, 106 Kilmayne Drive, ☏ +1 919-467-5747. Japanese/Thai cuisine. Most entrees between $10-20
Drink
Sleep
- Hilton Garden Inn, 1500 RDU Center Dr. (Exit 285 off I-40), ☏ +1 919 840 8088. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: Noon.
Go next
Routes through Cary |
Greensboro ← Durham ← | W E | → Raleigh → END |
Washington, D.C. ← Raleigh ← | N S | → Southern Pines → Savannah |
Greensboro ← Durham ← | W E | → Raleigh → Wilmington |
Richmond ← Raleigh ← | N S | → Apex → Columbia |
Lexington ← Apex ← | W E | → Raleigh → Nags Head |