Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh | |
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| Nickname(s): City of Oaks, Raleigh Wood, Oak City | |
| Motto(s): Amore et Virtute (Latin for "by Love and Virtue") | |
Interactive map of Raleigh | |
| Coordinates: 35°51′15″N 78°45′43″W / 35.85417°N 78.76194°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Wake, Durham |
| Chartered | December 31, 1792 |
| Named after | Sir Walter Raleigh |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Body | Raleigh City Council |
| • Mayor | Janet Cowell (D) |
| • Council | |
| Area | |
• Total | 149.60 sq mi (387.50 km2) |
| • Land | 148.54 sq mi (384.73 km2) |
| • Water | 1.07 sq mi (2.77 km2) 0.72% |
| Elevation | 331 ft (101 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 467,665 |
• Estimate (2024) | 499,825 |
| • Rank | 39th in the United States 2nd in North Carolina |
| • Density | 3,378.33/sq mi (1,215.57/km2) |
| • Urban | 1,106,646 (US: 43rd) |
| • Urban density | 1,994.6/sq mi (770.1/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,509,231 (US: 41st) |
| Demonym | Raleighite |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 276XX |
| Area code(s) | 919, 984 |
| FIPS code | 37-55000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404590 |
| Primary Airport | Raleigh–Durham International Airport |
| Website | raleighnc |
Raleigh (/ˈrɑːli/ ⓘ RAH-lee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte), the largest city in the Research Triangle area, and the 39th-most populous city in the U.S. Known as the "City of Oaks" for its oak-lined streets, Raleigh covers 148.54 square miles (384.7 km2) and had a population of 467,665 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Wake County and named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who founded the lost Roanoke Colony.
Raleigh is home to North Carolina State University and is part of the Research Triangle, which includes Durham (home to Duke University and North Carolina Central University) and Chapel Hill (home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). The Research Triangle area, centered around Research Triangle Park, has a population of over 2.37 million people. The Raleigh–Cary metropolitan statistical area alone has an estimated population of 1.51 million. The city primarily lies in Wake County, with a small portion extending into Durham County. Nearby suburbs include Apex, Cary, Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon.
Raleigh is an early example in the United States of a planned city. Following the American 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 the North Carolina State Capitol at the center, in Union Square. During the American 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 the Reconstruction Era. The establishment of the Research Triangle Park 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.