Town of Benson Economic Development
Benson, NC
Small town, proud roots
Location - Benson, North Carolina is a town in Johnston County 22 miles south-southeast of Raleigh. Benson's drive-time populations are 15,576 within a five-mile drive, 66,746 within a 10-mile drive, and 148,169 within a 15-mile drive.
Situated at the intersection of I-95 and I-40, the town is within a two-hour drive of the Atlantic coast and three hours from the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town is positioned roughly at the mid-point between Miami and Boston.
Climate - Sandwiched between two river basins, the Neuse and the Cape Fear, where North Carolina's Piedmont Region meets the Coastal Plain, the Benson area is blessed with a temperate climate, rich soil and long growing season. These factors combine to assure that agriculture would play a key role in the growth of the community.
Industry & Economy - Although agriculture remains important, recent years have seen a broad diversification of the eastern North Carolina economy, particularly in manufacturing and biotechnology. Thanks in part to its fortunate location at the crossroads of two major Interstates, Benson finds itself at the heart of this robust new economic activity.
Lifestyle - You can't really talk about the Town of Benson without mentioning lifestyle. Here, just beyond the edge of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area, residents enjoy the best of two worlds: close enough to big city diversions, yet far enough away to preserve the relaxed, small town, family-centered way of life that makes Benson so special.
Recreation - Thanks to our mild four-season climate, outdoor recreation helps define the Benson lifestyle. Our outstanding Parks and Recreation Department keeps the community active with a full slate of team sports, senior programs and tennis activities. Golf can be enjoyed year round, and the surrounding area has bountiful opportunities for fishing, hunting, boating, camping and hiking.
Events - Benson citizens love a good get-together, and the biggest in Johnston County takes place here every September. Benson Mule Days began as a harvest festival to honor the surrounding farm community and its beast of burden, the mule. Today, an estimated 50,000 people annually attend the three-day celebration featuring arts and crafts, barbecue, beauty queens, bluegrass music, parades, rodeos, and street dances.