Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and the
seat
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense.
Types of seat
The following are examples of different kinds of seat:
* Armchair (furniture), ...
of
Wake County
Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...
in the United States. It is the
second-most populous city in North Carolina, after
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the
Southeast
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
,
the 41st-most populous city in the U.S., and the largest city of the
Research Triangle
The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to ...
metro area. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many
oak tree
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
s, which line the streets in the heart of the city. The city covers a land area of . The
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
counted the city's population as 474,069 in the
2020 census.
It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
The city of Raleigh is named after Sir
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...
, who established the lost
Roanoke Colony
The establishment of the Roanoke Colony ( ) was an attempt by Sir Walter Raleigh to found the first permanent English settlement in North America. The English, led by Sir Humphrey Gilbert, had briefly claimed St. John's, Newfoundland, in 15 ...
in present-day
Dare County.
Raleigh is home to
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
(NC State) and is part of the
Research Triangle
The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to ...
together with
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
(home of
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...
and
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from ...
) and
Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia
*Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
*Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area
Canada
* Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
(home of the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
). The name of the Research Triangle (often shortened to the "Triangle") originated after the 1959 creation of
Research Triangle Park (RTP), located in Durham and Wake counties, among the three cities and universities. The Triangle encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Raleigh-Durham-Cary
Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and the territory of Puerto Ric ...
(CSA), which had an estimated population of 2,037,430 in 2013. The Raleigh
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
had an estimated population of 1,390,785 in 2019.
Most of Raleigh is located within
Wake County
Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...
, with a small portion extending into
Durham County.
The towns of
Cary
Cary may refer to:
Places
;United States
* Cary, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area
* Cary, Indiana, part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area
* Cary, Miami County, Indiana
* Cary, Maine
* Cary, Mississippi
* Cary, North Carolina ...
,
Morrisville,
Garner
Garner may refer to:
Places United States
* Garner, Arkansas
* Garner, Iowa
* Garner, Missouri
* Garner, North Carolina
Other uses
* Garner (surname), a surname
* Granary, a grain store
* ''Tennessee v. Garner'', a United States Supreme Court cas ...
,
Clayton,
Wake Forest,
Apex
The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to:
Arts and media Fictional entities
* Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe
* Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe
*Apex, ...
,
Holly Springs,
Fuquay-Varina
Fuquay-Varina ( ) is a town in southern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, lying south of Holly Springs and southwest of Garner, and north of the Harnett County town of Angier and west of the unincorporated community of Willow Sp ...
,
Knightdale,
Wendell,
Zebulon
Zebulun (; also ''Zebulon'', ''Zabulon'', or ''Zaboules'') was, according to the Books of Book of Genesis, Genesis and Book of Numbers, Numbers,Genesis 46:14 the last of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's tenth son), and the founder of the ...
, and
Rolesville
Rolesville is a town in northeastern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, a suburb of the capital city of Raleigh. It is the second oldest town in Wake County and has been one of the fastest-growing towns in the state of North Carolina for t ...
are some of Raleigh's primary nearby
suburbs
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
and
satellite town
Satellite cities or satellite towns are smaller municipalities that are adjacent to a principal city which is the core of a metropolitan area. They differ from mere suburbs, subdivisions and especially bedroom communities in that they have muni ...
s.
Raleigh is an early example in the United States of a
planned city
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
. Following the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
when the U.S. gained independence, the area was chosen as the site of the state capital in 1788 and incorporated in 1792 as such. The city was originally laid out in a grid pattern with the
North Carolina State Capitol
The North Carolina State Capitol is the former seat of the legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina which housed all of the state's government until 1888. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and the ...
at the center, in Union Square. During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the city was spared from any significant battle. It fell to the Union in the closing days of the war and struggled with the economic hardships in the postwar period, related to the reconstitution of labor markets, over-reliance on agriculture and the social unrest of the
Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
. The establishment of the
Research Triangle Park (RTP) in 1959 helped create tens of thousands of jobs in the fields of science and technology. By the early 21st century, Raleigh had become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
History
Earlier capitals
Bath, the oldest town in North Carolina, was the first nominal capital of the colony from 1705 until 1722, when
Edenton took over the role. The colony had no permanent institutions of government until the new capital,
New Bern
New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...
, was established in 1743.
18th century
In December 1770,
Joel Lane
Joel Lane (1963 – 26 November 2013) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, critic and anthology editor.Chris Morgan, "Lane, Joel", in David Pringle, ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost & Gothic Writers'' (London: St. James Press, 1998 ...
successfully petitioned the
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...
to create a new county. On January 5, 1771, the bill creating Wake County was passed in the General Assembly. The county was formed from portions of
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
,
Orange
Orange most often refers to:
*Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis''
** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower
*Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum
* ...
, and
Johnston counties, and was named for
Margaret Wake Tryon
Margaret Wake Tryon (c.1732 – 1819) was an English heiress and the wife of William Tryon, who served as the Colonial Governor of North Carolina and the Colonial Governor of New York. The namesake of Wake County in North Carolina, she is one o ...
, the wife of Governor
William Tryon
Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...
. The first county seat was Bloomsbury.
New Bern
New Bern, formerly called Newbern, is a city in Craven County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 29,524, which had risen to an estimated 29,994 as of 2019. It is the county seat of Craven County and t ...
, a port town on the
Neuse River
The Neuse River ( , Tuscarora: Neyuherú·kęʔkì·nęʔ) is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in ...
from the Atlantic Ocean, was the largest city and the capital of North Carolina during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. When the British Army laid siege to the city, that site could no longer be used as the capital. From 1789 to 1794, when Raleigh was being built, the state capital was
Fayetteville.
Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital in 1788, as its central location protected it from attacks from the coast. It was officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital. The city was incorporated on December 31, 1792, and a charter granted January 21, 1795. The city was named for
Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion ...
, sponsor of
Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.
No known city or town existed previously on the chosen city site. Raleigh is one of the few cities in the United States that was planned and built specifically to serve as a
state capital
Below is an index of pages containing lists of capital cities.
National capitals
*List of national capitals
* List of national capitals by latitude
*List of national capitals by population
* List of national capitals by area
* List of capital c ...
. Its original boundaries were formed by the downtown streets of North, East, West and South.
The plan, a grid with two main axes meeting at a central square and an additional square in each corner, was based on
Thomas Holme
Thomas Holme (1624–1695) was the first Surveyor General of Pennsylvania. He laid out the first and original plan for the city of Philadelphia.
Holme was one of the Valiant Sixty, a group of early leaders and activists in the Religious Society ...
's 1682 plan for
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
The
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Government of North Carolina, State government of North Carolina. The legislature consists of two chambers: the North Carolina Senate, Senate and the North Ca ...
first met in Raleigh in December 1794, and granted the city a
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
, with a board of seven appointed
commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
s and an "
Intendant
An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...
of Police" (which developed as the office of
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
) to govern it. After 1803, city commissioners were elected. In 1799, the ''N.C. Minerva and Raleigh Advertiser'' was the first newspaper published in Raleigh.
John Haywood was the first Intendant of Police.
19th century
![NC State Treasurer's Office 1890](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/NC_State_Treasurer%27s_Office_1890.jpg)
In 1808,
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
, the United States' future 17th President, was born at Casso's Inn in Raleigh. The city's first
water supply network
A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following:
# A drainage basin (see water purification – source ...
was completed in 1818, although due to system failures, the project was abandoned. In 1819 Raleigh's first volunteer
fire company
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
was founded, followed in 1821 by a full-time fire company.
In 1817, the
Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church within Province IV that encompasses central North Carolina. Founded in 1817, the modern boundaries of the diocese roughly corresponds to the portion of North Carolina ...
was established and headquartered in Raleigh.
In 1831, a fire destroyed the
North Carolina State House
The North Carolina State House was built from 1792 to 1796 as the state capitol for North Carolina. It was located at Union Square in the state capital, Raleigh, in Wake County. The building was extensively renovated in the neoclassical style by ...
. Two years later, reconstruction began with quarried
gneiss
Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures an ...
being delivered by the first railroad in the state. Raleigh celebrated the completion of the new
State Capitol and new
Raleigh & Gaston Railroad Company in 1840.
In 1853, the first
State Fair
A state fair is an annual competitive and recreational gathering of a U.S. state's population, usually held in late summer or early fall. It is a larger version of a county fair, often including only exhibits or competitors that have won in th ...
was held near Raleigh. The first institution of higher learning in Raleigh,
Peace College
William Peace University is a private college in Raleigh, North Carolina. Formerly affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, it offers undergraduate degrees in more than 30 majors and the School of Professional Studies (SPS) offers accelerated ba ...
, was established in 1857. Raleigh's
Historic Oakwood
Historic Oakwood is a neighborhood in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, on the National Register of Historic Places, and known for its Historic Oakwood Cemetery, its many Victorian houses and its location close to the Mordecai Pl ...
contains many houses from the 19th century that are still in good condition.
North Carolina seceded from the Union during the
American Civil War. After the war began, Governor
Zebulon Baird Vance
Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil War.
A prolific writer and noted public speake ...
ordered the construction of
breastworks
A breastwork is a temporary fortification, often an earthwork thrown up to breast height to provide protection to defenders firing over it from a standing position. A more permanent structure, normally in stone, would be described as a parapet o ...
around the city as protection from
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
troops. Near the end of the Civil War, Governor Vance arranged his evacuation to avoid capture as
Union General William Sherman's forces approached the city. Before leaving, Vance met with former governors
Graham
Graham and Graeme may refer to:
People
* Graham (given name), an English-language given name
* Graham (surname), an English-language surname
* Graeme (surname), an English-language surname
* Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer
* Clan ...
and
Swain to draft a letter of surrender for Raleigh. Their intention was to protect Raleigh from
the destruction inflicted on other cities by Union troops. Graham and Swain departed to meet the advancing Federal forces on the morning of April 12, 1865, and were to return by that evening. The evening struck, but Graham and Swain had not returned due to train delays and their temporary capture by Sherman. Governor Vance left the evening after Graham and Sherman failed to return, leaving behind a letter giving Mayor William H. Harrison the authority to surrender. On the morning of April 13, Mayor Harrison among others went to the southern Wake County area to meet General
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick (January 14, 1836 – December 4, 1881) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general. He was later the United States Minister to Chile and an unsuccessful cand ...
and propose surrender. Kenneth Rayner, a long-time resident of Raleigh, delivered the proposal including a promise of no resistance. Kilpatrick agreed to accept the surrender and protect Raleigh from destruction. Kilpatrick's
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
occupied Raleigh and removed the flagpole from the
state capitol, replacing it with a
United States Flag
The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the ca ...
above the dome. Sherman arrived shortly after and established his headquarters in the governor's mansion. The city was spared significant destruction during the war. As
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
cavalry retreated west, Union soldiers followed, leading to the
Battle of Morrisville
The Battle of Morrisville, also known as the Battle at Morrisville Station, was fought April 13–15, 1865, in Morrisville, North Carolina during the Carolinas Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the last official battle of the Civil W ...
nearby.
Due to the economic and social problems of the post-war period and
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
, with a state economy still heavily dependent on agriculture, the city grew little over the next several decades.
Shaw University, the South's first African American college, began classes in 1865 and was chartered in 1875. Its
Estey Hall
__NOTOC__
Estey Hall is a historic building on the campus of Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the first building constructed for the higher education of African-American women in the United States. Built in 1873, Estey Hall is th ...
was the first building constructed for the higher education of Black women, and
Leonard Medical Center was the first four-year medical school in the country for African Americans.
In 1867,
Episcopal clergy founded
St. Augustine's College for the education of
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...
. The biracial Reconstruction legislature created new welfare institutions: in 1869, it approved the United States' first school for blind and deaf Black people, to be located in Raleigh. In 1874, the federal government constructed the
Federal Building
A federal building is a building housing local offices of various government departments and agencies in countries with a federal system, especially when the central government is referred to as the "federal government".
Federal buildings in t ...
in Raleigh, the first
federal government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
project in the Southern U.S. following the Civil War.
In 1880, the newspapers ''News'' and ''Observer'' combined to form ''
The News & Observer
''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the ''Charlotte Observer''). The paper has bee ...
''. It continues to be Raleigh's primary daily newspaper. The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now known as
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
, was founded as a
land-grant college
A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890.
Signed by Abraha ...
in 1887. The city's
Rex Hospital
UNC Rex Hospital is a general hospital located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the capital city's oldest hospital, founded by a bequest from John T. Rex (1771-1839), a local tanner. Originally located on what is now Dorothea Dix campus, and ...
opened in 1889 and included the state's first nursing school. The Baptist Women's College, now known as
Meredith College
Meredith College is a private women's liberal arts college and coeducational graduate school in Raleigh, North Carolina. As of 2021 Meredith enrolls approximately 1,500 women in its undergraduate programs and 300 men and women in its graduate ...
, opened in 1891, and in 1898,
The Academy of Music, a private music conservatory, was established.
In the late nineteenth century, two Black Congressmen were elected from
North Carolina's 2nd district, the last in 1898.
George Henry White
George Henry White (December 18, 1852 – December 28, 1918) was an American attorney and politician, elected as a Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina's 2nd congressional district between 1897 and 1901. He later became a banker ...
sought to promote civil rights for Black citizens and to challenge efforts by White Democrats to reduce Black voting by new discriminatory laws. He and his allies were unsuccessful. Based on a White supremacy campaign that returned Democrats to dominance, in 1900 the state legislature passed a new
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
, with a suffrage amendment that raised barriers to voter registration, resulting in the
disenfranchisement
Disfranchisement, also called disenfranchisement, or voter disqualification is the restriction of suffrage (the right to vote) of a person or group of people, or a practice that has the effect of preventing a person exercising the right to vote. D ...
of most Black citizens and many poor White citizens. Loss of the ability to vote also disqualified Black men (and later women) from sitting on juries and serving in any office—local, state or federal. The rising Black middle-class in Raleigh and other areas was politically silenced and shut out of local governance, and the
Republican Party was no longer competitive in the state.
It was not until after federal
civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
legislation was passed in the mid-1960s that the majority of Black citizens in North Carolina would again be able to vote, sit on juries and serve in local offices. By that time many African Americans had left the state in the Great Migration to northern industrial cities for more opportunities. No African American was elected to Congress from North Carolina until 1992.
20th century
![Fayetteville Street Raleigh 1910](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Fayetteville_Street_Raleigh_1910.jpg)
In 1912, Bloomsbury Park opened, featuring a popular carousel ride. Relocated to
Pullen Park
Pullen Park is a public park immediately west of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is located on Ashe Avenue and is adjacent to the Main and Centennial campuses of North Carolina State University, covering an area between Western Boulevard and ...
, the
Pullen Park Carousel
The Pullen Park Carousel is a classic wood carousel at Pullen Park in Raleigh, North Carolina. Built in 1900, the carousel contains 52 hand-carved basswood animals, 2 chariots (or sleighs), 18 large gilded mirrors and canvas panels and a Wurlitze ...
is still operating.
From 1914 to 1917, an
influenza
Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...
epidemic killed 288 Raleighites.
In 1922, WLAC signed on as the city's first radio station, but lasted only two years. WFBQ signed on in 1924 and became WPTF in 1927. It is now Raleigh's oldest continuous radio broadcaster.
In 1923, the Raleigh Fall Festival was formed. The Festival was reorganized as the
North Carolina Debutante Ball
The North Carolina Debutante Ball, also known as the Terpsichorean Society Debutante Ball, is an annual debutante ball held in Raleigh, North Carolina. The ball, hosted by the Terpsichorean Club of Raleigh, is the oldest and most prestigious debu ...
in 1927.
Following immigration by Catholics, on December 12, 1924, the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
The Diocese of Raleigh is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan A ...
was officially established by
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
. The
Sacred Heart Cathedral became the official seat of the diocese with
William Joseph Hafey as its bishop.
The city's first airport, Curtiss-Wright Flying Field, opened in 1929. That same year, the
stock market crash
A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock
In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especia ...
resulted in six Raleigh banks closing.
During the difficult 1930s of the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, government at all levels was integral to creating jobs. The city provided recreational and educational programs, and hired people for public works projects. In 1932,
Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts is the main venue for the performing arts in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The naming rights to the center currently are held by Duke Energy (formerly Progress Energy), which purchased them from the city in ...
was dedicated. The
North Carolina Symphony
The North Carolina Symphony (NCS) is an American orchestra based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with sixty-six full-time musicians. The orchestra performs in Meymandi Concert Hall and performs occasionally with the Carolina Ballet and the Opera Com ...
, founded the same year, performed in its new home. From 1934 to 1937, the federal
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
constructed the area now known as
William B. Umstead State Park
William B. Umstead State Park is a North Carolina state park in Wake County, North Carolina in the United States. It covers nestled between the expanding cities of Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, North Carolina. It offers hiking, bridle, and bike tr ...
. In 1939, the State General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham, with the first flight occurring in 1943.
In 1947, Raleigh citizens adopted a
council–manager form of government, which is still the city's current form of government. Council members are elected from
single-member district
A single-member district is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders. Single-member districts are also sometimes called single-winner vo ...
s. They hire a city manager.
The
Dorton Arena
J. S. Dorton Arena is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It opened in 1952.
Architect Maciej Nowicki of the North Carolina State University Department of Architec ...
, a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena designed by
Matthew Nowicki
Matthew Nowicki (in Poland known as Maciej Nowicki) (26 June 1910 – 1 September 1950) was a Polish architect. He was chief architect of the new Indian city of Chandigarh.
Career
Nowicki was born in Chita in Siberia. After the Second Worl ...
, was opened in 1952 on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It was listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1973.
Raleigh experienced significant damage from
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest, second costliest, and most intense hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed at least 469 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and Sout ...
in 1954.
In 1953,
WNAO-TV
WNAO-TV, UHF analog channel 28, was a CBS- affiliated television station licensed to Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Owned by the Sir Walter Television Company, it was the first television station in the Raleigh–Durham area and the fir ...
, channel 28, became the city's first television station, though it folded in 1957.
With the opening of the
Research Triangle Park in 1959, Raleigh began to experience a population increase, resulting in a total city population of 100,000 by 1960.
In 1960, the Census Bureau reported Raleigh's population as 76.4% White and 23.4% Black.
Following the passage of the federal
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement ...
, one of the main achievements of the
Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional Racial segregation in the United States, racial segregation, Racial discrimination ...
and the
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
presidency, political participation and voting by African Americans in Raleigh increased rapidly.
From the early-to-mid 20th century
East Hargett Street was known as Raleigh's "Black Main Street" and hosted numerous Black-owned businesses. The area declined after the city desegregated its establishments.
By the early 1970s people in Raleigh were growing increasingly concerned about growth and
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
. Community organizations felt that municipal offices were being too heavily influenced by business interests when the city's population was rapidly growing and various development projects were being proposed. At their behest, the municipal elections were altered so that the mayor was to be directly elected, instead of being selected by the city council. Most city council seats were then made responsible to districts, instead of being held at-large. The 1973 elections were the first contests affected by the reforms. City Councilman
Clarence Lightner
Clarence Everett Lightner (August 15, 1921 – July 8, 2002) was an American politician and mortician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from 1973 to 1975. He was the first popularly elected Mayor ...
defeated Raleigh Merchants bureau Executive Director G. Wesley Williams to become Raleigh's first Black mayor, and thus the first Black mayor in a major White-majority city in the South.
In 1976, the Raleigh City and Wake County schools merged to become the
Wake County Public School System
The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is a public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. With 157,673 students in average daily membership and 194 schools as of the 2021–2022 school year, it is the largest public sc ...
, now the largest school system in the state and 19th largest in the country.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the
I-440 beltline was constructed, in an attempt to ease traffic congestion and providing access to most major city roads.
The first
Raleigh Convention Center
The Raleigh Convention Center is a convention and exhibition facility in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina that opened in September 2008. The architect was Tvsdesign with the participation of local firms O'Brien/Atkins Associates and Clearscapes. ...
(replaced in 2008) and Fayetteville Street Mall were both opened in 1977. Fayetteville Street was turned into a pedestrian-only street in an effort to help the then-ailing downtown area, but the plan was flawed and business declined for years to come. Fayetteville Street was reopened in 2007 as the main thoroughfare of Raleigh's downtown.
During the
1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak of November 28, 1988, the city was affected by the most destructive of the seven tornadoes reported in
Northeastern North Carolina
The Inner Banks is a neologism made up by developers and tourism promoters to describe the inland coastal region of eastern North Carolina. Without historical precedent, the term "Inner Banks" is an early 21st-century construct that is part of a ...
and southeastern
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
between 1:00 am and 5:45 am. The Raleigh tornado produced over $77 million in damage, along with four fatalities (two in the city of Raleigh, and two in
Nash County
Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,970. Its county seat is Nashville.
Nash County is now a part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, instead of the ...
) and 154 injuries. The damage path from the storm was measured at long, and wide at times. The tornado was rated
F4.
In 1991, two large skyscrapers in Raleigh were completed,
First Union Capitol Center
Wells Fargo Capitol Center (formerly Wachovia Capitol Center and First Union Capitol Center) is a 30-story 121.92 m high-rise skyscraper at 150 Fayetteville Street in Raleigh, North Carolina with of space. Completed in 1990, it was one of the down ...
and
Two Hannover Square, along with the popular
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Coastal Credit Union Music Park (originally named Walnut Creek Amphitheatre and formerly Alltel Pavilion) is an outdoor amphitheater located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, that specializes in hosting large concerts.
The amphitheater ...
in Southeast Raleigh.
In 1996, the
Olympic Flame
The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic ...
passed through Raleigh while on its way to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Also in 1996, Hurricane Fran struck the area, causing massive flooding and extensive structural damage. In addition, WRAL-TV became the first High-Definition broadcast station in the world.
In 1997, the National Hockey League's Hartford Whalers announced their intention to move to Raleigh as the Carolina Hurricanes, becoming the city's first major league professional sports franchise.
In 1999, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (later renamed the RBC Center and now called PNC Arena), opened to provide a home for the Hurricanes and the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team, as well as an up-to-date major concert venue.
21st century
![Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Holy_Name_of_Jesus_Cathedral.jpg)
In the first decade of the 21st century, Raleigh was featured prominently in a number of "Top 10 Lists", including those by ''Forbes'', MSNBC and Money (magazine), ''Money'' magazine, due to its quality of life and favorable business climate.
In 2001, the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium complex was expanded with the addition of the Progress Energy Inc, Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Meymandi Concert Hall, Fletcher Opera Theater, Kennedy Theatre, Betty Ray McCain Gallery and Lichtin Plaza.
Fayetteville Street reopened to vehicular traffic in 2006. A variety of downtown building projects began around this time including the 34-story PNC Plaza (Raleigh), RBC Bank Tower, multiple condominium projects and several new restaurants. Additional skyscrapers are in the proposal/planning phase.
In 2006, the city's NHL franchise, the Carolina Hurricanes, won the Stanley Cup, North Carolina's first and only professional sports championship.
With the opening of parts of Interstate 540 (North Carolina), I-540 from 2005 to 2007, a new loop around Wake County, traffic congestion eased somewhat in the North Raleigh area. Completion of the entire loop is expected to take another 15 years.
In 2008, the city's Fayetteville Street Historic District joined the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
In September 2010, Raleigh hosted the inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival.
In January 2011, Raleigh hosted the National Hockey League 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game, All-Star Game.
In April 2011, a devastating Enhanced Fujita Scale, EF-3 Tornado outbreak of April 14–16, 2011, tornado hit Raleigh, and many other tornadoes touched down in the state (ultimately the largest, but not the 1984 Carolinas tornado outbreak, strongest outbreak to ever hit the state), killing 24 people. The tornado tracked northeast through parts of Downtown, East Central Raleigh and Northeast Raleigh and produced $115 million in damages in Wake County. There were 4 fatalities in the city.
In September 2015, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Raleigh, Holy Trinity Anglican Church was opened; the first church to be built in downtown Raleigh since 1958.
On July 26, 2017, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh dedicated its new cathedral, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral (Raleigh, North Carolina), Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, the fifth-largest in the United States.
On October 13, 2022, 2022 Raleigh shooting, a mass shooting occurred in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood. Five people were killed, and two others were injured.
The suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was detained after being cornered by police at a nearby residence and is in critical condition from injuries sustained during the incident.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Raleigh occupies a total area of ,
of which is land and , or 0.76%, is covered by water. The
Neuse River
The Neuse River ( , Tuscarora: Neyuherú·kęʔkì·nęʔ) is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in ...
flows through the northeastern corner of the city.
Raleigh is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain regions meet. This area is known as the "Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Raleigh features gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state's flat coastal plain.
The city of Raleigh is located southeast of
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
, northeast of
Fayetteville, northwest of Wilmington, North Carolina, Wilmington, northeast of
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, and southwest of Richmond, Virginia. A small portion of Raleigh is located in Durham County, North Carolina.
Cityscape
![Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Fayetteville_Street_in_downtown_Raleigh%2C_North_Carolina.jpg)
Raleigh is divided into several major geographic areas, each of which use a Raleigh address and a ZIP code that begins with the digits 276. PNC Plaza (Raleigh), PNC Plaza, formerly known as RBC Plaza, is the largest and tallest skyscraper in the city of Raleigh. The tower rises to a height of , with a floor count of 34.
Inside the Beltline
![Warehouse raleigh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Warehouse_raleigh.jpg)
One common division of Raleigh is to differentiate the central part of the city, which lies inside of the circumferential highway known as the Raleigh Beltline (
I-440 and Interstate 40 (North Carolina), I-40) from areas outside of the Beltline. The area inside of the beltline includes the entirety of the central business district known as Downtown Raleigh, as well as several more residential areas surrounding it.
The downtown area is home to historic buildings such as the Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel built in the early 20th century, the restored City Market (Raleigh, North Carolina), City Market, the Fayetteville Street (Raleigh), Fayetteville Street downtown business district (which includes the PNC Plaza (Raleigh), PNC Plaza and Wells Fargo Capitol Center buildings), as well as the North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences,
North Carolina State Capitol
The North Carolina State Capitol is the former seat of the legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina which housed all of the state's government until 1888. The Supreme Court and State Library moved into a separate building in 1888, and the ...
, William Peace University, the City of Raleigh Museum,
Raleigh Convention Center
The Raleigh Convention Center is a convention and exhibition facility in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina that opened in September 2008. The architect was Tvsdesign with the participation of local firms O'Brien/Atkins Associates and Clearscapes. ...
,
Shaw University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Campbell University School of Law, and St. Augustine's College (North Carolina), St. Augustine's College. In the 2000s, an effort by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance was made to separate this area of the city into five smaller districts: Fayetteville Street, Moore Square Historic District, Moore Square, Glenwood South, Warehouse (Raleigh), and Capitol Area Historic District, Capital District (Raleigh).
Some of the names have become commonplace among locals, such as the Warehouse District, Fayetteville Street, and Glenwood South. Other neighborhoods lying inside the Beltline include Cameron Park Historic District, Cameron Park, Boylan Heights (Raleigh, North Carolina), Boylan Heights, Country Club Hills, Coley Forest, Five Points, Budleigh, Glenwood-Brooklyn Historic District, Glenwood-Brooklyn, Hayes Barton Historic District, Moore Square Historic District, Moore Square, Mordecai Place Historic District, Mordecai (home to the historic Mordecai House), Rochester Heights, South Park, Rosengarten Park, Belvidere Park, Woodcrest, Oberlin Village, and
Historic Oakwood
Historic Oakwood is a neighborhood in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, on the National Register of Historic Places, and known for its Historic Oakwood Cemetery, its many Victorian houses and its location close to the Mordecai Pl ...
. These neighborhoods were typically built before World War II, and roughly correspond to the extent of the city of Raleigh before the population boom of the latter half of the 20th century led to growth of the city limits beyond the historic urban core.
Midtown Raleigh
![North Hills in Raleigh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/North_Hills_in_Raleigh.jpg)
Midtown Raleigh is a neologism, relatively new term used to describe the residential and commercial area lying on the northside of the I-440 Beltline and is part of North Raleigh. It is roughly framed by Glenwood/Six Forks Road to the West, Wake Forest Road to the East, and Millbrook Road to the North. It includes shopping centers such as North Hills (Raleigh), North Hills and Crabtree Valley Mall. It also includes North Hills Park and part of the Raleigh Greenway System. The term was coined by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, developer John Kane and planning director Mitchell Silver. ''The'' ''News & Observer'' newspaper started using the term for marketing purposes only. The Midtown Raleigh Alliance was founded on July 25, 2011, as a way for community leaders to promote the area. The center of the area, especially around the North Hills development at the junction of Six Forks Road and the Beltline, is experiencing rapid urbanization as several high-rise buildings have been built since 2010.
East Raleigh
East Raleigh is situated roughly from Capital Boulevard near the
I-440 beltline to New Hope Road. Most of East Raleigh's development is along primary corridors such as U.S. Route 1 in North Carolina, U.S. 1 (Capital Boulevard), New Bern Avenue, Poole Road, Buffaloe Road, and New Hope Road. Neighborhoods in East Raleigh include Hedingham, Longview, Lockwood, Madonna Acres Historic District (Raleigh, North Carolina), Madonna Acres, New Hope, Thompson-Hunter and Wilder's Grove. The area is bordered to the east by the town of
Knightdale.
West Raleigh
![Dorton Arena](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Dorton_Arena.jpg)
West Raleigh lies along Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard. The area is bordered to the west and south by
Cary
Cary may refer to:
Places
;United States
* Cary, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area
* Cary, Indiana, part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area
* Cary, Miami County, Indiana
* Cary, Maine
* Cary, Mississippi
* Cary, North Carolina ...
. It is home to
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
,
Meredith College
Meredith College is a private women's liberal arts college and coeducational graduate school in Raleigh, North Carolina. As of 2021 Meredith enrolls approximately 1,500 women in its undergraduate programs and 300 men and women in its graduate ...
,
Pullen Park
Pullen Park is a public park immediately west of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is located on Ashe Avenue and is adjacent to the Main and Centennial campuses of North Carolina State University, covering an area between Western Boulevard and ...
, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, the Islamic Association of Raleigh, Village District, Lake Johnson, the North Carolina Museum of Art and historic Saint Mary's School (Raleigh, North Carolina), Saint Mary's School. Primary thoroughfares serving West Raleigh, in addition to Hillsborough Street, are Avent Ferry Road, Blue Ridge Road, and Western Boulevard. The PNC Arena is also located here adjacent to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. These are located approximately 2 miles from
Rex Hospital
UNC Rex Hospital is a general hospital located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the capital city's oldest hospital, founded by a bequest from John T. Rex (1771-1839), a local tanner. Originally located on what is now Dorothea Dix campus, and ...
.
North Raleigh
North Raleigh is an expansive, diverse, and fast-growing suburban area of the city that is home to established neighborhoods to the south along with many newly built subdivision (land), subdivisions and along its northern fringes. The area generally falls North of Millbrook Road. It is primarily suburban with large shopping areas. Primary neighborhoods and subdivisions in North Raleigh include Bartons Creek Bluffs, Bedford, Bent Tree, Black Horse Run, Brier Creek, Brookhaven, Coachman's Trail, Crossgate, Crosswinds, Dominion Park, Durant Trails, Ethan's Glenn, Falls River, Greystone Village, Harrington Grove, Hidden Valley, Lake Park, Long Lake, North Haven, North Ridge Country Club, North Ridge, Oakcroft, Shannon Woods, Six Forks Station, Springdale Estates, Stonebridge, Stone Creek, Stonehenge, Summerfield, The Sanctuary, Valley Estates, Wakefield, Weathersfield, Windsor Forest, and Wood Valley. The area is served by a number of primary transportation corridors including Glenwood Avenue U.S. Route 70 (North Carolina), U.S. Route 70, Interstate 540 (North Carolina), Interstate 540, Wake Forest Road, Millbrook Road, Lynn Road, Six Forks Road, Spring Forest Road, Creedmoor Road, Leesville Road, Norwood Road, Strickland Road, and North Hills Drive.
South Raleigh
South Raleigh is located along U.S. Route 401 (North Carolina), U.S. 401 south toward
Fuquay-Varina
Fuquay-Varina ( ) is a town in southern Wake County, North Carolina, United States, lying south of Holly Springs and southwest of Garner, and north of the Harnett County town of Angier and west of the unincorporated community of Willow Sp ...
and along U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina, US 70 into suburban
Garner
Garner may refer to:
Places United States
* Garner, Arkansas
* Garner, Iowa
* Garner, Missouri
* Garner, North Carolina
Other uses
* Garner (surname), a surname
* Granary, a grain store
* ''Tennessee v. Garner'', a United States Supreme Court cas ...
. This area is the least developed and least dense area of Raleigh (much of the area lies within the Swift Creek Township, Wake County, North Carolina, Swift Creek drainage basin, watershed district, where development regulations limit housing densities and construction). The area is bordered to the west by
Cary
Cary may refer to:
Places
;United States
* Cary, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area
* Cary, Indiana, part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area
* Cary, Miami County, Indiana
* Cary, Maine
* Cary, Mississippi
* Cary, North Carolina ...
, to the east by
Garner
Garner may refer to:
Places United States
* Garner, Arkansas
* Garner, Iowa
* Garner, Missouri
* Garner, North Carolina
Other uses
* Garner (surname), a surname
* Granary, a grain store
* ''Tennessee v. Garner'', a United States Supreme Court cas ...
, to the southwest by
Holly Springs and the southeast by Fuquay-Varina. Neighborhoods in South Raleigh include Eagle Creek, Renaissance Park, Lake Wheeler, Swift Creek, Carolina Pines, Rhamkatte, Riverbrooke, and Enchanted Oaks.
Southeast Raleigh
Southeast Raleigh is bounded by downtown on the west,
Garner
Garner may refer to:
Places United States
* Garner, Arkansas
* Garner, Iowa
* Garner, Missouri
* Garner, North Carolina
Other uses
* Garner (surname), a surname
* Granary, a grain store
* ''Tennessee v. Garner'', a United States Supreme Court cas ...
on the southwest, and rural
Wake County
Wake County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most-populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the U ...
to the southeast. The area includes areas along Rock Quarry Road, Poole Road, and New Bern Avenue. Primary neighborhoods include Abbington Ridge, Pearl Ridge, Chastain, Chavis Heights, Raleigh Country Club, Southgate, Kingwood Forest, Rochester Heights, Emerald Village and Biltmore Hills. Coastal Credit Union Music Park (formerly Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, Alltel Pavilion and Walnut Creek Amphitheatre) is one of the region's major outdoor concert venues and is located on Rock Quarry Road.
Shaw University is located in this part of the city. Starting in 2020, large tracts of formerly unoccupied land along Rock Quarry Road between New Hope Road and Barwell Road, and between Barwell Road and Battle Bridge Road, have been cleared for new developments.
Climate
![Ducks in Fall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Ducks_in_Fall.jpg)
Like much of the Southeastern United States, Raleigh has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen ''Cfa''). Winters are generally cool, with a normal January daily mean temperature of .
On average, there are 69 nights per year that drop to or below freezing, and only 2.7 days that fail to rise above freezing.
Raleigh receives an average annual rainfall of . Annual and monthly temperature and precipitation data are in chart below, based on 1991–2020 climate data. February is the driest month, with an average of of precipitation. Precipitation is well distributed around the year, with a slight maximum between July and September, owing to generally frequent, sometimes heavy, showers and thunderstorms, and the threat of tropical weather systems (primarily in from August to early October) bringing heavy rainfall. Summers are hot and humid, with a normal July daily mean temperature of .
There are 48 days per year with highs at or above .
Autumn is similar to spring overall but has fewer days of rainfall, but greater potential for extremely heavy rainfall in a one/two-day period, owing to occasional threat from tropical weather systems (hurricanes and tropical storms) packing torrential rainfall. In September 1999, Raleigh recorded its wettest month ever, with over 21 inches of rain, due to torrential rainfall from tropical weather systems, most notably Hurricane Floyd on September 15–16. Extremes in temperature have ranged from on January 1985 Arctic outbreak, January 21, 1985 up to , most recently on Summer 2012 North American heat wave, June 29–30 and July 8, 2012.
Raleigh falls in USDA hardiness zones 7b (5 °F to 10 °F) and 8a (10 °F to 15 °F).
![Raleigh snow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Raleigh_snow.jpg)
Raleigh receives an average of of snow in winter. Freezing rain and Ice pellets, sleet also occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damaging ice storm. On January 24–25, 2000, Raleigh received its greatest snowfall from a single stormthe January 25, 2000 Winter Storm, Winter Storm of January 2000. Storms of this magnitude are generally the result of cold air damming that affects the city due to its proximity to the Appalachian Mountains. Winter storms have caused traffic problems in the past as well.
The region also experiences occasional periods of drought, during which the city sometimes has restricted water use by residents. During the late summer and early fall, Raleigh can experience hurricanes. In 1996, Hurricane Fran caused severe damage in the Raleigh area, mostly from falling trees. Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd in September 1999 were primary contributors to that month's extreme rainfall of over 21 inches. The most recent hurricane to have a considerable effect on the area was Hurricane Florence in 2018. Tornadoes also have on occasion affected the city of Raleigh, most notably the November 28, 1988, tornado which occurred in the early morning hours and rated F4 on the Fujita scale and affected northwestern portions of the city. There also was the April 16, 2011, EF3 tornado, which affected portions of downtown and northeast Raleigh and the suburb of Holly Springs.
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 467,665 people, 188,412 households, and 104,848 families residing in the city. In the American Community Survey of 2019, the city of Raleigh's population was estimated at 474,708; an earlier estimate determined the population at 474,069.
At the 2000 United States census,
there were 276,093 persons (July 2008 estimate was 380,173) and 61,371 families residing in Raleigh. The population density was 2,409.2 people per square mile (930.2/km
2). There were 120,699 housing units at an average density of 1,053.2 per square mile (406.7/km
2). There were 112,608 households in the city in 2000, of which 26.5% included children below the age of 18, 39.5% were composed of married couples living together, 11.4% reported a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% classified themselves as nonfamily. Unmarried partners were present in 2.2% of households. In addition, 33.1% of all households were composed of individuals living alone, of which 6.2% was someone 65 years of age or older. The average household size in Raleigh was 2.30 persons, and the average family size was 2.97 persons.
Raleigh's population in 2000 was evenly distributed with 20.9% below the age of 18, 15.9% aged 18 to 24, 36.6% from 25 to 44, and 18.4% from 45 to 64. An estimated 8.3% of the population was 65 years of age or older, and the median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males; for every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 96.6 males aged 18 or older.
The racial makeup of Raleigh in 2019 was 52.5% non-Hispanic White, 28.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian or Alaska Native, 4.0% Asian American, 0.1% from some other race, 2.1% two or more races, 12.5% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. According to the 2010 United States census, the racial composition of the city was: 57.5% White American, White (53.3% Non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic White), 29.3% Black (U.S. Census), Black or African American, 4.3% Asian American (1.2% Indian Americans, Indian, 0.8% Chinese Americans, Chinese, 0.7% Vietnamese Americans, Vietnamese, 0.5% Korean Americans, Korean, 0.4% Filipino Americans, Filipino, 0.1% Japanese Americans, Japanese), 2.6% Multiracial American, two or more races, 1.4% Race (United States Census), some other race, 0.5% Native American, and <0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander American, other Pacific Islander In addition, 11.4% of city residents were Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Hispanic and Latino Americans, Latino Americans, of any race (5.9% Mexican Americans, Mexican, 1.1% Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican, 0.9% Salvadoran Americans, Salvadoran, 0.6% Dominican Americans, Dominican, 0.6% Honduran Americans, Honduran, 0.3% Colombian Americans, Colombian, 0.3% Cuban Americans, Cuban, 0.2% Guatemalan Americans, Guatemalan, 0.2% Spanish Americans, Spanish, 0.2% Peruvian Americans, Peruvian, 0.1% Venezuelan Americans, Venezuelan, 0.1% Ecuadorian Americans, Ecuadorian, 0.1% Argentine Americans, Argentine, and 0.1% Panamanian Americans, Panamanian). In 2000, the racial composition of the city was: 63.31% White, 27.80% Black or African American, 7.01% Hispanic or Latino American, 3.38% Asian American, 0.36% Native American, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 3.24% some other race, and 1.88% two or more races.
The median household income in the United States, household income in the city was $46,612 in 2000, and the median family income was $60,003. Males earned a median income of $39,248, versus $30,656 for females. The median per capita income for the city was $25,113, and an estimated 11.5% of the population and 7.1% of families were living below the poverty threshold, poverty line. Of the total population, 18.8% of those below the age of 18, and 9.3% of those 65 and older, were living below the poverty line. In 2019, an estimated 10.9% of the local population were at or below the poverty line. The median household income from 2014 to 2018 was $63,891 and the per capita income was $36,875.
There were 180,046 households with an average of 2.43 persons per household. The median value of an owner-occupied housing unit was $236,700 in 2018 and the monthly cost with a mortgage was $1,480. The cost without a mortgage was $526. Raleigh had a median gross rent of $1,074.
Religion
Raleigh is home to a wide variety of religious practitioners. The predominant religion in Raleigh is Christianity, with the largest numbers of adherents being Baptist (14.1%), Methodist (5.6%), and Roman Catholic (4.2%). Others include Presbyterianism (2.8%), Pentecostalism (1.7%), Anglicanism/Episcopalianism (1.2%), Lutheranism (0.6%), the Latter Day Saint movement, Latter-Day Saints (0.7%), and other Christian denominations (10.2%) including the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox, Jehovah's Witness, Christian Science, Christian Unitarianism, other Mainline Protestant groups, and Nondenominational Christianity, non-denominational Christians.
The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
The Diocese of Raleigh is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan A ...
, the
Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church within Province IV that encompasses central North Carolina. Founded in 1817, the modern boundaries of the diocese roughly corresponds to the portion of North Carolina ...
, the North Carolina Annual Conference, North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and the New Hope Presbytery of the PC(USA), Presbyterian Church (USA) are all headquartered in Raleigh.
Other religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí, Druze, Taoism, and Shintoism make up 1.31% of religious practitioners. Judaism (0.9%) and Islam (0.8%) are also practiced.
In Wake County, 29% of the population are affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, 22% are affiliated with the Catholic Church, 17% are affiliated with the United Methodist Church, 6% are affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), and 27% are religiously affiliated with other denominations, religions, or are not religiously affiliated.
Crime
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports, in 2019 the Raleigh Police Department (North Carolina), Raleigh Police Department and other agencies in the city reported 1,222 incidents of violent crime and 8,520 incidents of property crime – far below both the national average and the North Carolina average. Of the violent crimes reported, 5 were murders, 164 were rape/sexual assaults and 322 were robbery, robberies. Aggravated assault accounted for 731 of the total violent crimes. Property crimes included burglary, burglaries which accounted for 1,200, larceny, larcenies for 6,572 and Motor vehicle theft accounted for 748 incidents out of the total.
Economy
Raleigh's industrial base includes financial services, electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment, clothing and apparel, food processing, paper products, and pharmaceuticals. Raleigh is part of North Carolina's Research Triangle, one of the country's largest and most successful research parks, and a major center in the United States for high tech, high-tech and biotechnology, biotech research, as well as advanced textile development. The city is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for the grocery industry.
The healthcare and pharmaceutical industry has experienced major growth in recent years with many companies based in Raleigh including PRA Health Sciences, Chiesi USA (subsidiary of Chiesi Farmaceutici), formerly Mallinckrodt prior to tax evasion with Ireland, MAKO Surgical Corp., Metabolon, Inc., TearScience, and American Board of Anesthesiology.
Raleigh was number one on the 2015 Forbes list of the best place for businesses and careers. Companies based in Raleigh include Advance Auto Parts, Bandwidth (company), Bandwidth, Truist Financial, Building Materials Holding Corporation, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Carquest, First Citizens BancShares, Golden Corral, Martin Marietta Materials, PRA Health Sciences, Red Hat, Vontier, Waste Industries, and Lulu (company), Lulu.
Social Blade, a website that tracks social media statistics and analytics, and Temple Run developer Imangi Studios are based in Raleigh.
The North Carolina Air National Guard, a unit of the Air National Guard, is also headquartered in Raleigh.
In April 2014 Steven P. Rosenthal of Northland Investment Corp. referred to Raleigh as "a real concentration of brain power. You have a lot of smart people living in the same place. That will drive the economy."
Top employers
According to Raleigh's 2017–18 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Arts and culture
Museums
![Progress-Energy-Center-for-the-Performing-Arts-20080321](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Progress-Energy-Center-for-the-Performing-Arts-20080321.jpeg)
*African American Cultural Complex
*Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh
*Gregg Museum of Art & Design at
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
*Haywood Hall House & Gardens
*Marbles Kids Museum
*North Carolina Museum of Art
*North Carolina Museum of History
*North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
*North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
*City of Raleigh Museum
*J. C. Raulston Arboretum
*Joel Lane House
*Mordecai House, Mordecai Plantation
*Pope House Museum
Performing arts
The
Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Coastal Credit Union Music Park (originally named Walnut Creek Amphitheatre and formerly Alltel Pavilion) is an outdoor amphitheater located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States, that specializes in hosting large concerts.
The amphitheater ...
hosts major international touring acts. In 2011, the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater opened (now sponsored as the Red Hat Amphitheater), which hosts numerous concerts primarily in the summer months. An additional amphitheater sits on the grounds of the North Carolina Museum of Art, which hosts a summer concert series and outdoor movies. Nearby Cary is home to the Koka Booth Amphitheatre which hosts additional summer concerts and outdoor movies, and serves as the venue for regularly scheduled outdoor concerts by the North Carolina Symphony based in Raleigh. During the North Carolina State Fair,
Dorton Arena
J. S. Dorton Arena is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It opened in 1952.
Architect Maciej Nowicki of the North Carolina State University Department of Architec ...
hosts headline acts. The private Lincoln Theatre is one of several clubs in downtown Raleigh that schedules many concerts throughout the year in multiple formats (rock, pop, country).
The Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts complex houses the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the Fletcher Opera Theater, the Kennedy Theatre, and the Meymandi Concert Hall. In 2008, a new theatre space, the Meymandi Theatre at the Murphey School, was opened in the restored auditorium of the historic Murphey School. Theater performances are also offered at the Raleigh Little Theatre, Long View Center, Theatre In The Park, Ira David Wood III Pullen Park Theatre, and Stewart and Thompson Theaters at North Carolina State University.
Raleigh is home to several professional arts organizations, including the
North Carolina Symphony
The North Carolina Symphony (NCS) is an American orchestra based in Raleigh, North Carolina, with sixty-six full-time musicians. The orchestra performs in Meymandi Concert Hall and performs occasionally with the Carolina Ballet and the Opera Com ...
, the Opera Company of North Carolina, Theatre in the Park, Burning Coal Theatre Company, the North Carolina Theatre, Broadway Series South and the Carolina Ballet. The numerous local colleges and universities significantly add to the options available for viewing live performances.
Visual arts
North Carolina Museum of Art, occupying a large suburban campus on Blue Ridge Road near the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, maintains one of the premier public art collections located between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. In addition to its extensive collections of Visual arts of the United States, American Art, Western art history, European Art and ancient art, the museum recently has hosted major exhibitions featuring Auguste Rodin (in 2000) and Claude Monet (in 2006–07), each attracting more than 200,000 visitors. Unlike most prominent public museums, the North Carolina Museum of Art acquired a large number of the works in its permanent collection through purchases with public funds. The museum's outdoor park is one of the largest such sculpture park, art parks in the country. The museum facility underwent a major expansion which greatly expanded the exhibit space that was completed in 2010. The 127,000 sf new expansion is designed by NYC architect Thomas Phifer, Thomas Phifer and Partners.
Raleigh's downtown is also home to many local art galleries such as Art Space in City Market (Raleigh, North Carolina), City Market, Visual Art Exchange, and 311 Gallery, on Martin Street, and Bee Hive Studios on Hargett Street. Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, CAM Raleigh is a downtown contemporary art museum, also on Martin Street, that serves to promote new artists and does not house a permanent collection. CAM Raleigh was designed by the award-winning architectural firm Brooks+Scarpa of Los Angeles.
Sports
Professional
The National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes franchise moved to Raleigh in 1997 from Hartford, Connecticut (where it was known as the Hartford Whalers). The team played its first two seasons more than 60 miles away at Greensboro Coliseum while its home arena, Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (later RBC Center and now PNC Arena), was under construction. The Hurricanes are the only major league (National Football League, NFL, National Hockey League, NHL, National Basketball Association, NBA, Major League Baseball, MLB) professional sports team in North Carolina to have won a championship, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, over the Edmonton Oilers. The city played host to the 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game, 2011 NHL All-Star Game.
![PNC Arena](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/PNC_Arena.jpg)
In addition to the Hurricanes, the North Carolina FC of the United Soccer League and North Carolina Courage women's professional soccer team play in suburban Cary to the west; the Carolina Mudcats, a Single-A (baseball), Single-A minor-league baseball team, play in the city's eastern suburbs; the newly formed Single-A (baseball), Single-A minor-league baseball Fayetteville Woodpeckers, who formerly played in Buies Creek, North Carolina, Buies Creek, began play in the nearby out-of-county southern suburb of
Fayetteville when their Fayetteville Ballpark, new ballpark opened in 2019; the Carolina Flyers of the American Ultimate Disc League play primarily at Cardinal Gibbons High School near the PNC Arena; and the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A (baseball), AAA minor-league baseball team made internationally famous by the movie ''Bull Durham'', play in the neighboring city of Durham.
Several other professional sports leagues have had former franchises (now defunct) in Raleigh, including the Raleigh IceCaps of the ECHL (1991–1998); Carolina Cobras of the Arena Football League (2000–2004); the Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football (1991); the Raleigh Bullfrogs of the Global Basketball Association (1991–1992); the Raleigh Cougars of the United States Basketball League (1997–1999); and most recently, the Carolina Courage of the Women's United Soccer Association (2000–2001 in Chapel Hill, 2001–2003 in suburban Cary), which won that league's championship Founders Cup in 2002.
The Raleigh area has hosted the Professional Golfers' Association of America, Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Nationwide Tour Rex Hospital Open since 1994, with the current location of play at Raleigh's Wakefield Plantation. Nearby Prestonwood Country Club hosts the PGA SAS Championship every fall.
Collegiate
North Carolina State University is located in southwest Raleigh where the North Carolina State Wolfpack, Wolfpack competes nationally in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The university's football team plays in Carter–Finley Stadium, the second largest football stadium in North Carolina, while the men's basketball team shares the PNC Arena with the Carolina Hurricanes hockey club. The Wolfpack women's basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics as well as men's wrestling events are held on campus at Reynolds Coliseum. The men's baseball team plays at Doak Field.
Amateur
The North Carolina Tigers compete as an Australian rules football club in the United States Australian Football League, in the Eastern Australian Football League.
Raleigh is also home to one of the Cheer Extreme All Stars gyms. In 2009 and again in 2010, Cheer Extreme Raleigh's Small Senior Level 5 Team were silver medalists at the Cheerleading Worlds Competition in Orlando, Florida, and in 2012 they received the bronze medal. Raleigh is also home to one of the Southeast's premier Hardcourt Bike Polo clubs.
Because of the area's many billiards rooms, Raleigh is home to one of the largest amateur league franchises for playing pool (cue sports), pool, the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill American Poolplayers Association. There are leagues available in formats for players of any skill level.
Parks and recreation
![Girl walking dog at Lake Johnson](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Girl_walking_dog_at_Lake_Johnson.jpg)
Raleigh is the home of Raleigh Kubb, both a competitive and non-competitive kubb club. Raleigh Kubb hosts kubb tournaments benefitting various charities in the Raleigh area.
The Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of leisure opportunities at more than 200 sites throughout the city, which include: of park land, of greenway (landscape), greenway, 22 community centre, community centers, a Bicycle Motocross, BMX championship-caliber race track, 112 tennis courts among 25 locations, 5 public lakes, and 8 public aquatic facilities. The park system includes the historic
Pullen Park
Pullen Park is a public park immediately west of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is located on Ashe Avenue and is adjacent to the Main and Centennial campuses of North Carolina State University, covering an area between Western Boulevard and ...
, the oldest public park in North Carolina. The J. C. Raulston Arboretum, an 8-acre (32,000 m
2) arboretum and botanical garden in west Raleigh administered by
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
, maintains a year-round collection that is open daily to the public without charge.
Government
Historically, Raleigh voters have tended to elect conservative Democrats in local, state, and national elections, a holdover from their one-party system of the late 19th century.
City Council
Raleigh operates under a council-manager government. Raleigh City Council consists of eight members; all seats, including the Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina, Mayor's, are open for election every two years. Five of the council seats are district representatives and two seats are citywide representatives elected at-large.
*Mary-Ann Baldwin, mayor
*Jonathan Melton, Council Member, At-Large
*Nicole Stewart, Council Member, At-Large
*Patrick Buffkin, Council Member (District A, north-central Raleigh)
*David Cox, Council Member (District B, northeast Raleigh)
*Corey Branch, Council Member (District C, southeast Raleigh)
*Stormie Forte, Council Member (District D, southwest Raleigh)
*David Knight, Council Member (District E, west and northwest Raleigh)
Education
![Peace-College-20080321](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Peace-College-20080321.jpeg)
As of 2011, ''Time (magazine), Time'' ranked Raleigh as the third most educated city in the US based on the percentage of residents who held college degrees. This statistic can most likely be credited to the presence of universities in and around Raleigh, as well as the presence of
Research Triangle Park (RTP) to the Northwest.
Higher education
Public
*
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
*Wake Technical Community College
Private
*Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (Baptist)
*
Meredith College
Meredith College is a private women's liberal arts college and coeducational graduate school in Raleigh, North Carolina. As of 2021 Meredith enrolls approximately 1,500 women in its undergraduate programs and 300 men and women in its graduate ...
(Baptist)
*Montreat College's ''School of Professional and Adult Studies'' (Presbyterian)
*William Peace University (Presbyterian)
*
Shaw University (Baptist)
*Skema Business School, the first French Business School to open a campus in the USA
*St. Augustine's University (Episcopal)
Private, for profit
*ECPI College of Technology
*The Medical Arts School
*Strayer University
Primary and secondary education
Public schools
Public schools in Raleigh are operated by the
Wake County Public School System
The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is a public school district located in Wake County, North Carolina. With 157,673 students in average daily membership and 194 schools as of the 2021–2022 school year, it is the largest public sc ...
, the largest public school system of the Carolinas. Observers have praised the Wake County Public School System for its innovative efforts to maintain a socially, economically and racial balanced system by using income as a prime factor in assigning students to schools. Raleigh is home to several magnet school, magnet high schools and several schools offering the International Baccalaureate program. There are four early college high schools in Raleigh. Raleigh also has two Alternative school, alternative high schools.
Wake County Public high schools in Raleigh include:
=Traditional schools
=
*Needham B. Broughton High School (International Baccalaureate)
*Leesville Road High School
*Jesse O. Sanderson High School
*Wakefield High School (Raleigh, North Carolina), Wakefield High School
=Magnet schools
=
*Athens Drive High School
*William G. Enloe High School, William G. Enloe GT/IB Center for the Humanities, Sciences, and the Arts (International Baccalaureate)
*Millbrook High School (North Carolina), Millbrook High School (International Baccalaureate)
*Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School
=Alternative schools
=
*Longview School
*Phillips High School (North Carolina), Mary E. Phillips High School
=Early college schools
=
*Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy
*Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy
*Wake STEM Early College High School
*Wake Early College of Health and Sciences
Charter schools
The State of North Carolina provides for a legislated number of charter schools. These schools are administered independently of the Wake County Public School System. Raleigh is currently home to 11 such charter schools:
*Casa Esperanza Montessori method, Montessori School (K-8)
*Endeavor Charter School (K-8)
*Exploris Middle School (1–8)
*Hope Elementary School (K-5)
*Longleaf School of the Arts (9–12)
*Magellan Charter School (3–8)
*PreEminent Charter School (K-8)
*Quest Academy (K-8)
*Raleigh Charter High School (9–12)
*Torchlight Academy (K-6)
*Woods Charter School (K-12)
State-operated schools
*Governor Morehead School, school for the blind
Private and religion-based schools
*Al-Iman Islamic School (K-8)
*An Noor Quran Academy (3–8)
*Bonner Academy (5–8)
*Follow the Child Montessori School (K-6)
*Friendship Christian School (North Carolina), Friendship Christian School of Raleigh (Baptist, 1–12)
*Gethsemane Seventh-day Adventist Church School (K-8)
*Grace Christian School (North Carolina), Grace Christian School (K-12)
*Jewish Academy of Wake County (K-3)
*Montessori School of Raleigh (K-9)
*Neuse Baptist Christian School (K-12)
*North Raleigh Christian Academy (Protestant Christian, K-12)
*Raleigh Christian Academy (Baptist, K-12)
*Raleigh School, The Raleigh School (K-5)
*Ravenscroft School (K-12)
*The Trilogy School (2–12)
*Trinity Academy of Raleigh (Protestant Christian, K-12)
*Upper Room Christian Academy (closed) (PreK-12)
*Wake Christian Academy (K-12)
*Word of God Christian Academy (Protestant Christian, K-12)
*Thales Academy (PreK-12)
;Episcopal schools
*St. David's School (Raleigh, North Carolina), St. David's School (Episcopal, K-12)
*St. Timothy's School
*Saint Mary's School (Raleigh, North Carolina), St. Mary's School (Episcopal, 9–12)
;Catholic secondary schools
*Cardinal Gibbons High School (Raleigh, North Carolina), Cardinal Gibbons High School (Catholic, 9–12)
*Saint Thomas More Academy, St. Thomas More Academy (Catholic, 9–12)
;Catholic primary schools
*The Franciscan School (Catholic, K-8)
*Sacred Heart Cathedral (Raleigh, North Carolina), Cathedral School (Catholic, PreK-8)
*Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (K-8)
*St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church, St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic School (PreK-8)
Media
Print publications
There are several newspapers and periodicals serving Raleigh:
* ''
The News & Observer
''The News & Observer'' is an American regional daily newspaper that serves the greater Triangle area based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The paper is the largest in circulation in the state (second is the ''Charlotte Observer''). The paper has bee ...
'', a large daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company
* ''The Triangle Downtowner Magazine'', a locally owned free monthly print magazine centered around high-density areas of the Triangle with features on dining, entertainment, wine, community, history and more
*''Technician (newspaper), Technician'', student publication of North Carolina State University
* ''The Carolinian'', North Carolina's oldest and largest African-American newspaper published twice weekly
* ''Midtown Magazine'' an upscale Raleigh lifestyle magazine
* ''Raleigh Magazine'' a glossy print magazine covering exclusively Raleigh
* ''Walter Magazine'' a magazine covering Covering the art, culture and people of Raleigh
* ''The Slammer'', a paid bi-weekly newspaper featuring Raleigh crime news
* ''Carolina Journal'', a free monthly newspaper
* ''Independent Weekly'', a free weekly tabloid covering Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding area
Television
Broadcast
Raleigh is part of the Raleigh-Durham-
Fayetteville Designated Market Area, the 24th largest broadcast television market in the United States. The following stations are licensed to Raleigh and/or have significant operations and viewers in the city:
* UNC-TV, WUNC-TV (4, PBS): City of license, licensed to Chapel Hill, owned by the University of North Carolina
* WRAL-TV (5, NBC): licensed to Raleigh, owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company
* WTVD (11, American Broadcasting Company, ABC): licensed to Durham; news bureau located in Raleigh. ABC Owned-and-operated station, O&O owned by ABC Owned Television Stations
* WNCN, WNCN-TV (17, CBS): studios located in Raleigh, licensed to the city of Goldsboro, North Carolina, Goldsboro southeast of Raleigh; owned by Nexstar Media Group
* WLFL, WLFL-TV (22, The CW, CW): licensed to Raleigh, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
* WRDC (28, MyNetworkTV, MyNet) licensed to Durham, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
* WRAY-TV (30, TCT) licensed to Wilson. TCT O&O owned by Tri-State Christian Television
* WUVC-DT (40, Univision) licensed to Fayetteville. Univision Owned-and-operated station, O&O owned by TelevisaUnivision
* WRPX-TV (47, Ion Television, Ion) licensed to Rocky Mount, with studios in Raleigh. Ion O&O owned by Ion Media
* WRAZ (TV), WRAZ-TV (50, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox): licensed to Raleigh, owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company
* WAUG-LD (8, Independent station) licensed to Raleigh, owned and operated by Saint Augustine's College
* WRTD-CD (54, Telemundo): licensed to Raleigh. Telemundo Owned-and-operated station, O&O owned by NBCUniversal
Broadcast radio
Public and listener-supported
* WKNC-FM – 88.1 FM (College rock), operated by students of
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
* WRKV – 88.9 FM (Contemporary Christian), operated by Educational Media Foundation
* WCPE, WCPE-FM – 89.7 FM (Classical)
* WUNC (FM), WUNC-FM – 91.5 FM (National Public Radio, North Carolina Public Radio) operated by the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
* WRLY-LP – 93.5 FM (Adult hits), operated by Triangle Access Broadcasting, Inc.
* WKRP-LP – 101.9 FM (Variety (radio), Variety), operated by Oak City Media, Inc.
Commercial
* WDCG-FM (G105, Contemporary hit radio)
* WDCG-HD2 (ALT 95.3, Alternative rock, analogue broadcast on 95.3 FM W237BZ)
* WQDR-FM (94.7QDR, Country music, Country)
* WBBB-FM 96.1 (Radio 96.1, Adult hits)
* WRAL (FM), WRAL-FM (Mix 101.5, Adult contemporary music, Adult contemporary)
* WKIX-FM (KIX 102.9, Classic hits)
* WPTF-AM (NewsRadio 680, Talk radio, News/Talk)
* WQOK-FM (K97.5, Hip hop)
* WFXC-FM/WFXK-FM (Foxy 107/104, Urban adult contemporary)
* WRDU-FM (100.7, Classic rock)
* WNCB-FM (93.9 B939 FM, Country music, Country)
* WTKK-FM (106.1 FM, Talk radio, News/Talk)
* WNNL-FM (103.9 The Light, Urban contemporary gospel)
* WWPL-FM (96.9 Pulse FM, Contemporary hits)
* WKIX (AM), WKIX (Just Right Radio 850 and 104.7 FM, Popular standards)
* WQDR(AM), WQDR-AM (570, classic rock)
* WCLY-AM (That Station, Adult album alternative)
* WAUG (AM), 750 WAUG
Infrastructure
Transportation
Air
=Raleigh-Durham International Airport
=
Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the region's primary airport and the second-largest in North Carolina, located northwest of downtown Raleigh via Interstate-40 between Raleigh and
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
, serves the city and greater Research Triangle metropolitan region, as well as much of eastern North Carolina. The airport offers service to more than 50 domestic and international destinations and serves approximately 10 million passengers a year. International destinations include London, Montreal, Toronto, Cancún, Mexico, Cancún, Paris, and seasonal service to Keflavík. American Airlines operates the daily service to London Heathrow. Delta Air Lines announced in November 2008 that service from RDU to Paris, France would begin in June 2009, but the route would not take flight until 2016. The airport also offers facilities for cargo airline, cargo and general aviation. The airport authority tripled the size of its Terminal 2 (formerly Terminal C) in January 2011.
Private general aviation airports in Raleigh include Triple W Airport .
Freeways and primary designated routes
=Interstate Highways
=
* traverses the southern part of the city, connecting Raleigh to Durham and Chapel Hill toward the west, and coastal Wilmington, North Carolina to the southeast.
* also known locally as the Raleigh Beltline, it forms part of the inner beltway around central Raleigh, forming the eastern, northern, and western portions, with I-40 forming the southern portion.
* when complete, will be a full outer beltway around Raleigh. The northern and western quadrants are complete and open to traffic, while the remaining two quadrants are currently under construction.
* designated September 5, 2017, follows the former route of Interstate 495. It begins at the I-40/I-440 interchange southeast of Raleigh and runs east, meeting I-540 and currently terminating at Rolesville Road. It is entirely concurrent with US 64. When the route is completed it will link Raleigh to the Norfolk, Virginia area.
=United States Highways
=
* enters the city from the southwest as the US 1/US 64 expressway from Cary, joining I-440 at the I-40 interchange, and leaves I-440 along with US 401 on Capital Boulevard, before leaving the city to the north.
* is the main east–west route through Raleigh; all segments share routes with another highway. It enters the city from the southwest as the US 1/US 64 expressway from Cary, follows I-40 at the western I-440 interchange, briefly joins I-440 in Southeast Raleigh, and then joins I-87 and US 264 along the Knightdale Bypass east of the city. A former alignment, designated as Business US-64, follows New Bern Avenue from the I-440 Beltline to the eastern boundary of the city, where it continues into Knightdale.
* enters the city from the south cosigned with US 401 and NC 50 along Wilmington Street, following South Saunders Street into Downtown Raleigh, through which it follows the paired one-way streets of McDowell and Dawson. North of Downtown it follows Capital Boulevard, Wade Avenue, and Glenwood Avenue before leaving the city to the Northwest heading towards Durham.
* cosigned with US 64 through East Raleigh.
* enters the city from the south cosigned with US 70 and NC 50 along Wilmington Street, following South Saunders Street into Downtown Raleigh, through which it follows the paired one-way streets of McDowell and Dawson. North of Downtown it follows Capital Boulevard and Louisburg Road, before leaving the city to the northeast towards Rolesville.
=North Carolina Highways
=
* follows Chapel Hill Road and Hillsborough Street in West Raleigh. The route ends at its interchange with
I-440.
* enters the city from the south cosigned with US 70 and US 401 along Wilmington Street, following South Saunders Street into Downtown Raleigh, through which it follows the paired one-way streets of McDowell and Dawson. North of Downtown it follows Capital Boulevard, Wade Avenue, Glenwood Avenue, and Creedmoor Road, before heading north towards Creedmoor.
* known as Durham Road in North Raleigh, traverses the extreme northeastern part of the city, where it borders Wake Forest.
Intercity rail
![2008-07-05 TTA bus 713 at DATA terminal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/2008-07-05_TTA_bus_713_at_DATA_terminal.jpg)
Raleigh (Amtrak station), Raleigh's train station is one of Amtrak's busiest stops in the Southern United States, Southern U.S.
The station is served by five passenger trains daily: the ''Silver Star (Amtrak train), Silver Star'', thrice-daily ''Piedmont (train), Piedmont'' service, and the ''Carolinian (train), Carolinian.''
Daily service is offered between Raleigh and:
*
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, with intermediate stops including Cary, Durham, Burlington, North Carolina, Burlington and Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina.
*New York City, with intermediate stops including Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
.
*Miami, with intermediate stops including Columbia, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia; as well as Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville, Orlando, Florida, Orlando and Tampa, Florida.
Public transit
Public transportation in and around Raleigh is provided by GoRaleigh (formerly Capital Area Transit), which operates 33 fixed bus routes, including the R-Line (Capital Area Transit), R-Line and the Wake-Forest Loop. Although there are 33 routes, some routes are designed to cover multiple other routes at times when they are not served. Depending on the time of the day, and the day of the week, the number of routes operating is between 5 and 29.
Raleigh is also served by GoTriangle (formerly Triangle Transit Authority). GoTriangle offers scheduled, fixed-route regional and commuter bus service between Raleigh and the region's other principal cities of Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill, as well as to and from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport,
Research Triangle Park and several of the region's larger suburban communities. Triangle Transit also coordinates an extensive vanpool and carpool, rideshare program that serves the region's larger employers and commute destinations.
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
also maintains its own transit system, the Wolfline, that provides zero-fare bus service to the general public along multiple routes serving the university's campuses in southwest Raleigh.
Government agencies throughout the Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area have struggled with determining the best means of providing fixed-rail transit service for the region.
From 1995 the cornerstone of Triangle Transit's long-term plan was a 28-mile rail corridor from northeast Raleigh, through downtown Raleigh,
Cary
Cary may refer to:
Places
;United States
* Cary, Illinois, part of the Chicago metropolitan area
* Cary, Indiana, part of the Indianapolis metropolitan area
* Cary, Miami County, Indiana
* Cary, Maine
* Cary, Mississippi
* Cary, North Carolina ...
, and
Research Triangle Park, to
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
* Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
using Diesel multiple unit, DMU technology. There were proposals to extend this corridor 7 miles to
Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia
*Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
*Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area
Canada
* Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...
with light rail technology. However, in 2006 Triangle Transit deferred implementation indefinitely when the Federal Transit Administration declined to fund the program due to low ridership projections.
The region's two metropolitan planning organizations appointed a group of local citizens in 2007 to reexamine options for future transit development in light of Triangle Transit's problems. The Special Transit Advisory Commission (STAC) retained many of the provisions of Triangle Transit's original plan, but recommended adding new bus services and raising additional revenues by adding a new local half-cent sales tax to fund the project.
Greyhound Lines provides an inter-city bus service to Durham, Charlotte, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and other cities.
Bicycle and pedestrian
*The Maine-to-Florida U.S. Bicycle Route#1 routes through suburban Raleigh, along with North Carolina Bicycle Route 2, N.C. Bicycle Route #2, the "Mountains To Sea" route. As of September 2010, maps and signage for both US Bike Route No. 1 and NC Bike Route No. 2 are out-of-date for the Raleigh area. North Carolina Bicycle Route 5, N.C. Bicycle Route #5 is routed nearby, connecting Apex to Wilmington, North Carolina, Wilmington and closely paralleling the NCBC Randonneurs 600-kilometer brevet route.
*Most public buses are equipped with bicycle racks, and some roads have dedicated bicycle-only lanes. Bicyclists and pedestrians also may use Raleigh's extensive Capital Area Greenway, greenway system, with paths and trails located throughout the city.
*In May 2011, Raleigh was designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists at the Bronze level.
*A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Raleigh 36th most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.
*In 2002, the "Walk [Your City]" initiative was started in the city which provides a tool kit for neighborhood organizations to post signs giving a distance by bike or foot, with directions in scannable QR code. The movement has spread to more than 400 communities in 55 countries.
Public safety
The Raleigh Fire Department provides fire protection throughout the city. The North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, the state's primary correctional facility housing female inmates, is based in Raleigh.
Notable people
Sister cities
Raleigh has several sister cities:
* Compiègne, Oise, Hauts-de-France, France
* Kingston upon Hull, England, United Kingdom
* Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
* Nairobi, Kenya
* Gibraltar, Gibraltar, United Kingdom
See also
*List of capitals in the United States
*List of municipalities in North Carolina
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Wake County, North Carolina
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*Benjamin, Karen (March 2012)
"Suburbanizing Jim Crow: The Impact of School Policy on Residential Segregation in Raleigh" ''Journal of Urban History'', ''38''(2), pp. 225–46. .
*
*
External links
*
*
*Raleigh Directory
18751883189619031927Guide to the Ray Winstead Collection of Aerial Photographs of Raleigh, North Carolina Circa 1970
{{Authority control
Raleigh, North Carolina,
1792 establishments in North Carolina
Cities in Durham County, North Carolina
Cities in Wake County, North Carolina
County seats in North Carolina
Planned cities in the United States
Populated places established in 1792
Populated places on the Neuse River
Research Triangle
Walter Raleigh
Capitals of North Carolina