Tar Heel, NC

Tar Heel is a small rural community along the Cape Fear River in southeastern North Carolina's Bladen County. Local tradition says the town got its name back when barrels of pine tar were shipped down the river and leaked across the docks. Today, daily life is anchored by the massive Smithfield Foods plant just north of town, which employs thousands of workers across the region. It is a quiet, down-to-earth place to live, offering steady industrial jobs, rural surroundings, and quick access to fishing and boating along the water.