Greenville, NC

Some call it the Gateway to Eastern North Carolina. Others call it the hub of Eastern North Carolina. Regardless, Greenville is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state and a center for education, medicine and athletics.

The county seat for Pitt County, Greenville is 85 miles east of Raleigh and 87 miles west of the Atlantic Ocean. Named after Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, Greenville was built on the Tar River from which cotton and tobacco were transported by riverboat. Today Greenville is a regional shopping draw recognized as the Hammock Making and Water Sports capital of the world.

With a population of more than 71,000, Greenville is home to East Carolina University and Pitt County Memorial Hospital. The hospital, one of four academic medical centers in North Carolina, is a teaching hospital for ECU, which offers many bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs.

Because of its rapid sports fans and the many sporting events it hosts, Greenville has been named "Sportstown USA" by Sports Illustrated magazine. Just one more moniker for a growing city with a small-town atmosphere.