The historic city of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is the seat of Cumberland county. Fayetteville is in south-central North Carolina, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) south of Raleigh, at the head of the navigable portion of the Cape Fear River. Modern Fayetteville is the gateway to Fort Bragg, one of the largest U.S. military bases in terms of population.
Fayetteville’s attractions include several museums, including the military-themed Airborne & Special Operations Museum. The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex holds exhibits on the history and development of North Carolina. The Fayetteville Area Transportation and Local History Museum is located in a restored railroad station. Bladen Lakes State Forest, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the southeast, is an outdoor destination. Fayetteville State University, founded in 1867 and now part of the University of North Carolina system, is the city’s largest institution of higher education. Other schools include Methodist University, founded in 1956; and Fayetteville Technical Community College, founded in 1961.
Scottish immigrants who arrived in 1739 were the first European settlers in the Fayetteville area. Two Scottish settlements—Campbellton and Cross Creek—united in 1778 and were renamed in 1783 for the marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution. Fayetteville was the state capital from 1789 to 1793 and the scene of the North Carolina convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution on November 21, 1789. A fire destroyed more than 600 buildings in 1831. A federal arsenal there was seized by the Confederates early in the American Civil War. Union troops under William Tecumseh Sherman occupied the city in March 1865 and destroyed the arsenal.
Fort Bragg, an Army base named for Confederate General Braxton Bragg, was founded nearby in 1918. It became a significant contributor to the local economy. Pope Field, an adjacent former Air Force base, became part of the fort in 2011. Fayetteville has been a manufacturing site for tires, power tools, and automotive products. The city was incorporated in 1783. It has a city manager. Population (2020) 208,501; metropolitan area (2010) 366,383.
