Fayetteville continued to prosper as a regional center of commerce as more roads were built and newly developed river boats steamed down the Cape Fear River. The "plank" road era began in Fayetteville in 1849 when the first and longest plank road in North Carolina was chartered. The Fayetteville & Western Plank Road stretched 129 miles from the Market House west to Bethania, some seven miles beyond what is now Winston-Salem.
    The construction of a federal arsenal in Fayetteville’s Haymount area played a significant role during the Civil War. It was one of only four arsenals authorized by Congress in 1836. It was captured by local Confederate forces during a bloodless encounter at the outbreak of the Civil War, and during the conflict provided Confederate forces with arms and munitions. Union General William T. Sherman and his troops destroyed the Arsenal during his occupation of Fayetteville in March 1865.
    Fayetteville again rebounded from its post-Civil War losses. Fayetteville improved its transportation systems, rebuilt its textile mills, and energized its local produce markets. The railroads came to Fayetteville in 1885. Merger between the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad and the Atlantic Coastline Railroad linked Fayetteville to points north and south along the eastern seaboard.
    Camp Bragg was established as an artillery training site in 1918. The camp’s continued growth and close proximity to Fayetteville helped stimulate the Fayetteville economy. Camp Bragg grew into one of the worlds largest military installations during the early 1940s, and today Fort Bragg and nearby Pope Air Force Base play a significant role both economically and culturally in the continued growth and prosperity of Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Both the Fayetteville area’s industry and the military installations provided that financial chemistry necessary for Fayetteville’s unprecedented growth during the past two decades.
    Today, the N.C. Office of Planning ranks Fayetteville the sixth largest city in North Carolina. Fayetteville’s population is about 126,595 , and its land area is approximately 60 square miles. The City of Fayetteville maintains more than 461 miles of streets.