About the Town of Leland, North Carolina

Just five minutes west of Wilmington across the Cape Fear and Brunswick rivers, you’ll find the dynamic and growing Town of Leland.  Known as the Gateway to Brunswick County, Leland is fast becoming known as one of southeastern North Carolina’s gems. New residents and businesses are flocking to Leland because of the town’s abundant natural beauty highlighted by the Brunswick River and Sturgeon Creek, small town atmosphere and enormous economic potential.

The town has changed considerably since its early days in the late 1890s as a railroad crossroads. It took nearly 100 years before the area was officially incorporated as a town in 1989. Population at that time was approximately 1,800. The new town saw limited growth over the first 10 years but exploded in the early 2000s. Leland’s population numbered 1,938 in 2000 but grew to 5,189 by the end of 2004. In that same year, the town doubled its geographic size by completing the voluntary annexation of the Brunswick Forest planned unit development. This 4,900-acre tract joined the town’s other flagship developments – Magnolia Greens, Waterford, Mallory Creek, Westport and Westgate – making Leland the largest municipality in Brunswick County. When Brunswick Forest is completed it will add nearly 10,000 new residents to the area. Despite its current population of 9,642 and thousands of new residents on the way, the Town of Leland is committed to maintaining its small-town atmosphere and quality of life as it enters this new era of growth and prosperity.

With the boom of residential growth and the moniker of the fastest-growing town in the 41^st fastest-growing county in the nation, Leland has emerged as the centerpiece of northern Brunswick County’s continuing economic expansion. In recent months the town has seen the opening of a number of commercial centers, businesses and restaurants such as Wal-Mart, Eddie Romanelli’s, Arby’s and Feller, Inc., a leading global supplier of power cords. Several hotels, grocery stores, national retailers and more restaurants are in the planning stages and will soon follow.  

Cultural and recreational opportunities are also on the rise in the town. Leland is the home to a beautiful championship golf course at Magnolia Greens, several parks and trails, numerous churches, a library, two industrial parks, North Brunswick High School and Leland Middle School. A branch of Brunswick County Community College is just outside town limits and Cape Fear Community College and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington are a short drive away, adding to educational opportunities in the area.

With its warm climate, low tax rate, beautiful natural amenities and strategic location providing convenient access to Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Southport and area beaches, Leland is and will continue as the place to be in southeastern North Carolina.