Fayetteville has a long history reaching back to the late 18th Century with the merger of Cross Creek and Campbellton as the Scots settled the upper reaches of the Cape Fear River. It is the county seat of Cumberland County and has a population greater than 200,000, with more than 300,000 in the metropolitan area.

Growth came slowly until WWII with what then was known as Fort Bragg, now known as Fort Liberty. Some small industries, Fort Liberty and Pope Army Airfield and eight defense contractors provide most of the employment in the county. They pump about $4.5 billions a year into the regional economy. The economy rises and falls with the deployment of the military. Some 200,000 trained at the Fort in WWII and Vietnam before deployment overseas.

The community faced its worst reputation in the 1970’s as returning soldiers dealt with drug addiction and protestors lined the streets.

Within the city, the military is represented at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum and Freedom Memorial Park and the Veterans Administration Hospital. Aside from the military, the Cape Fear Valley Health System has the largest number of civilian employees.

Fayetteville Technical Institute, Fayetteville State University, and Methodist College provide a wide range of educational opportunities. The Crown Coliseum, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and the Cumberland Co. Auditorium & Arena provide the entertainment venues. There also are minor league baseball and ice hockey teams.

Fayetteville Regional Airport is served by five regional carriers. The main line of Amtrak between New York and Miami is served at the Amtrak station, that was built in 1911 as the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station. That line is now defunct. The city also is served by I-95, three US highways, and six state highways.

Although it has grown at lot in recent decades, Fayetteville is still primarily an Army town.

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