Raleigh, North Carolina
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Coordinates: 35°46′N 78°38′W Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (/ˈrɑːli/; RAH-lee)[6] is the capital of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many Raleigh, North Carolina [7] oak trees, which line the streets in the heart of the city. The city covers a land area of State capital city 147.6 square miles (382 km2). The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population as City of Raleigh 474,069 as of July 1, 2019.[4] It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country.[8][9] The city of Raleigh is named after Walter Raleigh, who established the lost Roanoke Colony in present-day Dare County. Raleigh is home to North Carolina State University (NC State) and is part of the Research Triangle together with Durham (home of Duke University and North Carolina Central University) and Chapel Hill (home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). 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 their universities. The Triangle encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Raleigh-Durham-Cary Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which had an estimated population of 2,037,430 in 2013.[10] The Raleigh metropolitan statistical area had an estimated population of 1,390,785 in 2019.[11] Most of Raleigh is located within Wake County, with a very small portion extending into Durham County.[12] The towns of Cary, Morrisville, Garner, Clayton, Wake Forest, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, and Rolesville are some of Raleigh's primary nearby suburbs and satellite towns. Raleigh is an early example in the United States of a planned city.[13] Following the American Revolutionary War when the U.S. gained independence, this 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 in Union Square at the center. During the American Civil War, the city was spared from any significant battle. It Clockwise from top left: NC State bell fell to the Union in the closing days of the war, and struggled with the economic tower, Confederate Monument at the hardships in the postwar period related to the reconstitution of labor markets, over- North Carolina State Capitol (now reliance on agriculture, and the social unrest of the Reconstruction Era. Following the removed), houses in Boylan Heights, houses in Historic Oakwood, statue of establishment of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) in 1959, several tens of thousands of Sir Walter Raleigh, skyline of the jobs were created in the fields of science and technology, and it became one of the downtown, Fayetteville Street, and the fastest-growing communities in the United States by the early 21st century. warehouse district Contents History Flag Earlier capitals Seal 18th century Nickname(s): "City of Oaks" 19th century 20th century 21st century Geography Cityscape Downtown and inside-the-beltline neighborhoods Midtown Raleigh East Raleigh West Raleigh North Raleigh South Raleigh Southeast Raleigh Climate Demographics Location in Wake County and the state Religion of North Carolina. Crime Economy Top employers Raleigh, North Arts and culture Carolina Museums Performing arts Visual arts Location in North Carolina, United Sports States & North America Professional Show map of North Carolina Collegiate Show map of the United States Amateur Show map of North America Parks and recreation Show all Coordinates: 35°46′N 78°38′W[1] Government City Council Country United States Education State North Higher education Carolina Public Counties Wake, Durham Private Chartered December 31, Private, for profit 1792 Primary and secondary education Named for Sir Walter Public schools Raleigh Traditional schools Government[2] Magnet schools • Type Council– Alternative schools Manager • Mayor Mary-Ann Early college schools Baldwin (D) Charter schools • Council Members Private and religion-based schools Jonathan Melton At- Media Large (D) Print publications Nicole Television Stewart At- Broadcast Large (D) Broadcast radio Patrick Public and listener-supported Buffkin (A) (D) Commercial David Cox Infrastructure (B) (D) Transportation Corey Air Branch (C) Raleigh-Durham International Airport (D) Stormie Freeways and primary designated routes Forte (D) Interstate Highways (D) Future David United States Highways Knight (E) North Carolina Highways (U) Intercity rail Area[3] Public transit • State capital city 147.64 sq mi (382.38 km2) Bicycle and pedestrian • Land 146.54 sq mi Public safety (379.55 km2) Notable people • Water 1.09 sq mi (2.83 km2) Sister cities Elevation 315 ft (96 m) See also Population (2010) Notes • State capital city 403,892 • Estimate (2019)[4] 474,069 References • Density 3,234.97/sq mi Further reading (1,249.03/km2) External links • Urban 1,012,994 • MSA 1,337,331 (44th) • CSA 2,201,103 History (29th) Demonym(s) Raleighite Earlier capitals Time zone UTC−05:00 (EST) Bath, the oldest town in North Carolina, was the first nominal capital of the colony from • Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 1705 until 1722, when Edenton took over the role. The colony had no permanent (EDT) institutions of government until the new capital, New Bern, was established in 1743. ZIP Codes 27601, 27603, 27604, 27605, 27606, 27607, 18th century 27608, 27609, 27610, 27612, In December 1770, Joel Lane successfully petitioned the North Carolina General 27613, 27614, Assembly to create a new county. On January 5, 1771, the bill creating Wake County was 27615, 27616, 27617 passed in the General Assembly.[14] The county was formed from portions of Area code(s) 919, 984 Cumberland, Orange, and Johnston counties, and was named for Margaret Wake Tryon, the wife of Governor William Tryon. The first county seat was Bloomsbury. FIPS code 37-55000[5] GNIS feature ID 1024242[1] New Bern, a port town on the Neuse River 35 miles (56 km) from the Atlantic Ocean, was Major airport RDU the largest city and the capital of North Carolina during the American Revolution. When Interstate I-40, I-87, I- the British Army laid siege to the city, that site could no longer be used as capital.[15] Highways 440, I-540 From 1789 to 1794, when Raleigh was being built, the state capital was Fayetteville. Other major US 1, US 64, highways US 70, US 401, Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital in 1788, as its central location protected NC 50, NC 540 it from attacks from the coast. It was officially established in 1792 as both county seat Website raleighnc.gov and state capital (incorporated on December 31, 1792 – charter granted January 21, (http://raleighn 1795).[16] The city was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost c.gov) 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 a state 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 on Thomas Holme's 1682 plan for Philadelphia.[19] The North Carolina General Assembly first met in Raleigh in December 1794, and granted the city a charter, with a board of seven appointed commissioners and an "Intendant of Police" (which developed as the office of Mayor) 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.[20] John Haywood was the first Intendant of Police.[21] 19th century In 1808, Andrew Johnson, the nation's future 17th President, was born at Casso's Inn in Raleigh.[22] The city's first water supply network was completed in 1818, although due to system failures, the project was abandoned. In 1819 Raleigh's first volunteer fire company was founded, followed in 1821 by a full-time fire company. In 1817, the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina was established and headquartered in Raleigh.[23] In 1831, a fire destroyed the North Carolina State House. Two years later, reconstruction began with quarried gneiss being delivered by the first railroad in the state. Raleigh Raleigh, North Carolina in 1872 celebrated the completions of the new State Capitol and new Raleigh & Gaston Railroad Company in 1840. In 1853, the first State Fair was held near Raleigh. The first institution of higher learning in Raleigh, Peace College, was established in 1857. Raleigh's Historic Oakwood 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 Civil War began, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance ordered the construction of breastworks around the city as protection from Union troops. Near the end of the Civil War, Sherman's March was approaching towards Raleigh. Governor Vance arranged his evacuation to avoid capture. Before leaving Vance met with former governors Graham and Swain to write a letter of surrender for Raleigh. The surrender was to prevent Raleigh from becoming destroyed like many other cities on Sherman's path. Graham and Swain were sent 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.