Homes for Sale in Rougemont 

Rougemont, NC, is a rural, unincorporated area located 15 miles north of Durham, North Carolina. Like other areas of northern Durham County, Rougemont offers a small-town atmosphere with good proximity to the large city amenities. With a population under 1,000, Rougemont is conveniently located along U.S. Route 501 for easy commuting to both Durham and Hillsborough.

Rougemont has a mix of homes under $200,000, usually 2-3 bedrooms, and under 1,500 sq. ft. An added benefit is that in Rougemont, these homes may be sitting on an acre of land! Between $200 and $350k, most homes will be 3-4 bedrooms, with square footage above 1,600 and on larger lots. There are also homes with 4-5 bedrooms, on 1-3 acres, for around $400k. 

The highest-priced homes in Rougemont, $500k and higher, will have 5+ bedrooms, square footage above 3,500 and are probably sitting on at least  2-7 acres of land. 

Rougemont is also home, oddly enough, to a 16,000 sq. ft, 7 bed,-12-bath home that sold for $7 million in 2020! 

Many of the homes for sale in Rougemont also have sunrooms, huge porches, utility rooms, outdoor living areas. Some have fenced pasture land, barns, and ponds. 

People who buy a home in Rougemont come for a quiet, peaceful lifestyle, interrupted sometimes by roosters in the distance! Most folks who call Rougemont home have chosen privacy and access to acreage and don’t mind the nearest neighbor being at least a mile away! It’s also a great place to buy land and build if you can’t find the right house on the market.

Many residents commute into Durham, RTP, and Cary, with average commute times starting around 30 minutes. 

History 

The area was originally named Red Mountain, referencing the hilly, red clay terrain on the west side of the Flat River. When the railroad came through in the 1880s, the original community near the river became less important than the community that sprang up near the railroad depot. That community, in an early settler Francophile moment, became Rougemont.  

Schools

Rougemont is part of the Durham Public Schools system. Students attend Mangum Elementary, Lucas Middle, and Northern High.

Things to do

The Little River Regional Park & Natural Area is a 400-acre park that features bike and hiking trails, camping sites, a bird trail, picnic shelters, and a butterfly garden. Rougemont also boasts an 18-hole public golf course called Lakewinds. 

There is a “Dukes of Hazzard” museum in Rougemont, which pays homage to the TV show. The Orange County Speedway, billed as "the fastest 3/8-mile racetrack in America," is also in Rougemont. 

Rougemont also has its own castle, built by Durham-based artist and sculptor Robert Milhaly. Begun in 2000, Mihaly kept building and building until Castle Mont Rouge stood at more than 60-feet tall, with about 2,000 square feet. The castle fell into disrepair when Mihaly moved away, and over the years, the abandoned structure was vandalized and it gained a reputation for mystery, even ghosts. 

Today, Mihaly has resumed work on the castle intending to turn it into an event space, so keep an eye out for future updates!

Farms, farms, farms

There are usually several farms available for sale in Rougemont! In a rural area where farming the land is often measured in generations, there are also many opportunities to visit working farms and enjoy the outdoors. Prodigal Farm, whose motto is “where goats can be goats,” is a former tobacco farm regenerated into a goat farm producing award-winning goat cheeses. Prodigal Farm hosts private tours and birthday parties and also hosts Baby Goat Festival Days during the year. 

Firefly Farm offers farmer-guided tours and private group tours as well. Elodie Farms is another tobacco farm turned goat dairy that hosts farm dinners and private events. They produce fresh goat cheese, whey crackers, and goat cheese mousse for the general public.

In the fall, you can visit the McKee Cornfield Maze, consisting of walking pathways in a 12-acre field of corn one of the largest in the area. Families can also enjoy picking out pumpkins, going on a hayride, or having a picnic. 

You can even get married at Mountain View Farm, a 100-acre venue with green hills, a large lake, and thousands of tall trees. 

Food

Rougemont has a pizza restaurant and easy access to nearby restaurants in Timberlake and Hurdle Mills, including Homestead Steakhouse & Restaurant, Country Kitchen, and Flat River Cafe. Roxboro, about 15 minutes north, is also home to a wide variety of restaurants. 

There are convenience stores in Rougemont, but larger grocery chains are 10-15 minutes away.