Chatham County, named after William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, covers 707 square miles in central North Carolina.
It lies just south of Orange County and Chapel Hill, and its northern area has become popular for retirees from other regions of the U.S. who want the rural feel of Chatham County near the academic environment of the university town to the north.
The county seat is Pittsboro, also named in honor of William Pitt. Like northern Chatham County, Pittsboro, too, is experiencing tensions between natives and the newcomers as traditional farmland sprouts subdivisions and tournament-class golf villages.
A thriving arts community, especially in the pottery arts, has grown up in the county, giving some areas an unusual bohemian-rural feel.
Helpful Chatham County links
