Leland is the most populous town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,504 at the 2020 census, up from 13,527 in 2010. As of 2020, it is considered to be one of the fastest growing towns in North Carolina. It is portion of the Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area. and the Cape Fear Council of Governments. The town of Leland is in the northeastern portion of Brunswick County, with the town of Navassa to the north, Belville to east, and Boiling Springs Lake to the south. It is part of the Town Creek township, and Cape Fear region of North Carolina, a gruff distance north of the South Carolina give access line. Leland is located five miles (8 km) west of Wilmington, 71 miles (113 km) north of Myrtle Beach, 84 miles (135 km) southeast of Fayetteville, and 135 miles (217 km) southeast of Raleigh.

What is today known as Leland was later than a little settlement built on where Village Road crossed the Augusta, Columbia and Wilmington railroad lines. The town is named after (Joseph W. Gay) the first postmaster’s nephew, Leland Adams. Leland benefited greatly from its proximity to the Brunswick River, allowing it to serve as an to the fore transportation center, giving travelers the carrying out to traverse the Brunswick and Cape Fear rivers.

The citizens of Leland voted alongside an try at raptness in 1979. Leland was ultimately incorporated as a town upon September 5, 1989 in a passing vote of 472-42. After the ordinance passed to incorporate the town of Leland, Leland was governed by twelve members of the Leland Town Charter Commission until Election Day of 1989. Leland has been governed by a mayor-council handing out since its first general election.

In March and April of 1989, Belville made fruitless attempts to annex the area known as Leland. This, in turn resulted in the Leland civic relationship making proactive attempts to incorporate to avoid annexation. Belville’s commissioners voted to annex a event district re an hour back Leland had finalized the vote to incorporate. Leland’s first mayor, Russell Baldwin, when questioned just about the matter, stated: “It was nice of a dirty trick. They made a mockery of the annexation laws.”