| Wake County, North Carolina | ||
| ||
 Location in the state of North Carolina | ||
 North Carolina's location in the U.S. | ||
| Founded | 1771 | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat | Raleigh | |
| Largest city | Raleigh | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water | 857 sq mi (2,220 km²) 832 sq mi (2,155 km²) 25 sq mi (65 km²), 2.95% | |
| PopulationEst. - (2010) - Density | 900,993 1,041/sq mi (402/km²) | |
| Website | www.wakegov.com | |
Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county. Its county seat is Raleigh,[1] which is also the state capital. Wake County is part of the Research Triangle metropolitan region, which encompasses the cities of Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill and their surrounding suburban areas. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located midway between Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,742,816 as of July 1, 2009,[2] with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) portion estimated at 1,125,827 residents.[3]
Wake County is the 9th fastest growing county in the United States,[4] with the Town of Cary 
and the City of Raleigh being the 8th and 15th fastest growing cities, respectively.[5]
