Raleigh is an early example in the United States of aplanned city.[13] Following theAmerican Revolutionary War 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 theNorth Carolina State Capitol at the center, in Union Square. During theAmerican Civil War, 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 theReconstruction Era. The establishment of the Research Triangle Park in 1959 helped create thousands of jobs in the fields of science and technology.
Bath, the oldest town in North Carolina, was the first nominal capital of the colony from 1705 until 1722, whenEdenton took over the role. The colony had no permanent institutions of government until the new capital,New Bern, was established in 1743.
New Bern, a port town on theNeuse River 35 mi (56 km) from the Atlantic Ocean, was the largest city and the capital of North Carolina during theAmerican Revolution. When the British Army laid siege to the city, that site could no longer be used as the capital.[15] From 1789 to 1794, when Raleigh was being built, the state capital wasFayetteville.
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.[16] The city was incorporated on December 31, 1792, and a charter granted January 21, 1795.[13] The city was named forSir Walter Raleigh, sponsor ofRoanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.[17]
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 astate capital. Its original boundaries were formed by the downtown streets of North, East, West and South.[18] The plan, a grid with two main axes meeting at a central square and an additional square in each corner, was based onThomas Holme's 1682 plan forPhiladelphia.[19] The city was developed on the land of variousplantations includingCrabtree,Mordecai,Oak View,Pine Hall,Pullen,Spring Hill, andWakefield.
TheNorth Carolina General Assembly first met in Raleigh in December 1794, and granted the city acharter, with a board of seven appointedcommissioners and an "Intendant of Police" (which developed as the office ofMayor) to govern it. After 1803, city commissioners were elected. In 1799, theN.C. Minerva and Raleigh Advertiser was the first newspaper published in Raleigh.[20]John Haywood was the first Intendant of Police.[21]
In 1808,Andrew Johnson, the United States' future 17th President, was born at Casso's Inn in Raleigh.[22] The city's firstwater supply network was completed in 1818, although due to system failures, the project was abandoned. In 1819 Raleigh's first volunteerfire company was founded, followed in 1821 by a full-time fire company.[23]
In 1853, the firstState Fair was held near Raleigh. The first institution of higher learning in Raleigh,Peace College, was established in 1857. Raleigh'sHistoric Oakwood contains many houses from the 19th century that are still in good condition.[25]
North Carolina seceded from the Union during theAmerican Civil War on May 20, 1861. After the war began, GovernorZebulon Baird Vance ordered the construction ofbreastworks around the city as protection fromUnion troops. Near the end of the Civil War, Governor Vance arranged his evacuation to avoid capture asUnion General William Sherman'sforces approached the city. Before leaving, Vance met with former governorsGraham andSwain to draft a letter of surrender for Raleigh. Their intention was to protect Raleigh fromthe 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 GeneralHugh Judson Kilpatrick 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'scavalry occupied Raleigh and removed the flagpole from thestate capitol, replacing it with aUnited States Flag above the dome. Sherman arrived shortly after and established his headquarters in thegovernor's mansion. The city was spared significant destruction during the war.[26] AsConfederate cavalry retreated west, Union soldiers followed, leading to theBattle of Morrisville nearby.[27]
Due to the economic and social problems of the postwar period andReconstruction, with a state economy still heavily dependent on agriculture, the city grew little over the next several decades.[28][29]
Shaw University, the South's first African American college, began classes in 1865 and was chartered in 1875.[30] ItsEstey Hall was the first building constructed for the higher education of Black women, andLeonard Medical Center was the first four-year medical school in the country for African Americans.[31]
In 1867,Episcopal clergy foundedSt. Augustine's College for the education offreedmen. 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.[32] In 1874, the federal government constructed theFederal Building in Raleigh, the firstfederal government project in the Southern U.S. following the Civil War.[33]
In 1880, the newspapersNews andObserver combined to formThe News & Observer.[34] It continues to be Raleigh's primary daily newspaper. The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now known asNorth Carolina State University, was founded as aland-grant college in 1887. The city'sRex Hospital opened in 1889 and included the state's first nursing school. The Baptist Women's College, now known asMeredith College, opened in 1891, and in 1898, The Academy of Music, a private music conservatory, was established.[35]
In the late nineteenth century, two Black Congressmen were elected fromNorth Carolina's 2nd district, the last in 1898.George Henry White 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 newconstitution, with a suffrage amendment that raised barriers to voter registration, resulting in thedisenfranchisement 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 theRepublican Party was no longer competitive in the state.[36][37][38]
It was not until after federalcivil rights 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.[39] No African American was elected to Congress from North Carolina until 1992.
In 1912, Bloomsbury Park opened, featuring a popular carousel ride. Relocated toPullen Park, thePullen Park Carousel is still operating.
From 1914 to 1917, aninfluenza epidemic killed 288 Raleighites.[40]
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 theNorth Carolina Debutante Ball in 1927.
The city's first airport, Curtiss-Wright Flying Field, opened in 1929. That same year, thestock market crash resulted in six Raleigh banks closing.[42]
During the difficult 1930s of theGreat Depression, 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 was dedicated. TheNorth Carolina Symphony, founded the same year, performed in its new home. From 1934 to 1937, the federalCivilian Conservation Corps constructed the area now known asWilliam B. Umstead State Park. In 1939, the State General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham,[43] with the first flight occurring in 1943.
In 1947, Raleigh citizens adopted acouncil–manager form of government, which is still the city's current form of government. Council members are elected fromsingle-member districts. They hire a city manager.
In 1953,WNAO-TV, channel 28, became the city's first television station, though it folded in 1957.
With the opening of theResearch Triangle Park in 1959, Raleigh began to experience a population increase, resulting in a total city population of 100,000 by 1960.[46] In 1960, the Census Bureau reported Raleigh's population as 76.4% White and 23.4% Black.[47]
From the early-to-mid 20th centuryEast 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.[48] Another of Raleigh's oldest Black neighborhoods, Fourth Ward, was demolished starting in 1971, with about 600 homes and 60 businesses south of downtown gone as a result ofurban renewal, and 1,600 people forced to move. It was claimed housing was substandard and the area had a lot of crime.[49]
By the early 1970s people in Raleigh were growing increasingly concerned about growth andurban sprawl. 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 CouncilmanClarence Lightner 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.[50]
In 1976, the Raleigh City and Wake County schools merged to become theWake County Public School System, now the largest school system in the state and 19th largest in the country.[51]
During the 1970s and 1980s, theI-440 beltline was constructed, in an attempt to ease traffic congestion and providing access to most major city roads.
The firstRaleigh Convention Center (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.[52]
During the1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak of November 28, 1988, the city was affected by the most destructive of the seven tornadoes reported inNortheastern North Carolina and southeasternVirginia 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 inNash County) and 154 injuries. The damage path from the storm was measured at 84 mi (135 km) long, and .5 mi (0.8 km) wide at times. The tornado was ratedF4.[53]
In 1996, theOlympic Flame passed through Raleigh while on its way to the1996 Summer Olympics inAtlanta. 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 1999, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (later renamed the RBC Center and now calledLenovo Center), opened to provide a home for the Hurricanes and theNC State Wolfpack men's basketball team, as well as an up-to-date major concert venue.[54]
In 2001, the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium complex was expanded with the addition of theProgress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Meymandi Concert Hall, Fletcher Opera Theater, Kennedy Theatre,Betty Ray McCain Gallery and Lichtin Plaza.[55]
Fayetteville Street reopened to vehicular traffic in 2006.[56] A variety of downtown building projects began around this time including the 34-storyRBC Bank Tower, multiple condominium projects and several new restaurants. Additional skyscrapers are in the proposal/planning phase.[57]
With the opening of parts ofI-540 from 2005 to 2007, a new 70 mi (110 km) 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.[58]
In April 2011, a devastatingEF-3tornado hit Raleigh, and many other tornadoes touched down in the state (ultimately the largest, but not thestrongest 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.[60] There were 4 fatalities in the city.[61]
On October 13, 2022,a spree shooting occurred in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood. Five people were killed, and two others were injured.[67] The suspect, a 15-year-old boy,[68] was detained after being critically wounded and later remanded into the custody of the medical unit of a juvenile correctional facility.[69][70][71]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 149.60 square miles (387.5 km2), of which 148.54 square miles (384.7 km2) is land and 1.07 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.72%) is water.[4] TheNeuse River flows through the northeastern corner of the city.
Raleigh is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where thePiedmont andAtlantic coastal plain regions meet. This area is known as the "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.
Raleigh is divided into several major geographic areas, each of which use a Raleigh address and aZIP code that begins with the digits 276.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 538 ft (164 m), with a floor count of 34.[77][78]
One common division of Raleigh is to differentiate the central part of the city, which lies inside of thecircumferential highway known as the Raleigh Beltline (I-440 andI-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.[79]
Some of the names have become commonplace among locals, such as the Warehouse District, Fayetteville Street, andGlenwood South.[82][83] Other neighborhoods lying inside the Beltline includeForest Park,[84]Boylan Heights,[85] Country Club Hills, Coley Forest, Five Points, Budleigh,Glenwood-Brooklyn,Hayes Barton Historic District,Moore Square,Mordecai (home to the historicMordecai House), Rochester Heights,South Park, Rosengarten Park, Belvidere Park, Woodcrest, Oberlin Village, andHistoric Oakwood. 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 is arelatively 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 asNorth Hills andCrabtree Valley Mall. It also includes North Hills Park and part of the Raleigh Greenway System.[86] The term was coined by the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, developer John Kane and planning director Mitchell Silver.TheNews & Observer newspaper started using the term for marketing purposes only.[87] The Midtown Raleigh Alliance was founded on July 25, 2011, as a way for community leaders to promote the area.[88] 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 is situated roughly fromCapital Boulevard and the eastern side ofI-440 beltline to the Neuse River, and extending as far south as Poole Road. Most of East Raleigh's development is along primary corridors such asU.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,[89] New Hope, Thompson-Hunter and Wilder's Grove. The area is bordered to the east by the town ofKnightdale.[90]
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 builtsubdivisions 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, 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 AvenueU.S. Route 70,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.[92]
South Raleigh is located alongU.S. 401 south towardFuquay-Varina and alongUS 70 into suburbanGarner. This area is the least developed and least dense area of Raleigh (much of the area lies within theSwift Creekwatershed district, where development regulations limit housing densities and construction). The area is bordered to the west byCary, to the east byGarner, to the southwest byHolly 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.[93]
Southeast Raleigh is bounded by downtown on the west,Garner on the southwest, and ruralWake County 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, Worthdale 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.
Ducks swimming at Durant Nature Preserve in the Fall
Like much of the Southeastern United States, Raleigh has a four-seasonhumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa). Winters are generally cool, with a normal January daily mean temperature of 41.9 °F (5.5 °C).[94] 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.[94] Raleigh receives an average annual rainfall of 46.07 in (117.0 cm).[95] 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 2.78 in (70.6 mm) 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 from August to early October) bringing heavy rainfall. Summers are hot and humid, with a normal July daily mean temperature of 80.5 °F (26.9 °C).[94] There are 48 days per year with highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C).[94] 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 notablyHurricane Floyd on September 15–16. Raleigh's all-time record high temperature is 106 °F (41 °C) on July 5, 2024,[96] while the all-time record low is −9 °F (−23 °C) onJanuary 21, 1985. Raleigh falls inUSDAhardiness zones 7b (5 °F to 10 °F) and 8a (10 °F to 15 °F).[97]
Raleigh receives an average of 5.2 in (13.2 cm) of snow in winter.Freezing rain andsleet also occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damagingice storm. On January 24–25, 2000, Raleigh received its greatest snowfall from a single storm – 20.3 in (52 cm) – theWinter Storm of January 2000.[98] Storms of this magnitude are generally the result ofcold air damming that affects the city due to its proximity to theAppalachian 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 experiencehurricanes. In 1996,Hurricane Fran caused severe damage in the Raleigh area, mostly from falling trees.[99] HurricanesDennis 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 wasHurricane Florence in 2018. Tornadoes also have on occasion affected the city of Raleigh, most notably theNovember 28, 1988, tornado which occurred in the early morning hours and rated F4 on theFujita scale and affected northwestern portions of the city.[100] There also was theApril 16, 2011, EF3 tornado, which affected portions of downtown and northeast Raleigh and the suburb of Holly Springs.[101]
Map of racial distribution in Raleigh, 2010 U.S. census. Each dot is 25 people:⬤ White⬤ Black⬤ Asian⬤ Hispanic⬤ Other
As of the2020 census, there were 467,665 people, 188,412 households, and 104,848 families residing in the city. In theAmerican Community Survey of 2019, the city of Raleigh's population was estimated at 474,708; an earlier estimate determined the population at 474,069.[11] At the2000 census,[7] 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 people/km2). There were 120,699 housing units at an average density of 1,053.2 per square mile (406.6/km2).
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 medianhousehold income in the city was $46,612 in 2000, and the medianfamily 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 thepoverty 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.[106] The median household income from 2014 to 2018 was $63,891 and the per capita income was $36,875.[11] 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.[11]
Raleigh city, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the U.S. 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 may be of any race.
According to theCity of Raleigh Crime Statistical Overview, in 2022, theRaleigh Police Department and other agencies in the city reported 1,797 incidents ofviolent crime and 11,537 incidents ofproperty crime – making property crime about 24% higher than the national average and violent crime about 2% higher than the national average. Of the violent crimes reported, 43 were murders, 178 were rape/sexual assaults 458 were robberies, and 1,118 were aggravated assaults. Property crimes includedburglaries which accounted for 1,191,larcenies for 9,018, andMotor vehicle theft accounted for 1,283 incidents out of the total.[120][121]
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 forhigh-tech andbiotech research, as well as advanced textile development.[122] The city is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for the grocery industry.[123]
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."[129]
TheCoastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek hosts major international touring acts. In 2011, the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater opened (now sponsored as theRed 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.[144] Nearby Cary is home to theKoka 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 theNorth Carolina State Fair,Dorton Arena 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).
Raleigh is home to several professional arts organizations, including theNorth Carolina Symphony,[148] the Opera Company of North Carolina,[149]Theatre in the Park,[150] Burning Coal Theatre Company, theNorth Carolina Theatre,[151] Broadway Series South and theCarolina Ballet. The numerous local colleges and universities significantly add to the options available for viewing live performances.
Further information on the Raleigh rock band:Airiel Down
North Carolina Museum of Art, occupying a large suburban campus on Blue Ridge Road near theNorth Carolina State Fairgrounds, maintains one of the premier public art collections located between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. In addition to its extensive collections ofAmerican Art,European Art andancient art, the museum recently has hosted major exhibitions featuringAuguste Rodin (in 2000) andClaude Monet (in 2006–07), each attracting more than 200,000 visitors.[152][153] 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 suchart 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 architectThomas Phifer and Partners.
Raleigh's downtown is also home to many local art galleries such as Art Space inCity Market, Visual Art Exchange, and 311 Gallery, on Martin Street, and Bee Hive Studios on Hargett Street.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.[154]
North Carolina State University is located in southwest Raleigh where theWolfpack competes nationally in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports as a member of theAtlantic Coast Conference.[161] The university's football team plays inCarter–Finley Stadium, the second largest football stadium in North Carolina, while the men's basketball team shares the Lenovo Center 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 atReynolds Coliseum. The men's baseball team plays atDoak Field.[162]
The Raleigh Cú Chulainn Gaelic Athletic Association competes in men's and women'sGaelic Football,Hurling, andCamogie. It is a member in the Southeast Division of the United States Gaelic Athletic Association and theGaelic Athletic Association based in Ireland. The Raleigh GAA won the Junior B Men's Football national championship in 2014.[164] The Raleigh GAA and theNorth Carolina TigersAustralian rules football clubs compete in the annual Oak City Cup where both clubs compete under the compromise football rules adapted by Ireland and Australia for international competition.[165][166]
Raleigh is also home to one of theCheer Extreme All Stars gyms. In 2009 and again in 2010, Cheer Extreme Raleigh's Small Senior Level 5 Team were silver medalists at theCheerleading Worlds Competition inOrlando, Florida, and in 2012 they received the bronze medal.[167] Raleigh is also home to one of the Southeast's premierHardcourt Bike Polo clubs.[168]
Because of the area's many billiards rooms, Raleigh is home to one of the largest amateur league franchises for playingpool, the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel HillAmerican Poolplayers Association. There are leagues available in formats for players of any skill level.
Raleigh is the home of Raleigh Kubb, both a competitive and non-competitivekubb club. Raleigh Kubb hosts kubb tournaments benefitting various charities in the Raleigh area.[169]
The Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of leisure opportunities at more than 200 sites throughout the city, which include: 8,100 acres (33 km2) of park land, 78 mi (126 km) ofgreenway, 22community centers, aBMX championship-caliber race track, 112 tennis courts among 25 locations, 5 public lakes, and 8 public aquatic facilities. The park system includes the historicPullen Park, the oldest public park in North Carolina. TheJ. C. Raulston Arboretum, an 8-acre (32,000 m2)arboretum andbotanical garden in west Raleigh administered byNorth Carolina State University, maintains a year-round collection that is open daily to the public without charge.[170]
Historically, Raleigh voters have tended to electconservative Democrats in local, state, and national elections, a holdover from their one-party system of the late 19th century.[171][172]
Raleigh operates under acouncil-manager government.Raleigh City Council consists of eight members; all seats, including theMayor's, are open for election every two years. Five of the council seats are district representatives and two seats are citywide representatives electedat-large.[173]
Public schools in Raleigh are operated by theWake County Public School System, 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.[185] Raleigh is home to severalmagnet high schools and several schools offering theInternational Baccalaureate program. There are fourearly college high schools in Raleigh. Raleigh also has twoalternative high schools.
Wake County Public high schools in Raleigh include:
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:
Raleigh Magazine a glossy print magazine covering exclusively Raleigh[231]
The Slammer, a paid bi-weekly newspaper featuring Raleigh crime news[232]
Technician, student publication of North Carolina State University[233]
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[234]
Walter Magazine a magazine covering the art, culture and people of Raleigh[235]
Raleigh is part of the Raleigh-Durham-FayettevilleDesignated 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:
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (IATA:RDU,ICAO:KRDU,FAALID:RDU), the region's primary airport and thesecond largest in North Carolina, located northwest of downtown Raleigh via Interstate-40 between Raleigh andDurham, serves the city and greater Research Triangle metropolitan region, as well as much of eastern North Carolina. The airport offers service to nearly 75 domestic and international destinations and serves approximately 15 million passengers a year.[252] RDU is served by 16 air carriers, flying to a multitude of nonstop destinations on 350+ flights daily. The airport also offers facilities forcargo andgeneral aviation. The airport authority tripled the size of its Terminal 2 (formerly Terminal C) in January 2011.[253]
I-40 traverses the southern part of the city, connecting Raleigh to Durham and Chapel Hill toward the west, and coastalWilmington, North Carolina, to the southeast.[254]
I-87 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 theNorfolk, Virginia area.[255]
I-440 also known locally as the Raleigh Beltline, it forms part of the innerbeltway around central Raleigh, forming the eastern, northern, and western portions, with I-40 forming the southern portion.[256]
I-540 / NC 540 Toll 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.[257]
US 1 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 onCapital Boulevard, before leaving the city to the north.
US 64 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.
US 70 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.
US 401 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.
NC 50 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.
Public transportation in and around Raleigh is provided byGoRaleigh (formerly Capital Area Transit),[260] which operates 33 fixed bus routes, including theR-Line[261] 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 byGoTriangle (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 theRaleigh-Durham International Airport,Research Triangle Park and several of the region's larger suburban communities. Triangle Transit also coordinates an extensivevanpool andrideshare program that serves the region's larger employers and commute destinations.
North Carolina State University also maintains its own transit system, theWolfline, that provideszero-fare bus service to the general public along multiple routes serving the university's campuses in southwest Raleigh.[262]
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, andResearch Triangle Park, toDurham usingDMU technology. There were proposals to extend this corridor 7 miles toChapel Hill withlight rail technology. However, in 2006 Triangle Transit deferred implementation indefinitely when theFederal Transit Administration declined to fund the program due to low ridership projections.
The region's twometropolitan 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.[263]
Greyhound Lines provides an inter-city bus service to Durham, Charlotte, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and other cities.
The Maine-to-FloridaU.S. Bicycle Route#1 routes through suburban Raleigh, along withN.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.N.C. Bicycle Route #5 is routed nearby, connecting Apex toWilmington and closely paralleling the NCBC Randonneurs 600-kilometer brevet route.[264]
Most public buses are equipped with bicycle racks, and some roads have dedicated bicycle-only lanes. Bicyclists and pedestrians also may use Raleigh's extensivegreenway system, with paths and trails located throughout the city.
In 2002, the "Walk [Your City]" initiative was started in the city which provides atool kit for neighborhood organizations to post signs giving a distance by bike or foot, with directions in scannableQR code. The movement has spread to more than 400 communities in 55 countries.[266][267]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Raleigh kept January 1887 to May 17, 1944, at downtown and at Raleigh Durham Int'l since May 18, 1944. For more information, seeThreadex
^"The Research Triangle Park". March 5, 2011. Archived from the original on March 5, 2011. RetrievedOctober 30, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
.svg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
