Knightdale

The town began sometime around 1730, with the construction of a single dwelling by John Hinton. After the Civil War ended in 1865 residents of the area set to rebuilding what had been pillaged during the war years. The city of Raleigh saw a tremendous surge in its population and as a result Wake County redrew the map of the County and divided it into Townships. The area that became Knightdale was located in St. Matthew's Township, where it still is today. For many years thereafter Knightdale was a crossroads served only by a post office.

Near the end of the nineteenth century, many citizens of this area saw the need to establish a town. One of these people was Mr. Henry Haywood Knight. Mr. Knight donated some of his vast land holdings in the area to the Norfolk and Southern Railroad Company in the hopes that a railroad would come to the area.

After the coming of the railroad and the depot, life and commerce in this area began to move at a faster pace. The railroad moved timber and farm products to the market and moved people to Raleigh. As the need for more railroad workers increased, Norfolk and Southern moved many families into the community to take care of the railroad. Many of the older homes in Knightdale were built specifically for the use of railroad workers and their families. The railroad stationmaster's house still exists today along the tracks on Railroad Street.

Knightdale received its articles of official incorporation from the North Carolina Legislature on March 9, 1927. As the importance of the railroad diminished in the lives of people of Knightdale, the importance of the car increased. Since the 1960's, new businesses in Knightdale have primarily located along Highway 64, which was widened to four lanes in the 1970's.

Between 1990 and 2000 Knightdale's population increased from 1,700 to more than 6,000 residents, making it the 13th fastest growing town in North Carolina.

So here you are. You have made to the Greater Research Triangle area. Good choice! Many people have decided that living here will provide the very best lifestyle available, including buying a home in Knightdale, landing the best employment and even finding the best schools and/or or higher education. Thousands of people have made the decision to relocate to the Research Triangle, just like you. A newcomer will find why the Greater Research Triangle has ranked as one of the best regions in North Carolina to live or work, to buy the best real estate, to start a business, to raise a family, or even to retire.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN KNIGHTDALE

Exploring life in Knightdale is a good decision, and here are fun things to know:

*Recreation Center - The new Recreation Center is part of a 169-acre tract that also includes a Community Park, Knightdale High School and Forestville Road Elementary School. The Community Park encompasses 4 ball fields, 2 soccer fields, a playground and lots of room to expand in the future.

*Christmas Parade - Bring in the Holiday season with the annual Christmas Parade held the 1st Saturday in December - 2:00pm - Downtown Knightdale.

*Knightdale Environmental Education Park - is located behind Knightdale Town Hall on Steeple Square Court. The park offers a half-mile walking trail, picnic shelters, four environmental sculptures and two observation overlooks

KNIGHTDALE'S GOOD LIFE

It has become almost routine for Knightdale to be praised as a wonderful place to live. Residents' testimonials, articles and various organizations bestow glowing reviews and accolades about living here. With these superlatives publicized for so long, the Research Triangle area's fame as a great place to live has been a magnet attracting people, like you, to explore and relocate.

This sense of the Knightdale good life is expressed on the website of the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce:

"Several years ago, Knightdale adopted as its motto “Living at its Best”. Since then, that motto has become more and more appropriate for Our Town.

"Previously viewed as an interim location between "where you are and where you want to be," Knightdale has matured into a desirable destination of its very own. The opening of Hwy 64/264 Bypass and I-540 have made Knightdale more convenient and easily accessible to/from all parts of the Triangle Region than ever before. The community’s growing healthcare component has also brought access to quality care, by opening the doors of Duke Medical Plaza Knightdale and Rex Healthcare - Knightdale in Spring 2009. Almost overnight, Knightdale was transformed into an attractive place to live, work, play, shop, learn, raise a family, retire or just visit again and again.

"Our convenient location, just six miles east of downtown Raleigh, the state capital, offers the best of both worlds: large city amenities with major sports, museums and arts, recreation areas for fishing, boating, and watersports, and a sense of close-knit community that can only be found in a small town. Here, you’ll find a central location for peaceful living and easy e and convenient access to the state’s most important metropolitan centers, beaches and mountains...endless opportunities to discover and enjoy the best that North Carolina has to offer -- much of which can be experienced in a leisurely daytrip!

"Knightdale continues to experience economic growth, while still maintaining the sense of community that can only be experienced in a small town. In Knightdale, we are big enough to offer many cultural, recreational, and employment opportunities, yet small enough to maintain our identity as a community."

KNIGHTDALE'S NEIGHBORS

Knightdale is one of 32 sister communities in the Greater Research Triangle region:

Angier

Apex

Benson

Butner

Carrboro

Cary

Chapel Hill

Clayton

Creedmoor

Durham

Franklinton

Fuquay-Varina

Garner

Henderson

Hillsborough

Holly Springs

Knightdale

Louisburg

Mebane

Morrisville

Oxford

Pittsboro

Raleigh

Rolesville

Roxboro

Selma

Siler City

Smithfield

Wake Forest

Wendell

Youngsville

Zebulon

WHY MOVE TO KNIGHTDALE?

Knightdale and her neighboring communities share several common benefits. The first great reason to live in the Greater Research Triangle is a wonderful climate. Spring and summer are filled with a bouquet of blossoms that flood the visual and olfactory senses. Parks and beautiful homes treat citizens and visitors alike with colors as if from the palette of a great landscape painter. The fall blazes with glorious colors so awesome that it almost takes your breath away. The winters are mild, and every now and then, the students get a day off for a light snow. It rarely gets below freezing. How could anyone not like the weather and climate in Knightdale, North Carolina?

The second reason to live in Knightdale is that it is a great place to buy a home. Knightdale real estate is affordable. Newcomers can choose between well- established homes for sale or new homes in outstanding new home communities. You can choose a lot and build a custom home. Simply select a homebuilder from the many in Greater Research Triangle. A qualified REALTOR®, real estate agent, mortgage broker or loan officer can assist in the home purchase process and can guide you through the process of finding and buying real estate in Knightdale.

Schools are another reason Greater Research Triangle is a wonderful place to live. Oh yeah - families especially love the schools in Knightdale. In fact, some of the best schools in Greater Research Triangle are found in Knightdale. The Wake County Public Schools System, frequently cited for several outstanding programs, services Knightdale. Knightdale schools are considered safe places for students.

EDUCATION IN KNIGHTDALE

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

To better help you select the best schools in Knightdale, North Carolina, read what the Wake County Public School System says on its website.

"WCPSS is North Carolina's largest school district. In recent years, Wake County's school population has grown by thousands of new students each year. As a result, WCPSS is constantly opening new schools and it has had a direct impact on where many children attend school. In the past, student assignment was a yearly decision aimed at filling new schools, reducing crowding at existing schools, minimizing bus rides and promoting diversity goals. This year for the first time, the Board of Education approved a three-year assignment plan for 2009-2012. By using better technology to predict growth and information from our school construction program, this new plan will provide families with more advanced notice of school assignments for their students.

"WCPSS offers a wide variety of magnet school programs offering innovative approaches to learning (Creative Arts and Sciences, Gifted and Talented, Active Learning & Technology, International Baccalaureate, Leadership, Montessori, Museums, and Year-Round programs, for example). Entry into these programs is by lottery. You should familiarize yourself with the available programs to determine if there's one particularly suited to your child."

-Wake County Public School System

PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH A KNIGHTDALE ADDRESS

Elementary Schools in Knightdale:

Forestville Road Elementary School

Hodge Road Elementary School

Knightdale Elementary School

Lockhart Elementary School

Middle Schools in Knightdale:

The Wake County Public School System provides middle schools for Knightdale students, but there are no middle schools with a Knightdale address.

High Schools in Knightdale:

Knightdale High School

CHARTER SCHOOLS IN NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina charter schools are independent public schools that exist to offer Knightdale students, parents and educators choices in teaching, learning methods and environments. An emphasis is placed on innovation and accountability with improved student achievement the common goal.

There are now nearly 5,000 public charter schools in 39 states and the District of Columbia, educating more than 1.6 million public charter school students. North Carolina public charter schools are intended to improve North Carolina's traditional public school system.

Any Knightdale charter school, while independently operated, must meet four requirements, like any other North Carolina public school:
*Tuition-free and open to every student who wishes to enroll; *Non-sectarian, and do not discriminate on any basis;

*Publicly funded by local, state and federal tax dollars like other public schools; *Held accountable to state and federal academic standards.

List of Charter Schools in Knightdale:

There are no charter schools with a Knightdale address.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITH A KNIGHTDALE ADDRESS

Private schools, also known as independent schools or non-state schools, are not administered by Knightdale, North Carolina, or the Federal government; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public funding. Knightdale students can get a scholarship into a private school, which makes the cost cheaper, depending on a talent the student may have, such as a sport scholarship, art scholarship, academic scholarship.

List of Private Schools in Knightdale:

There are no private schools with a Knightdale address.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES IN AND NEAR KNIGHTDALE

Higher education in the Greater Research Triangle region is another great reason to live in Knightdale, North Carolina. The local colleges and universities contribute more than just classrooms, by also bringing the best in sports and cultural offerings to the Research Triangle communities at large. If your life calls for upper level learning, choose from the following list of universities, colleges and community colleges:

Duke University

Knightdale Technical Community College

Johnston Community College

Louisburg College

Meredith College

North Carolina Central University

North Carolina State University

Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

St. Augustine’s College

Shaw University

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Vance-Granville Community College

Wake Technical Community College

William Peace College

So, whether you are researching the Greater Research Triangle region and getting a feel for living here, or if you are learning about your education options, or if you have definitely decided to purchase a home in Knightdale, even if only from across town- congratulations, and...

Welcome HERE to Knightdale, North Carolina