Mount Olive, North Carolina

Mount Olive, North Carolina
—  Town  —
Mount Olive, North Carolina Location within the state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°11′42″N 78°4′3″W / 35.195°N 78.0675°W / 35.195; -78.0675Coordinates: 35°11′42″N 78°4′3″W / 35.195°N 78.0675°W / 35.195; -78.0675
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Counties	Wayne, Duplin
Area
– Total	2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2)
– Land	2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	157 ft (48 m)
Population (2006)
– Total	4,410
– Density	1,819.3/sq mi (702.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	28365
Area code(s)	919
FIPS code	37-45100[1]
GNIS feature ID	0990457[2]
Website	www.townofmountolivenc.org

This article is about the town in Wayne County, North Carolina. For the unincorporated community in Stokes County see Mount Olive, Stokes County, North Carolina.

Mount Olive is a town in Wayne and Duplin counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 4,567 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Goldsboro, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is home to the Mount Olive Pickle Company, Butterball,[1] and Mount Olive College.

Geography

Mount Olive is located at 35°11′42″N 78°4′3″W / 35.195°N 78.0675°W / 35.195; -78.0675 (35.195086, -78.067528)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), all land.

Mount Olive is part of the Coastal Plain region.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 4,567 people, 1,770 households, and 1,125 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,819.3 people per square mile (702.5/km²). There were 2,012 housing units at an average density of 801.5 per square mile (309.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.98% White, 12.30% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.34% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.17% of the population.

There were 1,770 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 77.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $23,984, and the median income for a family was $31,176. Males had a median income of $26,814 versus $19,224 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,184. About 16.4% of families and 22.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 21.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2006 many residents are of Mexican descent. Many are illegal immigrants.^[4]

Pickles

The Mt. Olive Pickle Company, established in 1926, is located appropriately enough on the corner of Cucumber and Vine streets.

The Mount Olive Pickle Festival is held the last full weekend of April each year. The annual celebration is put on by both the community of Mount Olive and the Mount Olive Pickle Company.^[5]

On New Year's Eve, the Mount Olive pickle company celebrates in unusual fashion by dropping a three-foot pickle down a flagpole into a pickle tank. However, instead of midnight local time, the drop takes place at 7 p.m.^[6] The event first took place on New Year's Eve 1999.

Area landscape

Mount Olive is part of the coastal plains.^[4]

Education

Education in Mount Olive is administered by the Wayne County Public School system. Schools located in the town include Carver Elementary School and Mount Olive Middle School. On the outskirts of town is Southern Wayne High School in Dudley, North Carolina. Higher education is offered through Wayne Community College in Goldsboro and the private, liberal arts institution Mount Olive College.

Transportation

Passenger

• Air: Mount Olive is served through nearby Kinston Regional Jetport (IATA: ISO, ICAO: KISO) with service to Orlando, Florida. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is the closest major airport with service to more than 45 domestic and international destinations. Goldsboro-Wayne Municipal Airport is an airport located nearby, but is only used for general aviation.
• Interstate Highway: I-40 is the closest Interstate to Mount Olive, which is located 9 miles south near Faison.
• Mount Olive is not served directly by passenger trains. The closest Amtrak station is located in Selma.
• Bus: The area is served by Greyhound with a location in nearby Goldsboro.

Roads

• The main highways in Mount Olive are US 117 and NC 55.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Preston, Julia. "Rules Collide With Reality In the Immigration Debate." The New York Times. May 29, 2006. 1. Retrieved on September 20, 2011.
5. ^ North Carolina Pickle Festival - Mount Olive, NC
6. ^ Giant Pickle Ready for Mt. Olive New Year's Celebration :: WRAL.com

External links

• Official website
• Mount Olive Chamber of Commere
• Mount Olive Tribune, a local newspaper
• North Carolina Pickle Fest