Orange County, North Carolina

Orange County
Orange County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°04′N 79°07′W / 36.06°N 79.12°W / 36.06; -79.12
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1752
Named afterUnknown; possibly William V of Orange or William of Orange
SeatHillsborough
Largest communityChapel Hill
Area
  Total
400.96 sq mi (1,038.5 km2)
  Land397.56 sq mi (1,029.7 km2)
  Water3.40 sq mi (8.8 km2)  0.85%
Population
 (2020)
  Total
148,696
  Estimate 
(2023)
150,626
  Density370/sq mi (140/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district4th
Websiteorangecountync.gov

Orange County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 148,696. Its county seat is Hillsborough. Orange County is included in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023. It is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the flagship institution of the University of North Carolina System and the oldest state-supported university in the United States.