[6] The geographic center of North Carolina is located northwest of the city, in Chatham County.

[8] The general Sanford area played key roles in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, specifically regarding sites like the House in the Horseshoe and Endor Iron Furnace.

In particular brownstone and subsequent brick production made Sanford a key provider of these building materials for areas throughout the United States.

After the war, a new Spinners team was a member of the Class D level Tobacco State League from 1946 to 1950.

Led by manager Zeb Harrington, the Spinners won the regular season pennant three times.

[10] On April 16, 2011, a large tornado ripped through Sanford, demolishing a Lowe's hardware store and a warehouse, and destroying multiple mobile homes and buildings before moving into Wake County.

On October 21, 2014, Sanford established a formal sister city relationship with Yixing, China.

On October 5, 2019, Sanford established a formal sister city relationship with Atizapan de Zaragoza, Mexico.

[citation needed] Sanford produces textiles, and a Wyeth vaccine facility became the area's largest employer in 2006.

The Lee County campus of Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) is located in Sanford.

The Herald is a five-day-a-week morning newspaper and is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations and of the North Carolina Press Association.

"The Rant"[20] was founded in 2008 by former journalists with experience at several print publications, including The Sanford Herald.

Raleigh Executive Jetport (ICAO: KTTA, FAA LID: TTA), formerly known as Sanford-Lee County Airport, is located 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Sanford via U.S. 1.

The airport opened in 2000, replacing the Sanford Lee County Brick Field, and provides both recreational and corporate services.