Wake County, NC: Cities, ZIP Codes & Population
Wake County is a county-level area in North Carolina identified by the FIPS code 37183. Our data lists 12 places in it, led by Raleigh, NC, with combined estimates of about 1,493,981 people across those places. This page shows its cities, ZIP codes, time zone and neighboring counties.
What are the key facts about Wake County?
| County | Wake County |
|---|---|
| State | North Carolina |
| FIPS code | 37183 |
| Places in our data | 12 |
| Places with a city page | 12 |
| Combined place estimates | 1,493,981 |
| Largest place | Raleigh, NC (1,038,738) |
| Rank in state | 2nd of 100 counties by combined place population |
| Weighted density | 3,046 per sq mi |
| Time zone | Eastern time |
| ZIP codes | 55 |
Which cities and towns are in Wake County?
Wake County has 12 places large enough for a full page on this site. They are ranked below by estimated population, together with whether each is incorporated, its density in people per square mile and the number of ZIP codes it uses. Raleigh, NC is the largest, followed by Cary, NC.
| Place | Type | Population | Per sq mi | ZIPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | Incorporated | 1,038,738 | 3,248 | 36 |
| Cary, NC | Incorporated | 170,282 | 2,898 | 6 |
| Apex, NC | Incorporated | 59,300 | 2,849 | 3 |
| Wake Forest, NC | Incorporated | 45,629 | 2,587 | 2 |
| Holly Springs, NC | Incorporated | 37,812 | 2,217 | 2 |
| Garner, NC | Incorporated | 31,407 | 1,974 | 3 |
| Fuquay-Varina, NC | Incorporated | 30,324 | 1,994 | 1 |
| Morrisville, NC | Incorporated | 28,846 | 3,307 | 1 |
| Wendell, NC | Incorporated | 19,382 | 1,554 | 1 |
| Knightdale, NC | Incorporated | 17,843 | 2,391 | 2 |
| Rolesville, NC | Incorporated | 8,501 | 1,743 | 2 |
| Zebulon, NC | Incorporated | 5,917 | 1,269 | 1 |
How large is Wake County compared with other counties in North Carolina?
Adding up the estimates for the places in our data gives 1,493,981 people, which ranks Wake County 2nd among 100 counties in North Carolina. The average listed place has about 124,498 residents. The weighted density is about 3,046 people per square mile, which is suburban by our scale. These totals add up place estimates, so they can differ from the official county population, which includes people outside any listed place. See why population figures differ.
What ZIP codes are in Wake County?
The places in Wake County use 55 ZIP codes: 27502, 27511, 27512, 27513, 27518, 27519, 27523, 27526, 27529, 27539, 27540, 27545, 27560, 27571, 27587, 27588, 27591, 27597, 27601, 27602, 27603, 27604, 27605, 27606, 27607, 27608, 27609, 27610, 27612, 27613, 27614, 27615, 27616, 27617, 27619, 27620, 27622, 27624, 27626, 27627, 27628, 27634, 27636, 27640, 27650, 27656, 27658, 27661, 27668, 27675, 27676, 27690, 27697, 27698, 27699. Every code begins with 2, which is assigned to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coast (D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas). A ZIP code can cross county lines, so a code listed here may also serve addresses in a neighboring county. Use the ZIP code lookup to check a single code, or read how ZIP codes work.
Which counties are near Wake County?
The closest counties by distance between the average locations of their places are listed below. The distance is a rough guide to how close the areas are, because county shapes vary widely.
- Johnston County, NC — about 24 miles southeast (center to center), 94,586 people in listed places
- Durham County, NC — about 25 miles northwest (center to center), 426,574 people in listed places
- Franklin County, NC — about 27 miles northeast (center to center), 11,825 people in listed places
- Harnett County, NC — about 28 miles south (center to center), 36,377 people in listed places
- Orange County, NC — about 30 miles northwest (center to center), 93,070 people in listed places
- Granville County, NC — about 32 miles north (center to center), 32,808 people in listed places
What does the FIPS code 37183 mean?
The first two digits, 37, identify North Carolina, and the last three, 183, identify Wake County inside that state. Government datasets use this code to join records without confusing counties that share a name. Our guide to counties and FIPS codes explains the numbering, and the North Carolina hub lists every county we cover in the state.
Where to go next
Combined place populations are estimates from a compiled dataset and are not official county totals.