Fuquay-Varina (/ˈfjuːkweɪ vəˈriːnə/ FYOO-kway vuh-REE-nuh)[9] is a town in southern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, lying south of Holly Springs and southwest of Garner.

Frenchman William Fuquay first settled in the small farming town of Sippihaw, named for the original Native American tribe that inhabited the area.

Around 1858, while plowing the fields of the family tobacco farm, Stephen Fuquay, son of William, discovered a spring.

As word spread, locals began to help the springs establish this reputation, which brought residents from neighboring communities and counties to its waters.

During his tour of duty, he had received letters from one of many southern ladies who wrote to the troops to improve their morale.

Originally signing her name "Varina", perhaps an homage to the wife of Jefferson Davis, Virginia Avery would later meet and fall in love with Ballentine.

A community grew just south of the springs, near the post office and the couple's Varina Mercantile Company general store.

He fitted flat rail cars with seats and offered nighttime train trips to southern Wake County from Raleigh.

As more guests came to the springs to "take the waters", a group of small hotels sprung up in town, along with restaurants, barbecue stands, and a dance pavilion with a player piano.

The town became a tourist destination and was the site of special celebrations on Fourths of July and Easter Mondays.

During these events, residents of Raleigh would take the train down to watch the accompanying baseball games and participate in the dances and celebrations.

When it was incorporated, the new Fuquay Springs town limits included the core of the neighboring town of Varina, consisting of its business district and the rail junction of the Cape Fear and Northern Railway and the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Several warehouses for the growing tobacco business were built in town over the next few years, capitalizing on the railroad connections.

Area businesses continued to develop and, in 1927, U.S. Route 401 was paved through town, shortening travel times to Raleigh and nearby communities.

During this time, however, the tobacco industry continued to drive the area economy, with five warehouses, a cotton buyer, and fifteen stores established by the end of the 1920s.

The Victorian, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival homes constructed in the late 19th century and early 20th century are contributing structures to the Fuquay Springs Historic District, while the downtown shops and businesses are part of the Varina Commercial Historic District.

McLean was a community leader and considered a major factor in the growth and development of the Fuquay-Varina area.

This area is known as the "Fall Line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers.

Southern Wake Academy, a publicly funded charter school serving grades 6 through 12, is also located in Fuquay-Varina.