Hillsborough is home to a thriving arts and culture scene, as well as many events. View galleries, shops and upcoming events on the Hillsborough Visitors Center website.

Private Development

Private development is a project not undertaken by the town or any other government. The town does list large private development occurring or under review within town limits on the Development Projects page.

Public Projects

See what the town is developing on the Public Projects page.

Hillsborough has green spaces nestled within its trees, including the Riverwalk greenway, which follows the Eno River through downtown.

See the town’s parks and greenways on the Recreation Facilities page.

View recreation facilities available across the county on the Orange County website.

The town issues emergency notifications through OC Alerts, Orange County's mass notification system. The system is a partnership of Orange Water and Sewer Authority and the governments in Orange County. OWASA provides water service to the Carrboro and Chapel Hill community.

See the Ready Hillsborough page for emergency resources.

The town provides regular updates through news releases, social media and a monthly newsletter. A weekly digest of town news releases and key reminders are emailed on Fridays. Time-sensitive emails are sent as needed.

The newsletter is inserted into paper water and sewer bills and included in the weekly digest at the start of each month.

• Follow @HillsboroughGov on Facebook, Instagram and X.
• Follow Town of Hillsborough on Nextdoor.
• Subscribe to town emails.

Meetings of the elected and appointed boards are open to the public. They typically are in the Town Hall Annex, 105 E. Corbin St.

• Hillsborough Board of Commissioners — Meets the second and fourth Monday of each month, typically taking a break in July.
• Appointed Boards — See their individual pages for meeting schedules.

Subscribe to meeting notices and see the agenda and minutes site for meeting information and materials.

The town offers multiple ways to volunteer or help others in the community. Consider:

• Serving on appointed boards.
• Serving as a community liaison to help share information from the town and let staff know of concerns and questions in the community. Contact Communications.
• Improving the town’s public spaces by joining a team to remove invasive plants or attending various workdays, including to remove trash from roadsides and help with pollinator gardens. Contact Public Space.
• Donating to the Water Assistance Program to help neighbors pay their water bills.

Emergency workers are dispatched through 911.  

Fire — Orange Rural Fire Department provides fire service to Hillsborough through a contract.

Law Enforcement — 

• Hillsborough Police Department provides police services within town limits.
• Orange County Sheriff’s Office provides services in unincorporated Orange County.

Contact the Town

Contact the Hillsborough Planning and Economic Development Division using the contact form or by calling 919-732-1270 before signing contracts or purchasing supplies for:

• Adding a deck or room or enclosing an open space.
• Making yard improvements such as outbuildings, fences and patios.
• Adding accessory dwelling units.
• Running a business from your home.

Contact the County

Call the Orange County Building Inspections Division at 919-245-2575 before signing contracts or purchasing supplies for:

• Renovating your home.
• Changing or improving electrical, heating, air conditioning or plumbing systems in your home.
• Adding any systems to an outbuilding.

The Hillsborough Public Works Division oversees maintenance of town-owned streets. Some roads in town are private or maintained by the state.

See the Street Maintenance page to learn more.

The town collects bulk items, such as large appliances, monthly on the second full week of the month, with the week starting on Sunday.

See the Garbage Collection page for items that can be collected.

The Public Works Division provides residential curbside garbage collection services within town limits as a service paid for by property taxes. To start residential service, call 919-296-9600 or use the Contact Public Works form.

• Multi-family dwellings receive commercial services through independent vendors.
• For routes and services, see the Curbside Collections Calendar.

For information on special collections and requirements, see the Garbage Collection page.

Rollout Carts Video

Orange County provides recycling collection services on Wednesdays in Hillsborough. To set up new recycling service:

• Use the Orange County recycling contact form.
• Email recycling@orangecountync.gov.
• Call 919-968-2788.

Rollout Carts Video

Yard waste is collected weekly.

• Leaves can be placed in compostable bags year-round with a limit of 10 bags per household each week.
• Loose leaves are collected November through January.

During the seasonal loose leaves collection, the town offers delivery of bulk leaves for compost or mulch.

See the Yard Waste Collection page for requirements and additional information.

Hillsborough provides water and sewer services within town limits and to some properties outside town limits.

Connection — Service should be requested at least three business days in advance. See the Start or Stop Service page.

Electronic Bills and Online Payment — Water and sewer customers are encouraged to sign up for electronic bills and to pay online through the payments and donations site.

Leaks — Customers may request bill adjustments if a water line break has resulted in extraordinary charges for a given billing period. Customers are allowed one leak adjustment in a12-month period. See the Water and Sewer Billing and Adjustments page.

Rates — To view and understand the town's water and sewer rates, see the Water and Sewer Rates page.

Water and Sewer Services

Emergencies — Report water and sewer emergencies immediately to the Hillsborough Water Treatment Plant at 919-732-3621. The plant is staffed 24 hours. Leave a message.

Sewer Cleanout Pipes and Rings — Report broken sewer cleanout pipes and rings to utilities staff. The broken pipe should be repaired quickly to prevent stormwater from entering the sewer system. The pipe's protective ring must be kept in place. The capped pipes are located on the edge of rights of way and provide easy access to a property's main sewer line. Contact Utilities or call 919-296-9651.

Water Tampering and Theft — If you see a person or business taking water from a water hydrant without an orange meter box, report it immediately to 911 and to the Hillsborough Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection Division at 919-296-9651. See the Tampering and Theft page.

Fats, Oils and Grease — Keep fats, oils and grease out of drains. They will stick to plumbing and sewer lines and eventually cause sewer backups or overflows. Prevent this by:

• Discarding used fats, oils and grease with other garbage.
• Minimizing use of garbage disposals.
• Scraping plates into trash cans.
• Using paper towels to wipe leftover oils and fats from pots and pans.

The town provides fat trappers to water and sewer customers at the Town Hall Annex, 105 E. Corbin St. Contact Utilities or call 919-296-9653.

Wipes — Flush the 3 P's only (pee, poo and toilet paper). Anything else can lead to overflows. Wipes labeled as flushable are not flushable and will clog the sewer system.

No Wipes in the Pipes Video

Easements — Water and sewer easements give the Utilities Department the right to access, maintain, repair or replace a town asset, such as a water or sewer main. 

The town will not replace any plants, fences, sheds, fountains, patios, decks or other structures that impede access to the easement and maintenance of the infrastructure.

Fences over easements require an encroachment agreement and other permissions. Contact Utilities or call 919-296-9630 before installing a fence.

Private Service Lines — Homeowners are responsible for these private service lines:

• The water line between the meter and the home
• The sewer line between the cleanout pipe and the home.

The cleanout pipe's protective ring must be kept in place. The capped pipe provides easy access to your home's main sewer line.

Utility Lines and Devices — Know where utility lines are before digging, and leave access around fire hydrants and other utility devices.

Call 811 to have public lines marked for free. Private service lines require marking from private companies. See the North Carolina 811 website.

Backflow Preventer — Customers with pools or separate irrigation systems must have a backflow preventer. See Backflow Prevention.

Spray Irrigation — Spray irrigation requires a separate meter and has limited days and hours for use. Systems must have moisture sensors and should be checked annually for leaks. See:

• Irrigation Systems on the Water Conservation page
• Start or Stop Service page