Editing Wake County, North Carolina (section)

==Geography==
{{maplink|frame=yes|zoom=8|id=Q506215|type=shape-inverse|text=Interactive map of Wake County}}
[[File:NeuseRiverWakeCoNC.jpg|thumb|Neuse River]]
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|857.02|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|834.59|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|22.43|sqmi}} (2.62%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 23, 2022 |title=2020 County Gazetteer Files – North Carolina |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_counties_37.txt |access-date=September 10, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

Wake County is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the [[Piedmont (United States)|North American Piedmont]] and [[Atlantic Coastal Plain]] regions meet. This area is known as the "[[Atlantic Seaboard fall line|fall line]]" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Wake County features gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state's flat coastal plain. Its central Piedmont location situates the county about three hours west of [[Atlantic Beach, North Carolina|Atlantic Beach]] by car and four hours east of the [[Great Smoky Mountains]].

Bodies of water that are located in Wake County include [[Crabtree Creek (Neuse River)|Crabtree Creek]], [[Walnut Creek (Neuse River tributary)|Walnut Creek]], the [[Neuse River]], [[Lake Crabtree]], Lake Johnson, Lake Raleigh, Lake Wheeler, Lake Benson, [[Harris Lake (New Hill, North Carolina)|Harris Lake]] and portions of [[Falls Lake]] and [[Jordan Lake]].

===Climate===
Wake County enjoys a moderate [[subtropical climate]], with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high [[humidity]]. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s °F (10 to 13 °C) with lows in the low to-mid 30s °F (−2 to 2 °C), although an occasional {{convert|60|°F|°C|abbr=on}} or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low to mid-70s °F (low 20s °C), with lows at night in the lower 50s °F (10 to 14 °C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s °F (29 to 35 °C). The rainiest months are July and August.

The county, at the National Weather Service in Raleigh, receives on average {{convert|7|in|mm}} of snow in the winter. [[Freezing rain]] and [[Rain and snow mixed|sleet]] occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damaging [[ice storm]].<ref>[http://www.wakegov.com/about/facts/default.htm – Wake County Facts & Numbers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308125244/http://www.wakegov.com/about/facts/default.htm |date=March 8, 2008 }}. Wakegov.com.</ref>

===State and local protected areas/sites===
{{See also|Category:Protected areas of Wake County, North Carolina|Category:Parks in Wake County, North Carolina}}
* Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park<ref>{{Cite web |title=Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks/annie-louise-wilkerson-md-nature-preserve-park |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=raleighnc.gov |language=en}}</ref>
* Blue Jay Point County Park<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blue Jay Point County Park |url=https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/blue-jay-point-county-park |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Wake County Government |language=en}}</ref>
* Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands">{{Cite web |title=NCWRC Game Lands |url=https://www.ncpaws.org/ncwrcmaps/gamelands |access-date=March 30, 2023 |website=www.ncpaws.org}}</ref>
* Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 6, 2020 |title=A Forest Runs Through It |url=https://cnr.ncsu.edu/news/2020/01/a-forest-runs-through-it/ |access-date=August 5, 2022 |website=College of Natural Resources News |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Park<ref>{{Cite web |title=Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park |url=https://fuquay-varina.org/facilities/facility/details/Carroll-Howard-Johnson-Environmental-Edu-8 |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Fuquay-Varina, NC |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Clemmons Educational State Forest]] (part)
* Falls Lake State Recreation Area (part)
* Forest Ridge Park<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forest Ridge Park |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks/forest-ridge-park |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=raleighnc.gov |language=en}}</ref>
* Harris Lake County Park<ref>{{Cite web |title=Harris Lake County Park |url=https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/harris-lake-county-park |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Wake County Government |language=en}}</ref>
* Harris Game Land (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
* [[Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve]]
* Hilltop Needmore Town Park & Preserve<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hilltop Needmore Town Park & Preserve |url=https://www.fuquay-varina.org/facilities/facility/details/Hilltop-Needmore-Town-Park-Preserve-43 |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Fuquay-Varina, NC |language=en}}</ref>
* [[JC Raulston Arboretum]]
* Jordan Game Land (part)<ref name="NCWRC Game Lands"/>
* [[Lake Crabtree County Park]]
* [[List of North Carolina state parks#State Natural Areas|Mitchell Mill State Natural Area]]
* [[North Carolina Executive Mansion]], historic site
* [[North Carolina Museum of History]]
* [[North Carolina State Capitol]], historic site
* [[North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences#Prairie Ridge Ecostation|Prairie Ridge Ecostation]]
* Robertson Millpond Preserve<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robertson Millpond Preserve |url=https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/robertson-millpond-preserve |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Wake County Government |language=en}}</ref>
* Sandy Pines Preserve<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sandy Pines Preserve |url=https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/sandy-pines-preserve |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Wake County Government |language=en}}</ref>
* Turnipseed Nature Preserve<ref>{{Cite web |title=Turnipseed Nature Preserve |url=https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/turnipseed-nature-preserve |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Wake County Government |language=en}}</ref>
* [[William B. Umstead State Park]]

===Major water bodies===
{{See also|Category:Rivers of Wake County, North Carolina}}
* [[Jordan Lake|B. Everett Jordan Lake]]
* Beaver Dam Lake<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beaver Dam Lake in North Carolina |url=https://paddling.com/paddle/trips/beaver-dam-lake-in-north-carolina-1 |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Paddling.com |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Brier Creek Reservoir]]
* [[Crabtree Creek (Neuse River tributary)|Crabtree Creek]]
* [[House Creek (Crabtree Creek tributary)|House Creek]]
* Lake Benson<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lake Benson Park |url=https://www.garnernc.gov/departments/parks-recreation-and-cultural-resources/parks-facilities/parks/lake-benson-park |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=www.garnernc.gov |language=en}}</ref>
* Lake Betz<ref>{{Cite web |title=LakeBetz |url=http://lakebetz.weebly.com/ |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=LakeBetz}}</ref>
* [[Lake Crabtree]]
* Lake Johnson<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lake Johnson Park |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks/lake-johnson-park |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=raleighnc.gov |language=en}}</ref>
* Lake Wheeler<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lake Wheeler Park |url=https://raleighnc.gov/parks/lake-wheeler-park |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=raleighnc.gov |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Little River (Neuse River tributary)|Little River]]
* [[Neuse River]]
* Shearon Harris Reservoir<ref>{{Cite web |title=Harris Lake Hours & Information |url=https://www.wakegov.com/departments-government/parks-recreation-open-space/all-parks-trails/harris-lake-county-park/harris-lake-hours-information |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Wake County Government |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Stirrup Iron Creek]]

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Granville County, North Carolina|Granville County]] – north
* [[Franklin County, North Carolina|Franklin County]] – northeast
* [[Nash County, North Carolina|Nash County]] – east
* [[Johnston County, North Carolina|Johnston County]] – southeast
* [[Harnett County, North Carolina|Harnett County]] – southwest
* [[Chatham County, North Carolina|Chatham County]] – west
* [[Durham County, North Carolina|Durham County]] – northwest