Greenville is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of and the most populous

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Pitt County Pitt County is a county located in the inner banks (northeastern part) of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 170,243, making it the fourteenth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

, United States; the principal city of the Greenville metropolitan area; and the 12th-most populous city in North Carolina. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's

Tidewater Tidewater may refer to: * Tidewater (region), a geographic area of southeast Virginia, southern Maryland, and northeast North Carolina. ** Tidewater accent, an accent of American English associated with the Tidewater region of Virginia * Tidewater ...

and Coastal Plain. As of the 2020 census, there are 87,521 people in the city. Greenville is the home of

East Carolina University East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university, public research university in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the fourth largest university in North Carolina. Founded on March 8, 1907, as a Normal school, teacher training school, East ...

, the fourth-largest university in the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...

system, and

ECU Health Medical Center ECU Health Medical Center (previously Pitt County Memorial Hospital and Vidant Medical Center) is a hospital located in Greenville, North Carolina. It is the primary teaching hospital for East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine and is ...

, the flagship hospital for

ECU Health ECU Health (formerly Vidant Health) is a not-for-profit, 1,447-bed hospital system that serves more than 1.4 million people in 29 Eastern North Carolina counties. The health system is made up of nine hospitals and more than 12,000 employees. ECU ...

and the teaching hospital for the Brody School of Medicine.

History

Founding

Greenville was founded in 1771 as "Martinsborough", after the Royal Governor Josiah Martin. In 1774 the town was moved to its present location on the south bank of the Tar River, west of its original site. In 1786, the name was changed to Greenesville in honor of General Nathanael Greene, the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

hero. It was later shortened to Greenville.

19th century

During Greenville's early years, the Tar River was a navigable waterway; and by the 1860s there were several established steamboat lines transporting passengers and goods on the river.

Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

was the leading agricultural crop, and Greenville became a major cotton export center. Before the turn of the century, however,

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

surpassed cotton and became the leading money crop. Greenville became one of the state's leading tobacco marketing and warehouse centers.

20th century

For over a century, Greenville was recognized only as an important

market and the home of a small state-supported college, charted by the Legislature in March 1907 and named East Carolina Teacher's Training School, a co-ed institution. By the mid 1960s, East Carolina College had become the third-largest state-supported college, and enrollment approached 8,000 students — twice the 1960 enrollment figure. In 1967, it became

. ECU Medical School admitted its first four-year class in 1977. At the turn of the century, enrollment at ECU topped the 18,000 mark, and now exceeds 29,000 students. Greenville's current economic development began in 1963 when Empire Brush was recruited to the new Greenville Industrial Park established by Greenville Industries, Inc. (a for-profit land holding company) in partnership with the Pitt County Development Commission (established by a voter referendum in 1957) and Greenville Utilities Commission. One of the community's greatest successes came in 1968 when

Burroughs Wellcome GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the tent ...

, a major pharmaceutical research and manufacturing firm, located a pharmaceutical development/manufacturing facility near the city. The site is now owned by

Patheon Patheon is a service brand within Thermo Fisher Scientific’s brand portfolio. Contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) services offered under the Patheon brand include small molecule API, biologics, viral vectors, cGMP plasmids ...

, a Thermo Fisher Scientific company, which employs approximately 1,200 people. The city and Pitt County have also become home to many other major industries and businesses including Hyster-Yale Group, Grady-White Boats, Domtar Personal Care, Mayne Pharma, and DENSO (formerly ASMO). Greenville is also home to The HammockSource, the world's largest hammock manufacturer.

Hurricane Floyd

In September 1999, Hurricane Floyd made landfall in eastern North Carolina, dropping nearly of rain during the hours of its passage. Many residents were not aware of the flooding until the water came into their homes. Most localized flooding happened overnight, and the Tar River suffered the worst flooding, exceeding 500-year flood levels along its lower stretches. An additional 20+ inches of rain had fallen prior in the month from the two passes of Hurricane Dennis. Damages in

alone were estimated at $1.6 billion (1999 USD, $1.87 billion 2006 USD). Some residents in Greenville had to swim six feet underwater to reach the front doors of their homes and apartments. Due to the heavy flooding in downtown Greenville, the

East Carolina Pirates The East Carolina Pirates are the athletic teams that represent East Carolina University (ECU), located in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams participate at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division ...

were forced to relocate their football game against #9

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

to N.C. State's

Carter–Finley Stadium Wayne Day Family Field at Carter–Finley Stadium is home to the NC State Wolfpack football team. It was opened in 1966 and has grown to a seating capacity of 56,919 seats. History As early as the 1950s, State was looking to replace its on-campu ...

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

, where they beat the Hurricanes, 27–23.

Geography

Greenville is located at (35.601613, −77.372366). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.59%) is water. It is located in the inner Coastal Plain.

Climate

Like most of the state and all of its lower areas, Greenville has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

. Greenville is within the

Middle Atlantic Coastal Forests The Middle Atlantic coastal forests are a temperate coniferous forest mixed with patches of evergreen broadleaved forests (closer to the Atlantic coast) along the coast of the southeastern United States. Setting The Middle Atlantic coastal fore ...

ecoregion of the much larger Eastern Temperate Broadleaf Mixed Forests biome.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, there were 87,521 people, 37,402 households, and 18,115 families residing in the city.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 174,263 residents in the Greenville MSA, 130,204 households, and 110,997 residents residing within of the city limit. The population density was 2,364.6 people per square mile (912.8/km), making Greenville the densest city in Eastern North Carolina. There were 130,204 housing units at an average density of 1,100.4 per square mile (424.8/km). The racial composition of the city was: 60.20%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 32.14%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 5.06%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino American, 1.82%

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous peopl ...

, 0.80% Native American, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 1.01% some other race, and 1.29%

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

. There were 25,204 households, out of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.91. In the city, the age distribution of the population showed 18.8% under the age of 18, 28.7% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,648, and the median income for a family was $44,491. Males had a median income of $31,847 versus $26,324 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,476. About 15.6% of families and 26.1% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 20.4% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

As with most of North Carolina, Greenville is predominantly

Protestant Christian Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to ...

, with large concentrations of

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul com ...

Episcopalians Anglicanism is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Euro ...

, Methodists, and various other

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

groups.

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...

, and Disciples of Christ, also constitute a significant portion of the population. There is also a small Quaker meeting. The

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

community in Greenville has seen steady growth over the years, with the migration of

workers to the area, along with significant numbers of people from the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States who work for

, the

, and other employers. There are two primary Catholic Parishes in Greenville including St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother on Dickinson Avenue and St. Peter Catholic Church on East 4th Street. St. Gabriel's serves hundreds of Spanish speaking families and supports a Head Start program in the West Greenville area. St. Peter's Catholic Church in Greenville supports a day school for grades K-8. Pope John Paul II Catholic High School supports grades 9–12. Over the years, Greenville's Jewish community has seen continued growth. Congregation Bayt Shalom, a congregation affiliated with both

Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous sear ...

and

Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generati ...

, has around 80 member families and was previously led by the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

female rabbi in the United States,

Alysa Stanton Alysa Stanton (born August 2, 1963) is an American Reform rabbi, and the first African American female rabbi. Ordained on June 6, 2009, in August 2009 she began work as a rabbi at Congregation Bayt Shalom, a small majority-white synagogue in ...

. The growth and diverse nature of the city's population has also resulted in the addition of an Islamic Mosque and Hindu Temple within the last decade. Greenville also has a growing Pagan community.

Economy

Companies with headquarters in Greenville include ECU Health, NMHG Americas, Grady White, Metrics, and Attends Health Care Products. The city's industry historically was centered on the sale and processing of tobacco, but today the major industries are health care, education and manufacturing. The largest employer is ECU Health (formerly Vidant Medical Center) and the second largest is East Carolina University with specialized manufacturing and scientific industries augmenting the employment portfolio. ECU Health is also home to the robotic heart surgery training center founded by Dr. Randolph Chitwood who holds several patents related to the daVinci surgical robot.

Arts and culture

Greenville is home to a wide range of cultural events on and off the

campus. East Carolina University offers musical concerts, theatrical and dance productions, travel films, and lectures. The Greenville Museum of Art contains local art, as well as rotating exhibitions. Annually over 3,000 children participate in programs offered by the Museum and over 12,000 people visit the museum. Theater is beginning to emerge in Greenville as well. Local groups such as the Greenville Theater Project and the Magnolia Arts Center offer outlets for both performers and audiences alike. Smiles and Frowns Playhouse produces children's theatre. Additionally, student groups such as SWASH Improv offer entertainment at the university and local establishments. Aficionados of sacred organ and choral music have a major outlet in the city of Greenville in the form of th
East Carolina Musical Arts Education Foundation
a non-profit organization centered on the Perkins & Wells Memorial Organ
C.B. Fisk
Opus 126 housed a
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
The Foundation offers numerous organ and choral concerts annually, plus educational initiatives. The impressive Fisk organ at St. Paul's Episcopal Church is also the primary teaching and performing instrument for East Carolina University, with which St. Paul's and ECMAEF make up a strategic alliance. Along with Theater, Dance is becoming prominent in Greenville. The Greenville Civic Ballet and the North Carolina Academy of Dance Arts are the main contributors of dance to the community. The Greenville Civic Ballet, owned by Kimberly Gray Saad, holds performances showcasing different dance backgrounds and styles. They hold biannual performances including Cinderella, Peter and the Wolf, Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker Suites. Greenville Civic offers a diverse dance culture. The North Carolina Academy of Dance Arts is owned by Sherryl Tipton and collaborates with ECU's dance major program. NCADA does an annual Nutcracker performance in winter and in spring does a studio showcase. NCADA keeps a traditional dance culture in Greenville's community. Paired with the innovation of Greenville Civic's performances, the community is thriving with dance.

Many restaurants and nightclubs offer live entertainment on the weekends. In the old Five Points area (in the newly renovated parking lot at Evans and Fifth Streets) every Wednesday in warm months, an Umbrella Market features local growers and producers plus crafts people. This is also the venue for "Freeboot Friday" on Fridays in the fall when there is a Saturday ECU home football game. It is an "Alive-At-Five" style pep-rally with live music, ECU cheerleaders, exhibits, children's activities, food samplings, and a beer and wine garden. The Downtown area is known for its large annual Halloween street party and live music bars. Considering the size of the city, Greenville as a large number of bars and nightclubs located downtown, due in large part to the location of ECU's campus which is immediately adjacent to downtown. In April 2019, Sup Dogs Restaurant was named the Best College Bar in America by

Barstool Sports Barstool Sports is an American blog website and digital media company headquartered in New York City that produces content on sports and pop culture. Founded by David Portnoy in 2003 in Milton, Massachusetts, the company's two primary owners ...

Barstool Best Bar bracket-style competition. In April 2020, Sup Dogs once again claimed the title. Downtown Greenville has seen a huge resurgence since the recession. The area has been renamed to Uptown Greenville and has become the arts and entertainment hub of the area. Currently, Uptown Greenville houses over 20 restaurants and over 25 retail stores. It hosts several events throughout the year such as Sunday in the Park, The Umbrella Market, Freeboot Fridays and the Uptown Art Walk. Uptown has also become a popular residential destination in recent years with the development of new apartments and the renovation of existing infrastructure for residential use. Kayaking the Tar River

During warmer months, residents and visitors also take advantage of Greenville's access to the Tar River. Kayaking, fishing, and boating are popular pastimes along with camping and trail access along the banks of the river. In early 2020, the City Council also authorized the purchase of approximately 163 acres of land north of the Tar River that will be used for the development of an adventure park focusing on outdoor recreational activities such as running, hiking, biking and camping along with lake-based and river recreation. Greenville also features a greenway system of more than 9 miles that connects the medical and educational community with the Uptown District and Tar River.

Shopping

Greenville is the regional shopping destination for the Inner Banks area, since many big-box retailers and specialty shops are located in the city. Large centers include Greenville Mall (formerly Colonial Mall Greenville and Pitt Plaza originally), University Commons, Lynncroft and Arlington Village. La Promenade, La Promenade II, Arlington Village, and Arlington Plaza located within Greenville Blvd, Arlington Blvd, and Red Banks Rd is one of the biggest outdoor/strip mall-type shopping locations in Greenville, housing over 60 shops and restaurants including

Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...

, Talbots, Olive Garden, and Longhorn Steakhouse. A new development called 11 Galleria, on the site of the former Carolina East Mall, features a number of big-box retailers. Already present are Kohl's, The Fresh Market,

Dick's Sporting Goods Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. (stylized as "DICK'S Sporting Goods") is an American sporting goods retail company, based in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The company was established by Richard "Dick" Stack in 1948, and has approximately 854 stores ...

, Hobby Lobby, and

Academy Sports + Outdoors Academy Sports + Outdoors is an American sporting-goods store chain with corporate offices in the Katy Distribution Center in unincorporated western Harris County, Texas, United States, near Katy and west of Houston. For 74 years, it was a priva ...

. This new shopping center will contain a total of . A second

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

recently opened on Highway 33 east along with additional restaurants and retail space.

Historic sites

The College View Historic District, Dickinson Avenue Historic District, E. B. Ficklen House, James L. Fleming House, Greenville Commercial Historic District, Greenville Tobacco Warehouse Historic District, Greenwreath, Robert Lee Humber House, Jones-Lee House, William H. Long House, Jesse R. Moye House, Oakmont, Pitt County Courthouse, Skinnerville-Greenville Heights Historic District, and U.S. Post Office are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Sports

ECU's sports teams, nicknamed the ''

Pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

'', compete in NCAA Division I FBS as a full-member of the American Athletic Conference. Facilities include the 50,000 seat Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium for football, the 8,000-seat

Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena in Greenville, North Carolina, US.Clark-LeClair Stadium, with a seating capacity of 3,000 (max capacity of 6,000+ when including outfield "Jungle" areas) for baseball. In 2010 a state of the art, Lady Pirates softball stadium with a seating capacity of 1,500 has been completed, neighboring a new ECU track and field facility and soccer stadium plus an Olympic sports coach's offices and team rooms facility are in varying stages of completion all along Charles Boulevard, the main entry way for all Pirate sports. Olympic gold medalist

Mark Lenzi Mark Edward Lenzi (July 4, 1968 – April 9, 2012) was an American Olympic diver and diving coach. Lenzi was known for his Olympic gold medal in the 1992 Olympic Games, and his Olympic bronze medal in the 1996 Olympic Games on the 3 m springb ...

coached the

Pirate Men's and Women's diving teams until his death in 2012. Little League Baseball at Elm Street Park

Greenville has a strong tradition in Little League Baseball. Greenville Little Leagues was founded in 1951 and has two leagues; North State and Tar Heel. In 1998, a team from Greenville represented the South Region in the Little League World Series. They made it to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champion, Toms River, New Jersey. In 2017, Greenville again represented the Southeast region in the Little League World Series. In this run, the pitchers threw a combined perfect game, followed by a no-hitter, the first US team to throw back-to-back no hitters. They made it to the United States Championship Game, where they were eliminated by Lufkin, Texas. Stallings Stadium at Elm Street Park is home to Little League baseball in Greenville. Along with Little League success, Greenville teams have also won multiple Babe Ruth Baseball titles. Since 2006, Greenville has sent Babe Ruth baseball teams to Southeast Regional competition each year in two different age groups, with two teams reaching the Babe Ruth World Series; the '06 15 yr. old team, and the '08 13 yr. old team. The 2006 team became the first Greenville Babe Ruth team to reach the World Series in 30 years, along with becoming the first Babe Ruth team to ever win a World Series game, defeating Clifton Park, New York 12–0. In 2012, the 13u Greenville All-Stars advanced to the Babe Ruth League World Series. The 2012 squad advanced to the championship game, falling to Bryant, Arkansas 4–3. Greenville was home to minor league baseball. The Greenville Greenies was the primary moniker of the Greenville teams. Greenville played as members of the Eastern Carolina League (1928–1929) and Coastal Plain League (1934–1941, 1946–1951). The Greenville Greenies were an affiliate of the Washington Senators in 1939. The teams played at Guy Smith Stadium beginning in 1941. Previously, they played at Elm Street Park and Third Street Park. Greenville is home to two major running groups, GoRun (Greenville Organization of Runners) and Greenville Running group. In addition a large bicycling group, EC Velo, tours the city and Pitt County weekly. Sports Tourism is a huge economic driver for Greenville and Pitt County, with the effort being spearheaded by the Greenville-Pitt County Sports Commission (Play Greenville, NC Sports). The Sports Commission has helped secure such national events as NCAA Championships, and starting in 2021, Greenville is the home of the

Little League Softball World Series The Little League Softball World Series is a softball tournament for girls aged 10 to 12 years old. It was first held in 1974 and is held every August at Stallings Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina, in the United States. Little League exp ...

Government

City Council

The City of Greenville has a Council-Manager form of government. The City Council, elected by the people, is the governing body of the city. The Council establishes policy relating to Greenville's government. The Mayor presides at City Council meetings and signs documents authorized by the council. Together the Mayor and City Council are responsible for establishing general policies of the city and appointing members of the boards and commissions. Council enacts ordinances and resolutions; adopts the annual budget; approves the financing of all City operations; and authorizes contracts on behalf of the city. The City Manager, hired by the City Council, is responsible for implementing the policies of City Council and managing the day-to-day operations of City government. Five of the council members serve individual districts and the sixth is elected by the entire city and serves at-large, much like the mayor.

2019–2021 City Council

* Mayor P.J. Connelly (at-large) * Mayor Pro Tem Rose Glover (District 2) * Councilman Brian Meyerhoeffer (at-large) * Councilwoman Monica Daniels (District 1) * Councilman Will Bell (District 3) * Councilman Rick Smiley (District 4) * Councilman Will Litchfield (District 5) The 2019-2021 council's term was extended until 2022. This was done so by legislation, and effected several municipalities across the state. The State Board of elections asked for this delay to "allow these municipalities to consider revising their electoral districts based on new population numbers from the 2020 U.S. Census." The election took place on May 17, 2022, in conjunction with the 2022 North Carolina Primary.

State Representatives

The City of Greenville has 3 members of the

North Carolina General Assembly The North Carolina General Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets in the North Caroli ...

that represent their citizens. They are represented by Senate district 5 Sen. Don Davis in the State Senate, and House District 8 Rep. Kandie Smith & House District 9 Rep. Brian Farkas in the State House of Representatives.

Education

All Greenville schools fall under the Pitt County Schools (PCS) administration. PCS formed in 1985 when Pitt County Schools and Greenville City Schools merged. The 9-member Board of Education oversees all Greenville and Pitt County schools. In July 2013, Dr. Ethan Lenker was named Pitt County Schools Superintendent. As of 2022, there are 13 elementary schools, five middle schools, six traditional high schools, two early college high schools, and the Health Sciences Academy in Pitt County. There are also ten private schools.

Elementary schools

* Ayden Elementary School (K–5) * Belvoir Elementary School (K–5) * Bethel School (K-8) * Chicod Elementary School (PreK–5) * Creekside Elementary School (K–5) * Eastern Elementary School (K–5) * Elmhurst Elementary School (K–5) * Falkland Elementary School (K–5) * G.R. Whitfield School (K–8) * Grifton School (K–8) * H.B Sugg Elementary School (Previous (k-12) now (pk-2)) * Lakeforest Elementary School (K–5) * Northwest Elementary School (K–5) * Pactolus Elementary School (K–8) * Ridgewood Elementary School (K–5) * Sam D. Bundy Elementary School (3-5) * South Greenville Elementary School (K–5) * Stokes Elementary School (K–8) *

Wahl-Coates Elementary School Wahl-Coates Elementary School is an elementary school located in Greenville, North Carolina. It is one of 16 elementary schools located within Pitt County, North Carolina, Pitt County. It is in a unique partnership with Pitt County Schools (PCS) a ...

(K–5) * W.H. Robinson Elementary School (K–5) * Wintergreen Primary School (K–2) * Wintergreen Intermediate School (3–5)

Middle schools

* A.G. Cox Middle School (6–8) * Ayden Middle School (6–8) * Chicod Middle School * C.M. Eppes Middle School (6–8) * E.B. Aycock Middle School (6–8) * Farmville Middle School (6–8) * Hope Middle School (6–8) * Wellcome Middle School (6–8)

Public High schools

* Ayden-Grifton High School (9–12) *

D. H. Conley High School D.H. Conley High School is a high school in Greenville, North Carolina. It was founded in 1970 and named for Donald Hayes Conley, an educational leader and former superintendent of Pitt County Schools. Athletics D.H. Conley currently compete ...

(9–12) * Farmville Central High School (9–12) *

Junius H. Rose High School Junius H. Rose High School (known colloquially as J.H. Rose, Rose High or simply Rose) is a public high school in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Pitt County Schools district. History J.H. Rose High School was e ...

(9–12) * North Pitt High School (9–12) * South Central High School (9–12)

Higher learning

* Miller-Motte Technical College *

Pitt Community College Pitt Community College (PCC) is a public community college in Winterville, North Carolina in Pitt County. The college is part of the North Carolina Community College System. It has an enrollment of over 9,000 undergraduate students with a total ...

* Shaw University (satellite campus)

Private schools

St. Paul's Episcopal Church Pre-School
* Brookhaven Christian School (K–8) * Calvary Christian Academy (K–12) * Christ Covenant School (K–12) * Community Christian Academy (K–6) * Faith Christian Academy (PK–5) * Greenville Christian Academy (PK–12) * Greenville Montessori School (PK–6) * Montessori Today Inc. (PK) * Pope John Paul II Catholic High School (9–12) * St. Peter's Catholic School (PK–8) * The Oakwood School (PK–12) * Trinity Christian School (K–12) * Victoria Christian Academy Christian Academy (K–12)

Media

Newspapers and publications

'' The Daily Reflector'' serves as the main daily newspaper and is Greenville's oldest business. Other notable newspapers that serve the city include ''G-Vegas Magazine'', ''The Greenville Times'', ''The East Carolinian'', ''Her Magazine'', ''The Minority Voice'' and ''Viva Greenville''.

Radio stations serving Greenville

* 1070 AM – WNCT Beach, Boogie & Blues * 1250 AM – WGHB Sports * 1340 AM – WOOW Gospel * 1570 AM –

WECU WECU (1570 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Winterville, North Carolina, United States, it serves the Greenville area. The station is currently owned by CTC Media Group and operated by New Lite Media. History ...

Sports * 91.3 FM – WZMB East Carolina University * 92.1 FM –

WRSV WRSV (92.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Elm City, North Carolina. It is owned by Northstar Broadcasting and airs an Mainstream urban radio format. WRSV uses the branding "Choice FM" and carries the nationally syndicated ' ...

Urban Station * 93.3 FM – WERO Top 40 - All The Hits * 97.5 FM – WLGT Contemporary Christian * 101.9 FM – WIKS Hip Hop * 103.7 FM –

WTIB WTIB (103.7 FM) is a radio station in Eastern North Carolina that airs a talk format. WTIB is licensed in Williamston, North Carolina. History The station signed on in the late 60s or early 70s as WIAM-FM running a Top 40 format and simulcasting ...

Talk * 104.5 FM –

WSTK WSTK (104.5 FM ''97.5 & 104.5 The Bridge'') is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Aurora, North Carolina. The station is owned by Media East, LLC. WSTK offers a Contemporary Christian format as 97.5 & 104.5 The Bridge. ...

The Vine Connection – Tradition Gospel Music * 106.9 FM – WBIS-LPFM Traditional gospel & Christian music * 107.9 FM – WNCT Classic hits * 99.5 FM - WMJV Hot Adult Contemporary

Television stations licensed in Greenville

WNCT-TV WNCT-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Greenville, North Carolina, United States, serving Eastern North Carolina as an affiliate of CBS and The CW Plus. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, the station maintains studios on South ...

– Greenville ( CBS affiliate/

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

on DT2) * WYDO-TV – Greenville ( Fox affiliate) * WUNK-TV – Greenville ( PBS affiliate, part of the UNC-TV Network) *

WEPX-TV WEPX-TV (channel 38) is a television station licensed to Greenville, North Carolina, United States, broadcasting the Ion Television network to Eastern North Carolina. Owned and operated by the Ion Media subsidiary of the E. W. Scripps Company, th ...

– Greenville ( Ion Network affiliate)

Other television stations serving Greenville

WITN-TV WITN-TV (channel 7) is a television station licensed to Washington, North Carolina, United States, serving Eastern North Carolina as an affiliate of NBC and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Gray Television, the station has primary studio facilities on Ea ...

–

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

( NBC affiliate/My Network TV & Weather on DT2) * WCTI-TV – New Bern ( ABC affiliate/This TV & Other Programs on DT2) * GPAT-TV – Greenville ( Suddenlink Cable Channel 23 – Public-access television channel) * GTV9 – Greenville's City Government-access television channel (Suddenlink Cable TV Channel 9)

Voice of America/IBB

Greenville was the largest transmitter site for the

Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is the State media, state-owned news network and International broadcasting, international radio broadcaster of the United States, United States of America. It is the largest and oldest U.S.-funded international br ...

shortwave broadcasts under the auspices of the U.S. government's

International Broadcasting Bureau The International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) is the technical support outlet within the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) (former Broadcasting Board of Governors, BBG), which is a U.S. independent agency. The IBB supports the day-to- ...

. Both transmitter buildings and three large antenna 'farms' were located just outside Greenville. The Greenville Transmitting Station provided shortwave broadcasts for U.S. government-funded, non-military, international broadcasting and served as a standby, alternate gateway for the Satellite Interconnect System to use to uplink programming, should the Washington, D.C., SIS gateway have become unavailable. The station was also a backup facility for uplinking programming to the Atlantic Ocean Region satellite and served as the primary return link of that satellite. For the VOA, the main target areas for the station's shortwave broadcasts were Latin America, the Caribbean with special emphasis on

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

, and Africa. Three complexes, one for management, distribution, and monitoring, and the other two for actual transmitting, formed an approximately equilateral triangle around Greenville. At one time, these formed the largest international broadcasting site in the world. Two of the three sites have been decommissioned.

Infrastructure

Health care

The health care community in Greenville is one of the largest in the state of North Carolina. With 861 beds,

is the fifth largest hospital in North Carolina and is one of five academic medical centers in the state (others include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, Wake Forest University, and Campbell University). ECU Health Medical Center is the only trauma center east of Raleigh and serves as the teaching hospital for The Brody School of Medicine. The hospital hosts over 1,700 licensed medical providers and serves over 1.2 million residents of the region. Many medical offices and clinics along with the hospital and university teaching facilities lie on Greenville's west side, comprising what is known as the Medical District. The East Carolina Heart Institute is open and has added 250 jobs at the hospital along with a six floor facility. A new 418,000 square foot Cancer Center broke ground at ECU Health Medical Center. The 96 inpatient room facility serves as one of the major destinations for oncology patients in Eastern North Carolina. The

Golden LEAF Foundation The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit corporation based in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in the United States, that was created in 1999 to receive half of the funds coming to North Carolina from the master settlement agreement with cigarette man ...

announced a $10.8 million grant in 2018 and The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation also donated $10 million. Vidant Cancer Care at the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower opened in March 2018.

Transportation

Several major U.S. and state highways serve the area to provide easy access to the interstate highway system. Major highways that run through the area include US 264 (Martin Luther King Jr. Freeway), NC 11 (Memorial Drive), US 13 (Dickinson Avenue), NC 33, NC 43 (5th Street, Charles Blvd), and NC 903. Interstate 587 is an auxiliary interstate that bypasses U.S. 264 between Greenville and Farmville. And it overlaps with U.S. 264, connecting the city of Greenville to Wilson and it also connects to Interstate 95, which is located to the west of the city. Signs marking the interstate are expected to be put up in 2022. Greenville's busiest roads are along Memorial Dr., Greenville Blvd., Arlington Blvd., 10th St., Evans St., and Fire Tower Rd. With 2,364.6 people per square mile, Greenville is the most congested city in Eastern NC. NC 11 Bypass is a bypass route of NC 11 that was completed in 2019 after long planning. The road stems from an interchange with NC 11/US 13/NC 903/US 264, bypasses Winterville and the center of Ayden, and terminates approximately later in rural Ayden. A new project called the 10th St Connector Project is also underway to connect existing 10th St to Stantonsburg Rd. Rail freight transport for the city is provided by CSX Transportation, along a north–south corridor, and Norfolk Southern Railway, along a east–west corridor. For public transportation, the

G.K. Butterfield Transportation Center The G.K. Butterfield Transportation Center is a bus station located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named after U.S. Representative George Kenneth Butterfield Jr., it serves as a bus terminus for the Greenville Area Transit (GREAT) ...

connects Uptown Greenville with local bus service, through the Greenville Area Transit (GREAT), and intercity bus service via Amtrak Thruway and

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. (commonly known as simply Greyhound) operates the largest intercity bus service in North America, including Greyhound Mexico. It also operates charter bus services, Amtrak Thruway services, commuter bus services, and ...

. East Carolina University also operates a local bus service called ECU Transit, while Pitt Area Transit (PATS) provides "by request" transportation needs for those that live in Pitt County and not near neither local bus systems. Air service is available through the Pitt-Greenville Airport with scheduled flights daily to

Charlotte/Douglas International Airport Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles west ...

via American Eagle regional partners Piedmont Airlines and PSA Airlines. Greenville is in the process of building a more comprehensive system of

greenways Greenway or Greenways may refer to: * Greenway (landscape), a linear park focused on a trail or bike path * Another term for bicycle boulevards in some jurisdictions People * Greenway (surname) Places Australia * Electoral Division of Greenwa ...

for bicycle and pedestrian transportation. The first section of the South Tar River Greenway opened in late 2009; the second section, linking a small and large dog run park with East Greenville was completed and dedicated in June 2011. The third section, uniting the Town Common (Downtown Greenville area) with the East Carolina University Schools of Allied Health, Dentistry, Medicine and Nursing, plus the ECU Health hospital complex is now in the paid for and planning stage. As of 2022, the NCDOT Rail Division is studying the feasibility of

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

passenger rail transport between the city and Raleigh.

Notable people

* Jamie Brewington – MLB pitcher * Fred Brooks – computer scientist * Andre Brown (running back), Andre Brown – former National Football League, NFL running back with the New York Giants * Brian Brown (North Carolina politician), Brian Brown – politician * Sandra Bullock – actor and producer (East Carolina University, ECU graduate) * Derek Cox – NFL cornerback * Alge Crumpler – NFL tight end * Carlester Crumpler – NFL tight end * Bernard Edwards – Chic (band), Chic bass player and producer * Brian Farkas - Politician and North Carolina state legislator * William J. Hadden – church minister, city councilman * Garth Risk Hallberg – novelist * Josh Harrington – BMX rider * Wilber Hardee – Founder of Hardee's * Whit Haydn – Magic (illusion), magician * Al Hunter (American football), Al Hunter – NFL player * Mike Laird – BMX rider * Erica Lindbeck – voice actress * Ma Haide (George Hatem) – physician to Mao * Rico Hines (Rico Hines) – college basketball player, Basketball Asst Coach * Will MacKenzie – PGA Tour golfer * Daniel Dhers – BMX rider * Dave Mirra – BMX rider * MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) – YouTuber and philanthropist * Greg Murphy (politician), Greg Murphy – physician and politician * Lee Norris – film and television actor * Ryan Nyquist – BMX rider * Mary H. Odom – North Carolina state legislator and politician * Edward Cobb Outlaw – Rear admiral (United States), Rear admiral in the United States Navy, U.S. Navy * Petey Pablo – Rapping, Rapper * Bronswell Patrick – MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants * Tommy Paul (tennis), Tommy Paul – professional tennis player * Lauren Perdue – 2012 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in Women's Swimming * Cornell Powell – NFL player * Rodney Purvis – NBA Player * Ricky Racks – Hip hop artist * Ashley Sheppard – NFL player * Jessamine Shumate – artist, painter, cartographer * Caroline Shaw – Pulitzer Prize for Music, Pulitzer-prize-winning composer * Kandie Smith Politician and North Carolina Legislator * Tom and Matt Smith, Tom Smith – musician, inductee into Jazz Education Hall of Fame * Kentavius Street – NFL player * Supastition — Hip hop artist * Absalom Tatom – U.S. Congressman from North Carolina 1795 to 1796 * Billy Taylor – jazz musician, founder of Jazzmobile, CBS television personality * Lawrence Tyson – World War I general and U.S. Senator * James Harvey Ward – actor * Katharine Whalen – musician, singer, and songwriter * Joe West (umpire), Joe West – MLB Umpire (baseball), umpire * Alex White (baseball), Alex White – MLB pitcher * Jermaine Williams (American football), Jermaine Williams – NFL football player

References

External links

Official website of Greenville, NC

Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce

Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control Greenville, North Carolina, Cities in North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area Populated places established in 1774 1774 establishments in North Carolina Cities in Pitt County, North Carolina