Orange County, located in the Piedmont [5] region of North Carolina, was formed in 1752 from Johnston [13], Bladen [14], and Granville [15] Counties and named for William V of Orange, the infant grandson of King George III of England. Early inhabitants of the area included the Eno [16], Occaneechi [17], and Haw Indians. English, German [18], Scotch-Irish [19], and Welsh [20] settlers later populated the region. The village of Occaneechi on the Great Trading Path was visited by explorer John Lawson [21] in 1701. Hillsborough [22], the county seat, was incorporated in 1759 as Childsburgh, named after Attorney General Thomas Childs; in 1766, the name was changed to Hillsborough in honor of Wills Hill, earl of Hillsborough. The town had a central role in the War of the Regulation [23] (1764-71). Hillsborough maintains a substantial historic district with many important properties. Other communities in the county include Chapel Hill [24], Carrboro [25], Cedar Grove, Efland, Caldwell, Carr, and part of Mebane [26]. Notable physical features of Orange County include the Eno River, Couch Mountain, Lake Michael, Turkey Hill Creek, Blackwood Mountain, and Chestnut Ridge.

Orange County is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill [12], which was chartered in 1789 and is the nation's oldest state university. Many cultural, historic, and educational institutions are associated with the university, including several libraries housing important historical collections, the Carolina Playmakers [27] and Paul Green Theater, the Morehead Planetarium [28], and the Ackland Art Museum [29]. Apart from campus buildings, Chapel Hill's historic structures include the Horace Williams House [30] and the Episcopal Chapel of the Cross. Non-university-related cultural institutions in Orange County include the ArtsCenter [31] in Carrboro and the Jewish Heritage Foundation [32]. Orange County hosts several popular annual events, such as the Festifall street fair in Chapel Hill, Hillsborough Hog Day, the Hillsborough Candlelight Christmas Tour, and the Occaneechi-Saponi Spring Festival and Pow Wow.

Orange County agricultural commodities include corn, tobacco [33], dairy products [34], berries, horses, sheep, and swine [35]. Manufactured goods from the county include food products, tobacco products, rubber, chemicals, paper, apparel, and furniture. Topaz, hematite, granite, and clay are mined in the county. As part of the thriving Triangle area, Orange County continues to move toward greater urbanization. The county's estimated population in 2004 was 120,900.