Benson, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Benson, North Carolina
Town
Downtown Benson
Motto(s):  "The Center of Attention"
Location of Benson, North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Johnston
Area
• Total	2.81 sq mi (7.28 km2)
• Land	2.81 sq mi (7.26 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation	236 ft (72 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,967
• Density	1,414.26/sq mi (546.07/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	27504
Area code(s)	919 and 984
FIPS code	37-05040
GNIS feature ID	2405242

Benson is a town in Johnston County, North Carolina, United States. It is located near where two major highways, I-95 and I-40, meet. Benson is famous for its annual Mule Days festival. This fun event happens on the fourth Saturday of September and brings in over 60,000 visitors every year! In 2020, about 3,967 people lived in Benson.

History of Benson, North Carolina

Main Street in Benson, 1925

The town of Benson got its name from an early settler named Alfred Monroe ("Mim") Benson. A big reason Benson grew was because of a railroad line. This railroad was built through the area in 1886. It connected the cities of Fayetteville and Contentnea.

Mr. Benson bought a large piece of land, about 402 acres (1.6 km²), in 1874. This land was along the Smithfield-Fayetteville Road. This purchase started the settlement that became Benson. In the 1880s, Benson sold parts of his land to new settlers. Many of these new people were farmers.

Benson officially became a town in 1887. Soon, many business owners came to the town. They wanted to use its location along an important transportation route.

Who was John William Wood Sr.?

A well-known person from the early Benson area was John William Wood Sr.. He was born in 1855 and passed away in 1928. He used to ride a mule and wagon to Benson every morning from his home near Meadow. He served on the Board of Education and as a county commissioner. He was known for being careful with public money. In 1927, he was elected to the State House of Representatives. The Meadow School was built on land that he donated.

Historic Places in Benson

Two important places in Benson are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the Benson Historic District and the Hannah's Creek Primitive Baptist Church. This means they are special places with historical value.

Benson is also home to Alpha Company 230th BSB. This military unit was sent to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009.

Geography of Benson

Benson is located in the southwestern part of Johnston County. It is less than 1 mile (1.6 km) from the border of Harnett County.

How to get around Benson

U.S. Route 301 (called Wall Street) goes through the middle of Benson. It leads northeast to Smithfield, which is the county seat. It goes southwest to Dunn. North Carolina Highway 50 is Benson's Main Street. It crosses US 301 in the town center. This road goes north to Garner and southeast to Newton Grove.

Interstate 95 passes through the southeast side of Benson. It runs next to US 301. I-95 connects Benson to cities like Fayetteville and Rocky Mount. Interstate 40 passes northeast of the town. It runs next to NC 50. I-40 leads to Raleigh and Wilmington.

What is Benson's area?

According to the United States Census Bureau, Benson covers a total area of about 2.8 square miles (7.2 km²). Only a very small part of this area, about 0.01 square miles (0.01 km²), is water.

Population of Benson

The population of Benson has grown over the years. Here is a look at how many people have lived in Benson during different census years:

Benson's Population in 2020

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,967 people living in Benson. These people lived in 1,309 households, and 943 of these were families.

Benson's Population in 2010

In the census of 2010, Benson had 3,311 people. There were 1,301 households and 787 families. The town had about 1,402 people per square mile (541 people per km²).

The people living in Benson in 2010 were from different backgrounds:

• 57.61% were White.
• 34.04% were African American.
• 0.48% were Native American.
• 0.44% were Asian.
• 0.07% were Pacific Islander.
• 5.78% were from other races.
• 1.57% were from two or more races.
• 7.29% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

About 29.7% of households had children under 18. About 37.0% were married couples. The average household had 2.38 people. The average family had 3.05 people.

The age of people in Benson in 2010 was:

• 27.5% were under 18 years old.
• 9.5% were from 18 to 24 years old.
• 27.6% were from 25 to 44 years old.
• 20.1% were from 45 to 64 years old.
• 15.2% were 65 years or older.

The average age was 34 years.

Education in Benson

Benson has several schools for students. These include:

• Benson Elementary School
• Meadow Elementary School
• Benson Middle School
• South Johnston High School

Notable People from Benson

Many interesting people have come from Benson. Here are a few:

• Jimmy Capps: A famous guitarist and member of The Grand Ole Opry.
• Drew Herring: A driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.
• Hunter Johnson: A composer and musician. He wrote music for ballets.
• John Medlin: A finance executive who was CEO of Wachovia bank.
• Earl Stephenson: A Major League Baseball pitcher in the 1970s.
• Shelby Stephenson: A poet and musician. He became the Poet Laureate of North Carolina in 2015.
• Ray Tanner: The athletic director for the University of South Carolina. He coached the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team to win national championships in 2010 and 2011.
• Robert D. Warren Sr.: An educator and North Carolina state senator.
• John William Wood Sr.: One of the people who helped found Benson, North Carolina.

See also

In Spanish: Benson (Carolina del Norte) para niños