Belle Grove

Wendell, North Carolina is a growing town about 30 minutes outside of Raleigh, known for its charm, tight-knit community, and endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, entertainment, education, and work. Any age and lifestyle can fit right in, with a healthy mix of fast-paced and slower-paced options available in and around town. D.R. Horton offers new construction homes in Wendell, NC, allowing you to start your life in a new home in Wendell with comfort and confidence. All of our houses for sale in Wendell, NC are designed with modern functionality in mind, featuring spacious, open floorplans and a smart home technology package to fit your needs.

Why Choose Wendell, North Carolina

Wendell, NC, a growing suburb of Raleigh in Wake County, maintains its community-focused, small-town feel even as it expands. The town’s dedication to a peaceful, connected home environment paired with a wide range of entertainment and recreation options makes Wendell a good fit for any stage in life.

You can enjoy museums and historical landmarks, local art, live music, fun community festivals, sports, nature preserves, parks, shops and restaurants downtown, and more in Wendell, providing a great location for anyone looking for a relaxed place to live in North Carolina that still has plenty to do. Proximity to Raleigh also makes a change of pace simple, whether for work or play, providing easy access to many large companies, nightlife, the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, well-known museums, music festivals, theme parks, and more—all only about 20 to 30 miles away.

Events and Activities in Wendell

Full of beautiful architecture, lots of local shops and restaurants, and walkable streets, historic downtown Wendell is on the National Register of Historic Places and home to a variety of local businesses. Wendell, North Carolina lives up to its “Small Town, Big Charm” motto thanks to gathering places like this, which ensure residents never have a shortage of events and activities.

In Wendell, you’ll find the typical holiday events, like Wendell’s 4th of July Celebration with a parade, hot dogs, costume contest, and music, but there are also plenty of unique events to enjoy throughout the year. In the spring, Wendell closes down Main Street for one Saturday to enjoy a town staple: the annual Protown BMX event. The event includes riding clinics and autographs from the BMX riders, or you can simply enjoy the impressive tricks performed by pro BMX riders on ramps in the street. In the spring, summer, and fall, you can check out the Wendell Market, which is a maker’s and grower’s market where you can purchase fresh food, flowers, baked goods, art, and more.

Each year in September, Wendell hosts the International Food and Music Festival, a unique town event full of diversity, food, and culture. Held in the town square downtown, this annual festival offers a taste of food from many nationalities as you wander through the booths. Once you’ve had your fill of all the delicious flavors, you can enjoy games, raffles, and cultural experiences.

Later in the year, you can enjoy seasonal events like the Wendell Harvest Festival in the fall and Wendell Wonderland in the winter. The Wendell Harvest Festival occurs every October, featuring art vendors, live music and performances, a parade, a beer garden, food, games, and a pumpkin derby. The Wendell Wonderland event is a beloved December tradition in Wendell, featuring the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus via fire truck, a Christmas light display in the park, trolley rides, live performances, sweet treats, food trucks, a vendor market, and more.

Apart from festivals, Wendell offers lots to enjoy around town. History buffs can visit the Wendell Museum, which showcases the history of Wendell and nearby areas. Arts and culture enthusiasts can visit locations like The Art of Giving, a local hub for artists and art-lovers with a gallery, studio, gifts and art for purchase, and classes. If it’s live music you seek, multiple restaurants and shops in the area, like Catdaddys Bottleshop, bring in local musicians for entertainment.

Outdoor Fun in Wendell

Wendell, NC is home to many local parks and nature preserves, ensuring residents always have access to a variety of outdoor recreation near home. Wendell Town Park, the largest local park in town, features a playground, athletic fields, basketball and tennis or pickleball courts, disc golf, a shaded and fenced dog park, a community garden, and more. Wendell Town Park also offers the Hugh T. Moody Nature Trail, which is 2.5 miles of scenic, peaceful pathways through the trees.

Wendell, NC strives to create common spaces for residents to enjoy the outdoors everywhere, making smaller, neighborhood parks just as much of a priority as larger city parks. Spots like Hollybrook Park, a city-operated neighborhood park, provide spaces to walk your dog, take your kids to play, get active, or simply enjoy the fresh air. Hollybrook Park includes a 0.4-mile paved walking path, a nature trail through the trees, open green space, athletic courts, picnic areas, and an outdoor workout area. The kids can also enjoy two different playgrounds.

If immersing yourself in nature is more your idea of enjoying the outdoors, Wendell is home to multiple nature preserves. Without ever leaving town, you can visit the Robertson Millpond Preserve, Sandy Pines Preserve, and Turnipseed Nature Preserve, all with multiple miles of trails to enjoy. Each preserve has a slightly different environment to take in. The Robertson Millpond Preserve is a peaceful, 85-acre preserve known for its paddling trail covered by a dense population of bald cypress trees and its status as a bird sanctuary. Sandy Pines Preserve, the largest parkland area in the county at over 560 acres, offers diverse habitats to explore throughout its trail network. The trails take visitors through pine forests and meadows and past ponds and creeks, welcoming everyone from hikers to photographers to equestrians. Turnipseed Nature Preserve features woodland and wetland environments, with one of its top attractions being an observation deck with binoculars to observe the wide variety of wildlife that thrives there.

For even more experiences in nature, the Clemmons Education State Forest is about 12 miles away in Clayton, NC. This 825-acre forest is maintained and operated by the North Carolina Forest Service and offers ranger-led programming, self-guided learning opportunities on nature trails, and beautiful forest and lake scenery. If you want to make a weekend trip out of your outdoor adventures, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America’s most visited national park, is about 300 miles away on the North Carolina border.

Business, Economics, and Jobs

There are several key industries in Wendell, NC itself, like advanced manufacturing, distribution, climate tech, and retail. However, many residents work in the broader area, as Wake County includes the city of Raleigh and is one of the core areas that make up the “Research Triangle” of North Carolina. Being located near the “Triangle” is a big deal in terms of economic, business, and job opportunities, with many major strong businesses, growing populations, and three universities: Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Major employers in Wake County include, but are certainly not limited to, the State of North Carolina government, the Wake County Public School System, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, North Carolina State University, UNC Rex Healthcare System, Lenovo, and Wells Fargo. You’ll find pretty much every major industry in Wake County, but if you’re willing to commute a little farther, Durham County also provides great employment opportunities. Some major employers found in Durham County include IBM, Fidelity Investments, Pfizer, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of North Carolina.

New Construction Homes in Wendell

Wendell, North Carolina is a great location for any homebuyer looking for outdoor recreation, entertainment, education, and work opportunities close to home while maintaining a tight-knit community environment. D.R. Horton’s homes in Wendell, NC are a great option for any stage in life. View our Wendell home listings online, or reach out to us today to learn more about our Wendell communities or our other new homes in North Carolina.