Saxapahaw, North Carolina
Saxapahaw is a community of 1,301 people in Alamance County, North Carolina.
Why visit Saxapahaw
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 3 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Haw River Ballroom, Bingham School, Cooper School and Saxapahaw Island.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Saxapahaw
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Saxapahaw
Saxapahaw is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated area in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, Saxapahaw had a population of 1,671.
From the Wikipedia article Saxapahaw, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Bingham School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
School building in Oaks, North Carolina
Cooper School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Alamance County, North Carolina
Former Saxapahaw Spinning Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Factory in Saxapahaw, United States of America
Friends Spring Meeting House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Historic church in North Carolina, United States
James Monroe Thompson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Saxapahaw, North Carolina, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
William P. Morrow House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Saxapahaw Island
Park · 1.2 mi
5550 Church Road, Graham
08:00-18:00; Apr,Sep-Oct 08:00-20:00; May-Aug 08:00-21:00; Dec 25 off
Restaurants and cafes3
Cup 22
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.0 mi
1711 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road, Saxapahaw
Mo-Fr 07:00-17:00;Sa-Su 08:00-17:00
History
The Former Saxapahaw Spinning Mill and James Monroe Thompson House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The name Saxapahaw is from the Catawban /sak'yápha:/, which is composed of /sak/ ("hill") and /yápha:/ ("step").
Saxapahaw, like most communities in Alamance County, was a mill town built around the community's cotton mill and along the Haw River. The first mill was built in the community in 1844 by the Quaker settler John Newlin, but was later demolished to make way for a brick structure. The current mill building was owned and operated by Dixie Yarns until 1994, when a tornado damaged the structure and operations never resumed. Building remodeling was completed in 2006 and the facility, now known as Rivermill, houses apartments.
The Haw River Ballroom is a music venue set in the former Dye House of Saxapahaw's historic cotton mill.
From the History section of Saxapahaw, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship5
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Saxapahaw
23 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50°F | 28°F | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 54°F | 30°F | 2.9 in |
| Mar | 60°F | 36°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 71°F | 45°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 78°F | 55°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 63°F | 4.4 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 68°F | 5.2 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 4.1 in |
| Sep | 81°F | 60°F | 5.2 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 47°F | 3.3 in |
| Nov | 61°F | 36°F | 3.3 in |
| Dec | 52°F | 31°F | 3.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cane Creek Rsvr (4 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
Alamance County has had 20 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
Alamance Regional Medical Center Heliport (91NC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Swepsonville 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Graham 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Mebane 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Haw River 9 mi north, about 15 min by car
- Green Level 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Alamance 11 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Woodlawn 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Burlington 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Efland 12 mi northeast, about 19 min by car
- Carrboro 13 mi east, about 21 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
- 2008-08-22 Boy scout entrance in Saxapahaw, North Carolina, Ildar Sagdejev ( Specious ), CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saxapahaw Saturday slide - panoramio, Larry Lamb, CC BY-SA 3.0
- BINGHAM SCHOOL, OAKS, ORANGE COUNTY, Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Big bubbles. No troubles. - panoramio, Larry Lamb, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 07 Lucinda Williams Haw River Ballroom Saxaphaw NC 225126, bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
- 01 Lucinda Williams Haw River Ballroom Saxaphaw NC 211848, bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum1, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum3, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum7, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum4, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum6, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum5, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum2, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Dermiscellum oulocheilum8, DouglasGoldman, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lucinda Williams Haw River Ballroom Sackaphaw Cary NC 20220823 011602603, bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
- Lucinda Williams Haw River Ballroom Sackaphaw Cary NC 20220823 011551971, bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
- Lucinda Williams Haw River Ballroom Sackaphaw Cary NC 20220823 011555285, bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
- Lucinda Williams Haw River Ballroom Sackaphaw Cary NC 20220823 011559789, bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
- Scorias spongiosa 346447316, peecles, CC BY 4.0
- 03-1855-William-Parks-Morrow-Historic-Home, MarkMorrow20, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 02-Morrow-Home-Side, MarkMorrow20, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 01-1855-William-Parks-MorrowHome-Front-OrangeCo-NC, MarkMorrow20, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Actias luna 339327493, Alicia Ballard, CC BY 4.0
- Apantesis virgo - iNaturalist 339325250, Alicia Ballard, CC BY 4.0
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