Pittsboro was named a town in 1785 and County Seat of Chatham County a couple of years later. It remained a small village during the remainder of the 18th and most of the 19th Century. During the 19th and early 20th Century the town suffered a lot of racial violence, including some lynchings. It is located close to Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Lake Jordan.

The courthouse burned in 2010 and was rebuild in three years to maintain the same historic character. It sits in the middle of the main crossroads in town, and the large modern annex is located just to the south.

In recent years the town has experienced an explosion in growth with the multi-purpose development Chatham Place along US Hwy 15/501 north of town. Chatham Place also has its own exit on the US Hwy 64 bypass. It includes hundreds single family homes, retail, and restaurants that spread most of the way to Fearrington Village.

The small village of Fearrington Village of about 1,800 is an upscale residential community that also hosts the Fearrington House and Country Inn and a few exclusive shops. The Inn is one of the two AAA 5-diamond facilities in the state. The town still retains the atmosphere of a small English village.

Chatham County also includes several unincorporated developments that spread south of Chapel Hill and have grown to a population of 295,291 in 2020. Perhaps one of the most exclusive developments is the Governor’s Club and Golf Course close to the lake. The large continuing care community Carolina Meadows is located next door.

All five counties surrounding the Research Triangle Park have grown rapidly in recent years.

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