Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northwestern North Carolina, Mount Airy is a small town with big city neighbors. The city is 35 miles north of Winston-Salem, 60 miles northwest of Greensboro and 100 miles north of Charlotte. The Virginia border is about 3 miles and the Blue Ridge Parkway is just 12 miles north of the city. Pilot Mountain State Park and Hanging Rock State Park are within a short drive of Mount Airy.

Mount Airy serves as the financial, retail and cultural hub of Surry County and five surrounding counties in North Carolina and Virginia. Major financial institutions, including Bank of America, RBC Centura, Wachovia, Branch Banking & Trust, Southern National and First Citizens serve Mount Airy and the surrounding communities.

One of only 10 chosen nationwide, Mount Airy was selected as an "All American City" in 1994. This award is reserved for communities that have demonstrated success in civic accomplishments made possible by the collaboration efforts of business, government, the volunteer sector and individuals.

With a 2000 population of 8,484, Mount Airy is the largest city in Surry County. According to the State Planning Office, the County populations as of July 2000 is 71,219.

Mount Airy ranks 11th in per capita sales in North Carolina. Fiscal year 2000-2001 gross retail sales for Mount Airy ($592,418,986) account for over 60% of the Surry County gross retail sales ($976,509,987), Retail sales for Mount Airy increased approximately 6% from 2000 to 2001 while Surry County's sales increased approximately 5.6% A comparison of Mount Airy retail sales to those of other similar size municipalities demonstrates the extent to which Mount Airy serves a large trade area. Its retail sales substantially exceed per-resident sales of comparable areas and even exceed many areas with populations much larger than Mount Airy.

Retail shopping opportunities include the Mayberry Mall, an enclosed shopping center (Belk, J.C. Penny and K-Mart); several neighborhood shopping centers; and Downtown Mount Airy, a collection of specialty shops, service stores and offices. The Downtown area is included in the National Register of Historic Districts and features several establishments associated with "The Andy Griffith Show", including "The Snappy Lunch" and "Floyd's Barber Shop".

Surry County is home to over 150 manufacturing plants which employ over 12,757 persons. Almost two-thirds of these facilities are located within Mount Airy city limits. The total county civilian labor force is over 33,940 people. The 2002 median family income is $42,700 and the 1999 per capita income is $23,465. While a number of residents of Surry County are employed in neighboring counties, an even greater number of out-of-county residents commute to Surry to work, providing the county a net gain of approximately 3,000 workers.

Mount Airy, hometown of Andy Griffith, served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Mayberry featured on the popular and endearing television series, "The Andy Griffith Show." Like its fictitious counterpart, Mount Airy is still characterized by many of the attitudes, values and qualities that endear Mayberry to so many people. Some of Mount Airy's attributes include: the sense of community, the emphasis on traditional values, the stability of social structure and the importance of courtesy.

Mount Airy City Schools are consistently ranked among the top 10 in North Carolina. Surry Community College, with 4,000 students and a nationally ranked nursing school, is located with miles west of Mount Airy in Dobson.

Northern Hospital of Surry County is a progressive, 1770 bed acute-care facility with a medical staff of 60. The hospital has 17 specialties including pediatrics, general surgery, orthopedics, urology, ophthalmology, obstetrics, gynecology, oncology, neurology, internal medicine, emergency medical, and cardiology and an excellent radiology department with nuclear medicine, ultrasound, on-site CT and a mobile MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). The emergency room has over 37,500 visits per year in a service area covering over 50,000 people, and over 650 babies arrive here each year. The hospital is nearing the completion of a 24 million dollar renovation and expansion project.

The Surry Arts Council provides entertainment throughout the year with performances of plays, musicals, talent shows, workshops for children and adults and the popular Mayberry Days Festival. One weekend each fall, the downtown streets are closed to automobiles for the Autumn Leaves Festival. This festival showcases crafts, talents, home-baked goods and on-the-spot cooling. Attendance exceeds 250,000 people annually.

Mount Airy is "Home of the World's Largest Open Face Granite Quarry". Mount Airy Granite can be seen in structures throughout the area and county. One of the most notable is the Wright Memorial at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Mount Airy is also known as the "Sock Capital" because of the large number of sock manufacturers.

In addition to its natural assets, excellent location and strong economic base, Mount Airy also possesses a population of warm and friendly citizens. Residents of Mount Airy enjoy life in the relaxed atmosphere that has made the town famous. It combines the simplicity of yesterday with the convenience of today