Wake Forest, NC GIS Map
Wake Forest is a city in Wake County, North Carolina, with a population of about 48,948. The map below shows its location, boundary and surrounding roads, with federal GIS layers you can turn on for the area.
- County
- Wake County
- Population
- 48,948
- Elevation
- 388 ft
- Coordinates
- 35.9799, -78.5098
- ZIP codes (2)
- 27587, 27588
- Land area
- 19.9 sq mi
- Time zone
- America/New York
About Wake Forest, NC
Wake Forest is a town in Wake and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. At the 2020 census, the population was 47,601, up from 30,117 in 2010. It is part of the Raleigh metropolitan area. Wake Forest was the original home of Wake Forest University for 122 years before it moved to Winston-Salem in 1956.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cities Near Wake Forest
- Raleigh, NC16 mi
- Garner, NC19 mi
- Cary, NC20 mi
- Morrisville, NC21 mi
- Durham, NC22 mi
- Apex, NC26 mi
- Holly Springs, NC29 mi
- Chapel Hill, NC31 mi
Other Cities in Wake County
GIS Data for Wake Forest, NC
The Wake Forest map loads live federal GIS layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries for any address in Wake Forest without a separate GIS login. Everything below is drawn from public U.S. government data.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland, water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Wake Forest Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
52,844
Households
18,403
Median household income
$123,802
Median age
38.6 years
Median home value
$474,500
Median gross rent
$1,596/mo
Owner-occupied homes
74%
Bachelor's degree or higher
59.5%
Below poverty level
4.5%
Land area
19.9 sq mi
Population density
2,659 / sq mi
County
ZIP codes in Wake Forest
Wake Forest Population Growth
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).
2010 Census
30,117
April 2020 (estimates base)
48,006
July 2024 estimate
56,764
Change 2010-2020
+59.4%
Change 2020-2024
+18.2%
Photos of Wake Forest
Hover over a photo to see it larger. Tap on mobile.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, taken in or near Wake Forest. Credits and licenses are shown in the larger view.
Soils of Wake Forest
General soil map unit at the city center: Hiwassee-Cecil
Soil Properties
- Drainage class
- Well drained
- Hydrologic soil group
- B (moderate infiltration)
- Available water storage (0–150 cm)
- 19.3 cm
- Typical slope
- 5%
- Flooding frequency
- None
Soil Components
- Cecil17%
Ultisols · Typic Kanhapludults
- Cecil15%
Ultisols · Typic Kanhapludults
- Hiwassee13%
Ultisols · Rhodic Kanhapludults
- Hiwassee12%
Ultisols · Rhodic Kanhapludults
- Cecil6%
Ultisols · Typic Kanhapludults
- Chewacla6%
Inceptisols · Fluvaquentic Dystrudepts
Source: USDA NRCS U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2). General soil map data (1:250,000 scale) is not suitable for site-specific decisions.
Climate of Wake Forest
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the Falls Lake, Nc weather station, elevation 280 ft, 8 miles from the city center.
Warmest month
Jul · avg high 87°F
Coldest month
Jan · avg low 28°F
Annual precipitation
47.5 in
Average Monthly Temperatures (°F)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 49 | 53 | 62 | 71 | 77 | 84 | 87 | 84 | 79 | 68 | 59 | 52 |
| Avg low °F | 28 | 30 | 36 | 45 | 55 | 64 | 68 | 67 | 61 | 48 | 37 | 32 |
| Precip. in | 3.49 | 2.94 | 4.19 | 3.69 | 3.52 | 4.12 | 4.80 | 4.71 | 5.27 | 3.31 | 3.62 | 3.86 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Conditions at the station may differ from other parts of the city.
Natural Hazard Risk in Wake Forest
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Wake County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 95.5 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- HailRelatively High
- Inland FloodingRelatively High
- Heat WaveRelatively High
- TornadoRelatively High
- LightningRelatively High
- Ice StormRelatively High
- HurricaneRelatively Moderate
- EarthquakeRelatively Low
- Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate
- Cold WaveRelatively Moderate
- LandslideRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- DroughtRelatively Low
- Strong WindRelatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Wake Forest FAQ
What county is Wake Forest in?
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Wake Forest, North Carolina is located in Wake County.
What is the population of Wake Forest?
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Wake Forest has a population of about 48,948, making it the number 23 of the 52 North Carolina cities listed on GIS Map.
What is the elevation of Wake Forest?
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The elevation of Wake Forest is approximately 388 feet (118 meters) above sea level at the city center.
What ZIP codes are in Wake Forest?
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ZIP codes for Wake Forest include 27587, 27588.
What time zone is Wake Forest in?
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Wake Forest is in the Eastern Time zone (America/New York).
How far is Wake Forest from Raleigh?
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Wake Forest is about 16 miles from Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, in a straight line.
How far is Wake Forest from Charlotte?
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Wake Forest is about 141 miles from Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina listed on GIS Map, in a straight line.
What cities are near Wake Forest?
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Cities near Wake Forest include Raleigh, NC (16 miles); Garner, NC (19 miles); Cary, NC (20 miles); Morrisville, NC (21 miles); Durham, NC (22 miles).
Local notes for Wake Forest, NC
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.