Lillington, North Carolina  Lillington is a town in Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,194 at the 2010 census, and was estimated in 2018 to be 3,604. It is the county seat of Harnett County. Lillington is a part of the Dunn Micropolitan Area, which is also a part of the greater Raleigh–Durham–Cary Combined Statistical Area as defined by the United States Census Bureau. Lillington is located near the geographic center of Harnett County. U.S. Route 401 (Main Street) passes through the center of town, leading north to Raleigh, the state capital, and south to Fayetteville. U.S. Route 421 follows US-401 along North Main Street through the town, but turns west out of town via West Front Street, leading to Sanford. US-421 turns east from US-401 near the northern end of town and leads southeast to Dunn. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Lillington has a total area of , of which , or 0.68%, is covered by water. The Cape Fear River crosses the northern part of the town. A post office called Lillington has been in operation since 1874. The town was originally called Harnett Court House. The town of Lillington is named for John Alexander Lillington (c. 1725–1786), aka Alexander John Lillington, who was a Patriot officer from North Carolina in the American Revolutionary War, notably fighting in the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776 and serving as brigadier general in the state militia. The Summer Villa and the McKay-Salmon House and Summerville Presbyterian Church and Cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As of the census of 2000, 2,915 people, 799 households, and 484 families resided in the town. The population density was 730.5 people per square mile (282.1/km²). The 894 housing units averaged 224.0 per square mile (86.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 54.75% White, 40.55% African American, 0.79% Native American, 0.45% Asian, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.08% of the population. Of the 799 households, 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 18.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were not families.