Carthage, North Carolina
Carthage is a town of 2,896 people in Moore County, North Carolina, founded in 1776.
Why visit Carthage
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 21 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Alexander Kelly House, Bruce-Dowd-Kennedy House and Nancy Kyser Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 31°F.
Weather in Carthage
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Carthage
Carthage is a city in and the county seat of Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,775 at the 2020 census, up from 2,205 in 2010. Carthage is named after the ancient city of Carthage in modern Tunisia (North Africa).
From the Wikipedia article Carthage, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
T.T. Produce
Farm and orchard · 0.6 mi
4873 US 15, US 501, Carthage
Museums and landmarks8
Alexander Kelly House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.0 mi
In Carthage, North Carolina
Bruce-Dowd-Kennedy House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Carthage Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic district in Carthage, North Carolina
Daniel Blue House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
J.C. Black House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Moore County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
County courthouse in Carthage, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes21
Pete's Family Restaurant
Restaurant · American, Southern, Seafood · 1.0 mi
4088 US 15, US 501, Carthage
Ronnie's Chuck Wagon
Diner · American · 1.2 mi
306 Monroe Street, Carthage
Mo-Fr 08:00-19:00
9 more on the map.
History
The town was the home of the Tyson & Jones Buggy Company, a predominant cart and buggy manufacturer in the late 1800s. A common local story is that after the closing of the Tyson Buggy Company, Henry Ford was interested in buying the old plant and converting it into a car assembly line. According to the legend, the owners refused to let Ford buy the plant. He moved on and built his first plant in Detroit, making it the center of auto manufacturing. This story is often repeated despite a lack of evidence, and it runs contrary to the life of Ford, who was born and raised in Detroit and started his businesses there. A few years after being closed, the former Tyson Buggy plant burned down.
Another common local story is that the town was originally selected as the site for the University of North Carolina. Supposedly, city leaders did not want the university built there. City leaders purportedly told the state that Carthage was on too steep of a hill for locomotives to climb and that access to the university would be limited if built there. This often-repeated story does not account for the fact that locomotives were not invented until two decades after the university had been built in Chapel Hill.
From the History section of Carthage, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship6
Good News Community Church
Church · Nondenominational · 1.0 mi
106 Vass-Carthage Road, Carthage
Stony Hill Free Will Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
327 Vass-Carthage Road, Carthage
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries8
The Community Learning Center @ Pinckney
School · 1.3 mi
160 Pinckney Road, Carthage
Healthcare2
Life Care Pregnancy Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
402 Monroe Street, Carthage
Map of Carthage
62 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 31°F | 3.9 in | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 56°F | 32°F | 3.1 in | 0.3 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 40°F | 4.1 in | 0.2 in |
| Apr | 73°F | 47°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 56°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 65°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 69°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 67°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 61°F | 5.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 73°F | 49°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 33°F | 3.7 in | 0.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Carthage Wtp (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Moore County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2025-09-11: Tropical Depression Chantal (Tropical Depression)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-06: Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Moore County Airport (SOP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Southern Pines 9 mi south, about 15 min by car
- Pinehurst 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Sanford 18 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Candor 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Spout Springs 21 mi east, about 34 min by car
- Biscoe 21 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Broadway 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Anderson Creek 26 mi east, about 41 min by car
- Spring Lake 26 mi east, about 41 min by car
- Fayetteville 30 mi southeast, about 48 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Moore County Courthouse on a rainy day, DrStew82, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ALEXANDER KELLY HOUSE, CARTHAGE, MOORE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MOORE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, CARTHAGE, MOORE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bruce-Dowd-Kennedy House Carthage NC, Cohee, CC BY-SA 4.0
- J. C. BLACK HOUSE; CARTHAGE, MOORE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CARTHAGE HISTORIC DISTRICT, MOORE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Blowin' steam - 6317375077, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Pokey Smokey - 6317371099, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Pokey Smokey controls - 6317893096, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Wash down - 6317893946, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Media Vehicle (6109822128), Donald Lee Pardue from Sanford, North Carolina, USA, CC BY 2.0
- News Media Vehicle (6109823284), Donald Lee Pardue from Sanford, North Carolina, USA, CC BY 2.0
- ISS015-E-23431 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-144482 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-144480 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-242172 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-144481 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-144483 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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