Mount Olive, North Carolina

The Mount Olive High School (Former), Mount Olive Historic District, Perry-Cherry House, Southerland-Burnette House, former United States Post Office, and Vernon are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Wilmington & Raleigh Railroad (which was renamed the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad in 1855) completed in 1840 ran through Mt. Olive on land sold to the railroad by Adam Winn Sr., a prominent free black landowner. Today the line is part of the CSX W&W Subdivision. ==Geography==

Mount Olive is located in southern Wayne County with a small portion of the town extending south into Duplin County. U.S. Route 117, a four-lane highway, runs along the western edge of Mount Olive, leading north to Goldsboro and south to Warsaw. North Carolina Highway 55, which crosses US 117 at the northern end of town, leads east to Kinston and west to Newton Grove. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Mount Olive has a total area of , all land. ==Demographics==

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Mount Olive had a population of 4,198. The median age was 39.3 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.9 males age 18 and over. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. There were 1,624 households in Mount Olive, including 985 families. Of all households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 27.6% were married-couple households, 22.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 44.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. ==Pickles==

The Mt. Olive Pickle Company, established in 1926, is located on the corner of Cucumber and Vine streets. The North Carolina Pickle Festival is held the last full weekend of April each year. The annual celebration is put on by both the community of Mount Olive and the Mt. Olive Pickle Company. On New Year's Eve, the Mt. Olive Pickle Company celebrates in unusual fashion by dropping a three-foot pickle down a flagpole into a pickle tank. However, instead of midnight local time, the drop takes place at 7 p.m. The event first took place on New Year's Eve 1999. ==Area landscape==

Mount Olive is part of the Atlantic coastal plain. ==Education==

Education in Mount Olive is administered by the Wayne County Public Schools system. Schools located in the town include Carver Elementary School and Mount Olive Middle School. On the outskirts of town is Southern Wayne High School in Dudley. Higher education is offered through Wayne Community College in Goldsboro and the private, liberal arts institution University of Mount Olive. ==Transportation==

Passenger • Air: Mount Olive is served through Mount Olive Municipal Airport for corporate and general aviation aircraft and nearby Kinston Regional Jetport with service to Orlando, Florida. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is the closest major airport with service to more than 45 domestic and international destinations. • Mount Olive is not served directly by passenger trains. The closest Amtrak station is located in Selma. CSX freight rail goes through Mount Olive. • Bus: The area is served by Greyhound with a location in nearby Goldsboro. Roads • The main highways in Mount Olive are US 117 and NC 55. • Interstate Highway: I-40 is the closest Interstate to Mount Olive, which is located 9 miles south near Faison. ==Notable people==

• Morrie Aderholt, former MLB player • Leora Jones, former Team USA handball player who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics, 1988 Summer Olympics, and 1992 Summer Olympics • Greg Warren, former NFL long snapper and 2x Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers ==References==