With Research Triangle Park and Raleigh-Durham International Airport as its neighbors, Morrisville has established itself as one of North Carolina’s fastest-growing communities, hosting offices for top companies like Oracle, Lenovo and Syneos Health. In 2000, only 5,000 people were living here, but today, this diverse Wake County town is home to over 31,000 people, many of whom work for one of the hundreds of companies with campuses in the nation's largest research park.
While tech companies are driving the culture and lifestyle of Morrisville today, this community first flourished as a rural railroad depot in the mid-1800s. Morrisville Station is where the Civil War’s Battle of Morrisville took place in 1865, leading to the largest Confederate surrender of the conflict. It’s now the site of the Morrisville Fire Administration.
Through the years, pastoral scenes here have shifted into a dense network of subdivisions, industrial centers and green spaces hugged by swaths of forest. Quick highway access, good schools and a short 15-mile drive into downtown Durham convince many families and young professionals to relocate to this community known as the Heart of the Triangle.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport serves the Research Triangle Region of NC near RTP.
Raleigh and Durham are a short commute from Weston on Interstate 40.
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A quickly moving market and a slight drop in home prices
Homes don’t stay on the market long in Morrisville. On average, properties sell after 23 days, about half the national figure of 44 days. While the cost to buy a home here is down 2% from 2023 to 2024, prices are higher than in Durham and Raleigh. The median price for a Morrisville property is $520,000, compared to the national median of about $405,000. The median price for a home in Durham and Raleigh is $435,000 and $453,000, respectively. On the low end, townhouses and condos in Morrisville start at $325,000, while large estates can reach up to $1.5 million.
Stately brick homes come with golf-course views in the Preston neighborhood, while newly built transitional townhouses are popping up in The Parc at Town Center. Craftsman-inspired homes fill sought-after subdivisions like Kitts Creek.
Given the town’s closeness to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, hearing planes fly overhead is a part of daily life.
Craftsman style homes are popular in Morrisville.
Large front porches define these homes in Morrisville.
Trees provide shade to most homes in Southwest Morrisville, NC.
Housing is booming in Morrisville which is a very diverse community.
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Green spaces, greenways and the Morrisville Raptors cricket team
Morrisville supports active lifestyles with six parks, several community centers and four greenways that connect with regional trail systems, like the American Tobacco Trail, which heads north into Durham. With courts and fields for tennis, pickleball and baseball, Morrisville Community Park is often used for team sports. Northwest Park is a playdate spot with two playgrounds for younger and older kids. Church Street Park has helped Morrisville become an enclave for central North Carolina cricket players and fans. Hosting the Morrisville Raptors, a minor league cricket team, the park received several upgrades after the town was selected as one of two hosts for United States Major League Cricket games in July 2024, including broadcasting equipment to televise the matches.
More than 10% of Morrisville’s residents live within walking distance of the Shiloh Greenway, which stretches from McCrimmon Parkway to Church Street. Measuring approximately 1.7 miles, it offers scenic views and informational signs that tell the story of the historic Shiloh Community, one of the first areas settled by free African Americans before the Civil War.
Crabtree Creek Nature Park, separate from the larger Lake Crabtree County Park nearby, is slated for expansion. The town plans to add an accessible playground, new walking trails and a pavilion.
Church Street Park in Morrisville is a destination for Cricket and tennis players.
Enjoy the beauty of nature with your best friend on the greenways in Morrisville.
A pop up pump track sits in a field at Carpenter Park in Southwest Morrisville NC.
Indian Creek Trailhead in Morrisville is accesable from Town Hall Drive.
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Learning in North Carolina’s largest school system
The Wake County Public School System serves Morrisville and earns an overall A rating from Niche. As the state’s largest school district, it has nearly 200 schools educating more than 160,000 students. School choice is an option for families, and the district has magnet and early college programs offering curriculums focused on the arts, STEM, language immersion and global studies. “People go into the lottery for the magnet schools. You’ll find that around the Triangle,” says Laura Morgan, a longtime Research Triangle resident and Realtor with Compass Chapel Hill-Durham. Morrisville’s Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies, which earns an A-plus rating from Niche, is one of these schools. The high school is housed at Wake Technical Community College’s Research Triangle Park campus, and it offers various tech-based programs, including network management, computer programming, cybersecurity and biotechnology. Students can graduate with a high school diploma and college credits that can earn them an associate degree in applied sciences.
Cary High School has strong community involvement with students in Crossroads.
Alston Ridge Middle School in Cary, NC serves
Panther Creek High School buildings have a modern architectural style in Twin Lakes.
Cedar Fork Elementary prepares students for middle school in Twin Lakes.
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Celebrating Morrisville’s melting pot
Morrisville’s diversity is best illustrated by its various community events, which represent a range of cultures. As a welcome to the spring season, every March the town hosts a Holi Festival, the Hindu festival of colors, at the Cedar Fork Community Center. With unity as the event's central theme, attendance is open to all cultures and faiths. The festival includes dance performances, artisan vendors and food trucks. Every summer, the Juneteenth celebration in Shiloh Park commemorates the end of slavery with live music, vendors, historical presentations, games and a fish fry. Shiloh Park is also home to one of the town’s three colorful murals painted by area artists as part of a mural program. The community celebrates Diwali in autumn with fireworks, fashion and mandala painting in Cedar Fork District Park. Annual Menorah Lightings and Christmas Tree Lightings honor Hanukkah and Christmas in December at the Indian Creek Trailhead across from Town Hall.
The town’s diversity is also represented by the fact that most major religions have a house of worship here. The Hindu Society of North Carolina, the Islamic Center of Morrisville and the synagogue Chabad of Cary are all in town. Morrisville’s Christians, from Baptists to Latter-day Saints, can attend various churches in town.
There is so much diversity in Morrisville with many places to worship.
You have many choices for Houses of Worship within the city of Morrisville.
You have many options to choose from for Churches within the city of Morrisville.
This metal statute at Grace Park in Morrisville represents family.
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Quick access to the Research Triangle and area hospitals
Morrisville is part of the Research Triangle, which includes Raleigh, Durham and Cary. Highway access is key in this region, and Morrisville benefits from this connectivity. North Carolina Route 54 is one of the major highways running directly through town and providing seamless access to Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Interstate 40, a major east-west route through the state, sits along the town's northeastern edge. It connects to I-440 and I-540, which circle Raleigh. Just off I-540 is Raleigh-Durham International Airport, approximately 5 miles away. With Research Triangle Park so close, traffic can be an issue on the highways. “You tend to see it on a Friday afternoon for a long holiday weekend,” says Steed Rollins, a Durham native and Realtor with Peak, Swirles & Cavallito Properties. “Tons of people will pile onto the interstates.”
The town’s highway access puts residents within reach of several area hospitals. UNC REX Hospital in Raleigh and WakeMed Hospital in Cary are both roughly 10 miles away, and Duke University Hospital is an 18-mile drive into Durham.
Go Triangle bus stops are available at certain spots around town, including Wake Tech and Park West Village. The Regional Transit Center is next to Research Triangle Park, providing routes to destinations across the region.
Park West Village and the Morrisville Healthy Food Hub
Shopping centers dot Morrisville, but Park West Village is the main retail destination. Dozens of national retailers, a few restaurants and a movie theater fill this centrally located complex off Chapel Hill Road. More name-brand and department stores are about 12 miles away at the popular Streets at Southpoint mall in Durham. Crabtree Valley Mall, a 13-mile drive to Raleigh, is another comprehensive shopping mall nearby.
Morrisville is notable for its collection of grocery stores. Familiar national chains like Harris Teeter, Wegmans and Trader Joe's are in town, along with a list of international stores, such as Apna Bazaar, Grand India Mart and Al Kareem Grocery. The Western Wake Farmers’ Market is open throughout the year. It’s located at the Morrisville Healthy Food Hub, also the site of the town’s community garden and an open green space for events and programs such as the Music in the Park Summer Concert Series. The hub was created as part of the city’s commitment to bringing its residents healthy food options and nutritional education. It connects to the regional greenway system, allowing thousands of people to get there on foot or bike.
Local restaurants and breweries are plentiful, particularly along Chapel Hill Road and David Drive. These casual to contemporary spots serve a variety of cuisine, from Indian and Italian to American and Cuban. With Raleigh and Durham nearby, residents often visit these larger cities for trendy restaurants and nightlife.
Paragon Theaters in Morrisville has a fully stocked concession stand.
Western Wake Farmer's Market in Morrisville is open Saturdays during the Summer.
Experience innovative and creative cuisines from various parts of India at Adda Bistro & Dining in Morrisville.
Leo's Italian Social in Morrisville is a gathering place where the Italian culture is celebrated.
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A look at crime, climate and the Morrisville Town Center project
Property crimes are on the rise in Morrisville. Morrisville Police reported 703 property crimes in 2022 and then 863 property crimes in 2023. Violent crime is trending downward, with 192 incidents reported in 2022 and 186 reported in 2023. Morrisville Police welcomed a new police chief in the summer of 2024. In October 2024, it was announced that Morrisville Police would receive $120,000 in federal funds for police body cameras and in-car camera system upgrades.
Morrisville experiences all four seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with a lot of rainfall in July and August. While winters are short and mild, a rare snowfall is possible, typically occurring in February.
Squeezed between Cary and Research Triangle Park, Morrisville has little room to grow, and officials expect the community’s population to reach 35,000 people by 2030. Because of this, the town is addressing a need for a central downtown space with the Morrisville Town Center project. The walkable 25-acre mixed-use development will be built near Town Hall and will have homes, offices, stores and civic spaces. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2025. The town is also building a new public works facility to meet growing needs, and various road projects are underway, including widening McCrimmon Parkway and adding more sidewalks and lighting for pedestrians.
On average, homes in Morrisville, NC sell after 35 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Morrisville, NC over the last 12 months is $513,534, down 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
As your real estate agent, Ric Fontenot will maintain integrity, high energy, and resourcefulness in every detail of your real estate transaction.
Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Ric attended Louisiana State University where he met his wife, Susie. The two moved to Boston for furthering their education and careers, during which time they started a family. Ric worked in the hospitality industry as a General Manager at the nationally renowned Legal Seafood restaurant for 11 years. In 2005, Ric and his growing family moved to Raleigh.
Ric is very experienced in all aspects of Real Estate including Residential, land, commercial, investment properties, second homes and relocation. His firsthand knowledge of the realty process, assures that his utmost attention is on addressing his clients’ needs and concerns. Now working with Fonville Morisey, a subsidiary of the nation’s number one residential real estate company. Ric is supported by a highly trained team with expertise in all aspects of Real Estate including mortgage, title, insurance and more.
Ric is a man of faith, an avid hiker and outdoorsman who enjoys travel to all parts of the world. As a devoted family man caring for his wife and three children he understands the need for a good home and family life. His focus will always be on representing his clients at the highest level.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
