Country United States County Caldwell Area code(s) 828 Elevation 385 m Population 3,758 (2013) | State North Carolina Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) FIPS code 37-32980 Zip code 28638 Local time Wednesday 11:20 PM | |
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Weather -2°C, Wind NW at 13 km/h, 39% Humidity | ||
Hudson is a town in Caldwell County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,776 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
Map of Hudson, NC, USA
Overview
Hudson is a picturesque small town in the foothills of Western North Carolina. It was once known for its furniture industry but as of late for its international businesses such as Shurtape, Beocare and Outdura. According to its most recent census, Hudson has a population of approximately 3800 people but during the day, this swells to over 11,000 due to those who work in town and those who attend school at Caldwell Community College and other surrounding schools. Google recently located a server facility very close to the town as well.
Hudson's landmarks are the "HUB" (the Hudson Uptown Building, the former Hudson Elementary school where locals can gather for special events), the Gold Mine Fine Jewelry & Gifts, the Hudson Library, the Hudson Volunteer Fire Department, the Hudson Post Office, the Hudson Optimist Club, Hudson American Legion, Donna's Cafe, Vintage Cafe, Yesteryear Antiques and Hudson Primary Care.
The town boasts two parks—Redwood Park features a beautiful playground with children's slides/activities, a swimming pool and several ballfields. The Hickman Windmill & Depot Museum Park features the Historic Hudson Depot and Red Caboose as well as a 100-year-old windmill. Music is often performed in the park, most notably Pickin' in the Park during summer months. On clear days, Hudson offers views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including Grandfather Mountain. These views can be seen over Hudson Middle School directly off the US Highway 321 Hudson exit. Hudson also hosts Caldwell County's oldest continuous event (nearly 60 years), The Butterfly Festival which is held the first Saturday every May with attendance of between 8000-10000 people.
New York Times bestselling author Jan Karon attended first through eighth grades at Hudson School in the historic building now known as the HUB. Activities of note in Hudson include the annual Butterfly Festival which is held in May, Pickin' in the Park, and the Fourth of July Kiddie Car Parade. The HUB has been the site of a popular, successful, critically acclaimed dinner theatre since 2003.
History
The Hudson Cotton Manufacturing Company was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.
Geography
Hudson is located in southern Caldwell County at 35°50′44″N 81°29′25″W (35.845476, -81.490337). It is bordered to the north by Lenoir, the county seat, and to the south by the town of Sawmills. U.S. Route 321, a four-lane highway, runs along the eastern edge of the town, leading northwest into Lenoir and southeast 11 miles (18 km) to Hickory. US 321 Alternate runs through the center of town as Main Street.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Hudson has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.7 km2), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,078 people, 1,324 households, and 933 families residing in the town. The population density was 839.3 people per square mile (323.8/km²). There were 1,400 housing units at an average density of 381.8 per square mile (147.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.40% White, 0.13% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 1.10% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.49% of the population.
There were 1,324 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town, the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,562, and the median income for a family was $42,000. Males had a median income of $29,949 versus $22,727 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,519. About 3.7% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.
Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute is located in Hudson.
Media
Notable people
San Francisco Giants MLB pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, a 3-time World Series Champion and 2014 World Series MVP, hails from Hudson and author Jan Karon attended school here during her elementary years.