Historically, Apex was a Railroad Town.  A Railroad Station was chartered in 1854, but it would not see its first train until 1869.  The original settlers came to the area in the 1860's and the Town was Incorporated in 1873.  There are several opinions about how the town got it's name.  One theory is that Apex represents the highest point on a 30-mile section of the Chatham Railroad en route to Raleigh.  Steam engines used to stop at the "Apex" to take on water for their descent into Raleigh.  Another theory is that Apex lies between two water sheds.  The Neuse River to the North, and the Cape Fear River to the South and it is the highest point in the area.  On Salem Street in Downtown Apex, it is said that rain falling on one side of the street will end up in the Neuse River Basin, while rain falling on the other side of the street will end up in the Cape Fear River Basin.  As the Town was surrounded by vast pine forests, early industry included lumber, saw mills, as well as tar, pitch, and turpentine which were manufactured and shipped from the rail station.  With lumber abundant, the original town was built of wood, but after several devastating and tragic fires, the town decided to rebuild with fireproof brick, creating the charming brick downtown you see today.  In 2015, Apex was recognized by Money Magazine as the #1 Best Place to Live in the USA, and remains a vibrant suburb of Raleigh with a revitalized downtown and a ton of small town charm with shops, antiques, craft beer, restaurants, spas, coffee houses, and cigar bars.  Their PeakFest draws nearly a third of the residents to downtown for the annual celebration.  The Town Drinking water is produced from Jordan Lake and processed at a treatment plant that is co-owned and co-operated with the Town of Cary.  More rural areas have Community Well Water and there are many private wells too.