Lillington, North Carolina
Lillington is a town of 4,709 people in Harnett County, North Carolina.
Why visit Lillington
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 28 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Campbell University, James Archibald Campbell House and Summer Villa and the McKay-Salmon House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 29°F.
Weather in Lillington
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lillington
Lillington is a town in and the county seat of Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 3,194 at the 2010 census, and was 4,735 in the 2020 census. Lillington is a part of the Dunn micropolitan area, which is also a part of the greater Raleigh–Durham–Cary combined statistical area as defined by the United States Census Bureau.
From the Wikipedia article Lillington, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Campbell University
School · 4.4 mi
Private Christian, liberal arts university in Buies Creek, North Carolina, United States
Museums and landmarks2
James Archibald Campbell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
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Summer Villa and the McKay-Salmon House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic plantation complex in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes28
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.8 mi
1549 North Main Street, Lillington
Mo-Th 10:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-01:00; Su 10:00-12:00
The Garden State Grill
Bar and pub · 2.0 mi
410 Pine State Street, Lillington
Mo closed; Tu-Th 11:00-20:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-20:00
Rainbow Garden
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.9 mi
121 West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard, Lillington
Mo-Th 10:30-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:30; Su 11:30-20:00
Scooter's Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.5 mi
1268 North Main Street, Lillington
Mo-Su 05:30-20:00
County Seat Sports Grille
Diner · American
1 West Front Street, Lillington
Lost Paddle Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.8 mi
100 South Main Street, Lillington
Sarkus Express Japanese Lillington
Restaurant · Japanese
827A South 8th Street, Lillington
Sweet Magnolias Deli & Grill
Diner · American
9 West Front Street, Lillington
Chopsticks Japanese
Restaurant · Japanese · 1.7 mi
133 West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard, Lillington
16 more on the map.
History
A post office called Lillington has been in operation since 1874. The town was originally called Harnett Court House. The town of Lillington is named for John Alexander Lillington (circa 1725–1786), aka Alexander John Lillington, who was a Patriot officer from North Carolina in the American Revolutionary War, notably fighting in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776 and serving as brigadier general in the state militia.
The Summer Villa and the McKay-Salmon House and Summerville Presbyterian Church and Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Lillington, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lillington / Campbell University
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
300 East Cornelius Harnett Boulevard, Lillington
Churches and places of worship7
Summerville Presbyterian Church and Cemetery
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Shopping7
Harbor Freight Tools
Hardware store · 1.9 mi
129 West Cornelius Harnett Boulevard, Lillington
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Harnett County Public Library and Courthouse
Library · 1.7 mi
455 McKinney Parkway, Lillington
Central Carolina Community College - Harnett Main Campus
School · 2.0 mi
1075 E. Cornelius Harnett Blvd, Lillington
Healthcare3
Fresenius Kidney Care Lillington
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.5 mi
1605 South Main Street, Lillington
Map of Lillington
64 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 29°F | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 31°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 64°F | 38°F | 3.2 in |
| Apr | 73°F | 46°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 80°F | 57°F | 4.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 64°F | 4.7 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 69°F | 6.6 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 68°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 62°F | 4.6 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 49°F | 3.2 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 37°F | 2.9 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 32°F | 3.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lillington (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
Harnett County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 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)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Barclaysville Field Airport (NC44) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Buies Creek 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Coats 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Angier 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Erwin 9 mi southeast, about 15 min by car
- Anderson Creek 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Dunn 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Broadway 14 mi west, about 23 min by car
- Fuquay-Varina 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Spout Springs 15 mi southwest, about 25 min by car
- Holly Springs 18 mi north, about 29 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
- Lillington, NC, Dincher, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Summer Villa Plantation House, Gjm1761, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Summerville-2, Gjm1761, CC BY-SA 4.0
- John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center (Campbell University), Gerry Dincher from Hope Mills, NC, CC BY-SA 2.0
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