Fayetteville (North Carolina)

Fayetteville is a city in Cumberland County, in the western part of the North Carolina Coastal Plain region. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Liberty, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city.

Fayetteville has received the prestigious All-America City Award from the National Civic League three times. According to the 2020 United States Census estimate, the city has a population of 208,501. It ranks as the sixth-largest municipality in North Carolina. With an estimated population of 529,252, the Fayetteville metropolitan area is the largest in southeastern North Carolina, and the fifth-largest in the state.

By plane


Or, fly in to the Raleigh-Durham airport. The drive south to Fayetteville is 1-1½ hours long.

By train
There is an downtown at 472 Hay Street, served by the Palmetto and Silver Meteor routes. These trains lead to various points along the East Coast, but to get to other major cities in North Carolina you'll have to transfer.

By bus
Megabus. Service from Atlanta, Athens, Columbia, Durham, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. Buses stop at the Fayetteville Transit Center, at East Russell Street and Old Wilmington Road.

By bus
The Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) serves the Fayetteville and Spring Lake regions, with ten bus routes and two shuttle routes.

Do

 * Festival Park, a few blocks away from downtown, is a natural community gathering place featuring weekly outdoor concerts with a Southern, hometown atmosphere.
 * Carver's Falls is a virtually untouched 55-acre area of forest in the Sandhills of North Carolina. The area is named after the waterfall that is over 150 feet wide and two stories tall nestled in the heart of the property.  For centuries, Carver’s Falls has been closed to the public and few even knew of its existence.  The falls are privately held, but can been seen as part of the ZipQuest Waterfall and Treetop Adventure
 * Carver's Falls is a virtually untouched 55-acre area of forest in the Sandhills of North Carolina. The area is named after the waterfall that is over 150 feet wide and two stories tall nestled in the heart of the property.  For centuries, Carver’s Falls has been closed to the public and few even knew of its existence.  The falls are privately held, but can been seen as part of the ZipQuest Waterfall and Treetop Adventure



Events

 * Fayetteville's 4th Fridays are monthly celebrations of the arts and downtown Fayetteville, taking place the fourth Friday of every month, from 6 to 10PM open to all ages, visitors enjoy art and entertainment while enjoying the small galleries, bookstores, bistros and shops full of unique items. Exhibits, entertainment and featured artists all come together to bring the art of Fayetteville to everyone at no charge. Businesses in the 4-block radius of historic downtown Fayetteville participate with artistic venues, featuring the arts in all forms. Every month, 4th Friday features a theme or special event, live entertainment, unique restaurants, cafes and shops.

Buy
Crosscreek Mall is the only mall in Fayetteville, and serves as a home for many major fashion retail chains.

Smaller shops and antique shops can be found near downtown on Hay Street.

Fayetteville also has several flea markets on Bragg Blvd, Raeford Rd and Macpherson Church Rd, all of which sell various eclectic goods on weekends.

Drink
The Mash House Brewery on Sycamore Road offers a wide range of brews from Heifeweizen, IPA and Porter. Reasonable prices, a large restaurant area including an outside dining area, and an interesting mix of people in the bar.

Sleep

 * The Wingate Inn on Sycamore Dairy Road is centrally situated (along with some other chains) and accessible to the Fort Liberty area as well as downtown. Large, clean rooms with excellent service at both the front desk and housekeeping. Complimentary breakfast from 6AM-9AM. Small fitness room and whirlpool.
 * The Wingate Inn on Sycamore Dairy Road is centrally situated (along with some other chains) and accessible to the Fort Liberty area as well as downtown. Large, clean rooms with excellent service at both the front desk and housekeeping. Complimentary breakfast from 6AM-9AM. Small fitness room and whirlpool.

Go next

 * Research Triangle – Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, a trio of cities home to major universities and cultural attractions, not to mention the state capital
 * Wilmington – the beach, as well as Battleship North Carolina and Fort Fisher for military history buffs