Elon, North Carolina

Elon /ˈiːlɔːn/ is a town in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population as of the 2010 census was 9,419.[3] The town of Elon is home to Elon University.

Elon
Town
Motto(s): 
"Deep Roots. New Horizons."
Location of Elon, North Carolina
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyAlamance
Area
 • Total4.02 sq mi (10.42 km2)
 • Land3.97 sq mi (10.29 km2)
 • Water0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total9,419
 • Estimate 
(2019)[2]
12,232
 • Density3,078.01/sq mi (1,188.40/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
27244
FIPS code37-21095
Websitewww.townofelon.com

Elon began in 1881 as a North Carolina Railroad depot in between the stations of Goldsboro and Charlotte, called "Mill Point” because it was envisioned to be a shipping point for area cotton mills. Locals called it “Boone’s Crossing.” Because of a growing population, a post office was built, which established a more permanent residency in 1888.[4]

In 1889, the local Christian Assembly created an institution for higher learning called the “Graham Normal College”. The founders of Elon College named the school “Elon,” because they understood that to be the Hebrew word for oak, and the area contained many oak trees.[4] The town was called "Elon College" until the college known as Elon College became Elon University. The town then changed its name officially to Elon.

The economy of the Town of Elon consists of a variety of locally owned small businesses, manufacturing, retirement communities, and Elon University. Downtown Elon is home to over 20 locally owned and operated businesses including Pandora's Pies, The Root Trackside, Magerks Elon, Smitty's Home Made Ice Cream, All That Jas, Simply Oak Boutique, Cynthia Huffines and Associates Interior Design, The Oak House, Skid's, Mediterranean Deli & Grocery, Coming Attractions Salon, The Wash Board, and the Acorn Inn.

Geography

Elon is located at 36°05′50″N 79°30′44″W.[5]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.2 km2), of which 3.9 square miles (10.1 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 1.23%, is water.[3]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1900638—
1910200−68.7%
1920425112.5%
1930373−12.2%
194049432.4%
19501,109124.5%
19601,28415.8%
19702,15067.4%
19802,87333.6%
19904,39452.9%
20006,73853.3%
20109,41939.8%
Est. 201912,232[2]29.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]

As of the census[7] of 2010, there were 9,419 people, 2,794 households, and 1,357 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,415.1 people per square mile (923.4/km2). There were 3,063 housing units at an average density of 785.4 per square mile (300.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 86.7% White, 8.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 2,794 households, out of which 18.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.4% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 20, 30.7% from 20 to 24, 9.5% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21.8 years.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,542, and the median income for a family was $86,985. The per capita income for the town was $23,313. About 0% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in Elon are part of the Alamance-Burlington School System, which was created by a merger between the Alamance County School System and the Burlington City School System in 1996.

Local public schools in Elon include:

  • Elon Elementary
  • Western Alamance Middle
  • Western Alamance High

Elon University is also located in Elon, North Carolina.

Transportation
Main article: North Carolina Highway 100

Elon University provides a bus system known as the Biobus for use by both students of the university as well as the general public. Certain routes travel from the campus to destinations within the town of Elon as well as the surrounding area.[8]

References
  1. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  3. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Elon town, North Carolina, revision 08-09-2012". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
  4. https://www.townofelon.com/our-community/history-of-elon/
  5. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  6. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  8. /http://org.elon.edu/transit/biobus/
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.