Sanford, North Carolina
Sanford is a city of 31,478 people in Lee County, North Carolina.
Why visit Sanford
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 94 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Deep River Camelback Truss Bridge, Temple Theater, Seaboard Milling Company and Downtown Sanford Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 31°F.
Weather in Sanford
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sanford
Sanford is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, North Carolina, United States. Since its incorporation in 1874, Sanford has been an active railroad and industrial center, known as one of the nation's largest producers of brick and pottery products. Its population was 30,261 at the 2020 census. The geographic center of North Carolina is located northwest of the city, in Chatham County.
From the Wikipedia article Sanford, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Deep River Camelback Truss Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 6.4 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Temple Theater
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Theater and movie theater in Sanford, Lee County, North Carolina
Museums and landmarks14
Seaboard Milling Company
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic building in North Carolina, US
Downtown Sanford Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Sanford, North Carolina
East Sanford Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Sanford, North Carolina
Hawkins Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic district in Sanford, North Carolina
John D. McIver Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Human settlement in Sanford, North Carolina, United States of America
Lee Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Lee County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Courthouse in North Carolina, United States
Lee County Training School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic school building in North Carolina, United States
Railroad House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
House in North Carolina, United States of America
Rosemount-McIver Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Sanford High School, Former
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
High school in Sanford, Lee County, North Carolina
Endor Iron Furnace
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Restaurants and cafes94
Ichiban Bistro
Restaurant · Sushi, Japanese · 0.9 mi
133 South Steele Street, Sanford
Tu-Th 11:00-15:00,16:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 12:00-21:00
Smoke and Barrel
Restaurant · Grill, Barbecue · 0.9 mi
120 South Steele Street, Sanford
Mo-We 11:00-22:00; Th-Sa 11:00-25:00
Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken
Restaurant · 1.6 mi
813 South Horner Boulevard, Sanford
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
FAT Juniors grill
Restaurant · Burger · 3.8 mi
4900 Womack Road, Sanford
Mo-Fr 06:00-13:30
82 more on the map.
History
Sanford was named for C.O. Sanford, a railroad civil engineer instrumental in the building of the rail lines through the area that formed the foundation of what became the city of Sanford.
Sanford is located in Lee County, North Carolina, which was formed from parts of the surrounding three counties in 1907. On creation of the new county, Sanford and Jonesboro were the major towns in the area. Rather than decide which would be the county seat, the decision was to place the county's new courthouse directly between the two towns. For decades, Lee County was the only county in the United States to have a courthouse with an RFD address. In 1947, Sanford had grown to such an extent that it eventually merged with Jonesboro. The town of Jonesboro became Jonesboro Heights, and the name of Sanford was kept for the town.
The general Sanford area played key roles in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, specifically regarding sites like the House in the Horseshoe and Endor Iron Furnace. Over the following decades, the Sanford area became an important source of coal, brownstone, and brick. In particular, brownstone and subsequent brick production made Sanford a key provider of these building materials for areas throughout the United States.
From the History section of Sanford, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Americas Best Value Inn Sanford
Motel and hotel · 1.2 mi
1143 North Horner Boulevard, Sanford
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Sanford
Motel and hotel · 2.6 mi
2110 Dalrymple Street, Sanford
Churches and places of worship22
Buffalo Presbyterian Church and Cemeteries
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 1.3 mi
2201 Hawkins Avenue, Sanford
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian · 0.7 mi
203 Hawkins Avenue, Sanford
New England A.M.E. Zion Church
Church · African Methodist Episcopal Zion · 4.6 mi
338 Farrell Road, Sanford
Tramway Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 4.9 mi
2401 Jefferson Davis Highway, Sanford
Shopping22
Gas and EV charging12
Schools, colleges and libraries30
Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County
School · 5.0 mi
283 Harvey Faulk Road, Sanford
Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County Rca
School · 5.0 mi
283 Harvey Faulk Road, Sanford
Healthcare3
Map of Sanford
218 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 | 3.6 in | 1.8 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 33°F | 3.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 39°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 47°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 81°F | 56°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 64°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 69°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 88°F | 67°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 61°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 49°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 63°F | 38°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 33°F | 3.1 in | 0.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sanford 8 Ne (8 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
Lee County has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical 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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Moore County Airport (SOP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Anderson Creek 20 mi southeast, about 32 min by car
- Holly Springs 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Apex 23 mi northeast, about 37 min by car
- Fuquay-Varina 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Southern Pines 24 mi southwest, about 39 min by car
- Pinehurst 27 mi southwest, about 43 min by car
- Cary 28 mi northeast, about 45 min by car
- Morrisville 30 mi northeast, about 49 min by car
- Fayetteville 31 mi south, about 49 min by car
- Chapel Hill 31 mi north, about 50 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
- Lee County Courthouse in the Spring, Bigbird78, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Presbyterian Sanford NC, Gerry Dincher, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Baptist Church Sanford NC, Gerry Dincher, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Boone Trail marker in Sanford, Nyttend, Public domain
- Old No 12 - steam locomotive in Sanford, North Carolina, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Old No 12 - steam locomotive in Sanford, North Carolina - Side, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Sanford Depot - 12206482975, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Sanford depot with SCCR 1603, Nyttend, Public domain
- Fifth north of Maple, Sanford, Nyttend, Public domain
- Bojangles Sanford, NC (39739834844), Mike Kalasnik from Jersey City, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- SEABOARD MILLING COMPANY, SANBORN, LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- DOWNTOWN SANFORD HISTORIC DISTRICT; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LEE COUNTY TRAINING SCHOOL; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BUFFALO PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND CEMETERIES; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- LEE AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- JOHN D. McIVER FARM; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RAILROAD HOUSE; SANFORD; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Deep River Camelback Bridge, Aug 2012, Ggpauly, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ROSEMOUNT-McIVER PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HAWKINS AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- TEMPLE THEATER; SANFORD; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SANFORD HIGH SCHOOL, FORMER; LEE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Miss North Carolina Hailey Elizabeth Best in Battle of the Bands at the Lee County Fair, Donald Lee Pardue from Sanford, North Carolina, USA, CC BY 2.0
- St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Old Atlantic and Western No. 12 - December 2012, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Railroad Museum Park - Old Atlantic and Western No. 12 under a blanket of snow - January 2014, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Old Atlantic and Western No. 12 - November 2010, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Rainy Day Reflections - Old Atlantic and Western No. 12 - January 2013, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Old Atlantic and Western No. 12 under a blanket of snow - December 2010, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- WTVD interview (7082318421), Donald Lee Pardue from Sanford, North Carolina, USA, CC BY 2.0
- WTVD Channel 11 (6936244234), Donald Lee Pardue from Sanford, North Carolina, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Working Shortline Locomotive - March 2010, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Atlantic & Western 109 - March 2012, Donald Lee Pardue, CC BY 2.0
- Un plato de chipil - panoramio, Ajuchitlan Del Progr…, CC BY 3.0
- Fair Promise A.M.E. Zion Church, Gerry Dincher, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS043-E-182282 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS038-E-55652 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-182281 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-182284 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-182283 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.