Hillsborough (North Carolina)

Hillsborough is an incredibly historic town in North Carolina, important to the history of the state. Easily accessible from nearby Durham and Chapel Hill, it has a cute historic downtown and a "small town" feel.

Understand
Before being discovered by European settlers, Hillsborough was home to several Native-American groups including the Eno, Occoneechi, and Siouan tribes. White settlers founded Hillsborough in 1754. Almost immediately Hillsborough, became a place of political and social importance. There were many pre-Revolutionary War tensions during the 1700s and the town was even used as a base for British General Charles Cornwallis in February of 1781. During the American Civil War, Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston camped just outside of Hillsborough. In the 20th century, Hillsborough became a place well-known for its stock car racing, and was even home to Occoneechee Speedway, one of NASCAR's first two tracks. The remains of Occoneechee Speedway can still be visited today.



By air
The nearest commercial airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

By car
Hillsborough is easy to get to by car, located on Interstates 40 and 85 and US Route 70.

By bus
From Chapel Hill, take the 420 ($2.25, early morning and late afternoon) or the OCH ($2.00, late morning and early afternoon). The ODX ($3.00, early morning and late afternoon) from Durham is also an option, though it confusingly stops in different locations depending on the time of day. These routes run Monday–Friday.

Get around
The central historic area is small enough to walk around.

Local bus service to other parts of town is provided in the form of the free Hillsborough Circulator, which runs Monday–Friday.

Do

 * Last Friday, during the summer, on the last Friday of every month, bands and artist meet downtown for the Last Friday festival. Music is always being played along with art being sold on the streets.
 * Last Friday, during the summer, on the last Friday of every month, bands and artist meet downtown for the Last Friday festival. Music is always being played along with art being sold on the streets.

Buy
The Visitors Center and Orange County Historical Museum have gift shops with books and souvenirs.

Go next

 * Chapel Hill – a nearby college town centered around the University of North Carolina. Originally not much bigger than Hillsborough, Chapel Hill has grown to more than 50,000 people and boasts sports, restaurants, museums, shops, and a beautiful university campus.
 * Durham – home to the prestigious Duke University, museums, a small historic downtown, a major performing arts center, and trendy bars, cafes, and galleries.