For other uses of this name, see
Raleigh.
Raleigh (IPA: /ˈrɑli/, ral-ee)
is the capital of the State of North Carolina and the
county seat of Wake
County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees, though pine trees are
the dominant species. It has a population of approximately 367,995 (2007 estimate), making it the second most populous city in
North Carolina, after Charlotte. It is also the 51st-largest city in the
United States. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill make up the three cities of The
Triangle. This name comes from the 1959 creation of a research park Research
Triangle Park, located mostly within Durham County. The Triangle is
an urban region, equivalent to the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical
Area of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. The estimated Raleigh-Cary metropolitan statistical area population, as of 2006, is 994,551. While almost all of
the city limits is located in Wake County, a few small portions of Raleigh are actually in
Durham County as a result of annexation [1].
History
Raleigh was chosen as the site of a new state capital in 1788, and was officially established in
1792 as both the new county seat and the new state capital. It was named in November 1792 for
Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of the Colony of
Roanoke, which was also known as the "Lost Colony" (today, the Fort
Raleigh National Historic Site).
The site was chosen for being within ten miles (16 km) of Isaac Hunter's Tavern, which was
apparently popular with the legislators of the time. No city or town
existed on the site before it was chosen to house the capitol. Raleigh is one of the few cities in the U.S. planned and built
specifically to serve as a state capital and it's original boundaries were North St, East St, West St and South St. An early map
(courtesy Library of Congress) is here. [1]
The North Carolina General Assembly first met in Raleigh in December
1794, and within one month, the legislature officially granted the city a charter, with a board of
seven appointed commissioners (starting in 1803, elected by the people) and an "Intendant of Police" (what would later be called
"Mayor") to govern it.[2] John Haywood was the first
Intendant of Police.[3]
Despite being spared destruction in the Civil War, Raleigh grew very little from
its original 1792 size until the introduction of streetcar lines in the 1920s, the establishment of
the Research Triangle Park in the 1950s, and a freeway known as the
Beltline (I-440/US-1/US-64) in the 1960s. IBM became an influential
force in Raleigh in the 1960s, and greatly influenced the city's growth.
Law and government
Raleigh has operated under a council-manager government since 1947. The
city council consists of eight members; all seats, including the mayor's, come up for election every two years. The current and 7
council members (5 district representatives and 2 at large). Historically, Raleigh voters tended to support conservative
Democrats in local, state, and national elections.
City council
- Charles Meeker Mayor
- Tommy Craven (District A, north-central Raleigh)
- Jessie Taliaferro (District B, northeast Raleigh)
- James West (District C, mayor pro tem, southeast Raleigh)
- Thomas Crowder (District D, southwest Raleigh)
- Philip Isley (District E, west and northwest Raleigh)
- Russ Stevenson (at-large)
- Joyce Kekas (at-large)
- See also: List of mayors of
Raleigh, North Carolina
Crime
In 2005, only 21 murders or non-negligent manslaughters were reported within city limits, per
the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports. The homicide rate is low for an American city with 350,000 people.
Mayor Charles Meeker is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition[4], a bi-partisan group with a stated goal
of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Raleigh has 469.2 motor vehicle thefts per year per 100,000 residents. The
average for metro areas in North Carolina is 528.4 motor vehicle thefts per year per 100,000 residents.
According to the Uniform Crime Reports, crime in Raleigh has been steadily decreasing. In 2004, there were 580 violent crimes
and 3768 property crimes reported per 100,000 population. Nationally there were 466 violent crimes and 3517 property crimes
reported per 100,000 population. Cities with between 250,000 and 500,000 population reported 978 violent crimes and 5631 property
crimes per 100,000 population, well above Raleigh's reported crimes.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 299.3 km² (115.6 mi²). 296.8 km² (114.6 mi²) of
it is land and 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²) of it (0.84%) is water.
Raleigh falls in the northeast central region of the state, where the Piedmont and the coastal plain regions meet.
This area is known as the "fall line", because it marks the elevation at which waterfalls
first begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Raleigh features gently rolling hills that slope eastward
towards North Carolina's flat coastal plain. Its central Piedmont location makes it a 3-hour drive west of Atlantic Beach and 4 hours east of the Great
Smoky Mountains. The city is miles ( km) from Richmond, Virginia,
miles ( km) from Washington, D.C., and miles ( km) from
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Climate
Raleigh has a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate weather in the spring, fall, and
winter. However, summers can be hot and humid. Winter temperatures generally range from highs in the low 50s°F (10-13 °C) to lows
in the upper 20s-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2 °C), though 60 °F degree weather is not uncommon. Spring and fall days are usually in the low
to mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with nights in the 50s°F (10-14 °C). Summer days are often in the upper 80s and low 90s °F (30-35 °C,)
with very high humidity. The rainiest months are July and August.
Raleigh receives an average of 7.5" of snow per winter. Freezing rain and sleet occur most winters, and occasionally the area
experiences a major, damaging ice storm.
| Climate in Raleigh |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Annual |
| Avg °F (°C) |
38.9°F (3.8°C) |
42.0°F (5.6°C) |
50.4°F (10.2°C) |
59.0°F (15.0°C) |
67.0°F (19.4°C) |
74.3°F (23.5°C) |
78.1°F (25.6°C) |
77.1°F (25.1°C) |
71.1°F (21.7°C) |
60.0°F (15.6°C) |
51.2°F (10.7°C) |
42.6°F (5.9°C) |
59.3°F (15.2°C) |
| Avg high °F (°C) |
48.9°F (9.4°C) |
52.6°F (11.4°C) |
62.1°F (16.7°C) |
71.7°F (22.1°C) |
78.6°F (25.9°C) |
85.0°F (29.4°C) |
88.0°F (31.1°C) |
86.8°F (30.4°C) |
81.1°F (27.3°C) |
71.6°F (22.0°C) |
62.6°F (17.0°C) |
52.7°F (11.5°C) |
70.1°F (21.2°C) |
| Avg low °F (°C) |
28.8°F (-1.8°C) |
31.3°F (-0.4°C) |
38.7°F (3.7°C) |
46.2°F (7.9°C) |
55.3°F (12.9°C) |
63.6°F (17.6°C) |
68.1°F (20.1°C) |
67.5°F (19.7°C) |
61.1°F (16.2°C) |
48.4°F (9.1°C) |
39.7°F (4.3°C) |
32.4°F (0.2°C) |
48.4°F (9.1°C) |
| Rain (inches) |
3.5in. |
3.7in. |
3.8in. |
2.6in. |
3.9in. |
3.7in. |
4.0in. |
4.0in. |
3.2in. |
2.9in. |
3.0in. |
3.2in. |
41.4in. |
| Snow (inches) |
2.3in. |
2.5in. |
1.3in. |
0.0in. |
<0.5in. |
<0.5in. |
<0.5in. |
0.0in. |
0.0in. |
0.0in. |
0.1in. |
0.8in. |
7.0in. |
| Sources for climate statistics: Southeast Regional Climate Center
(Raleigh-Durham), climate-zone[6] |
Cityscape
Downtown Raleigh panorama, from 1909
Raleigh is divided into at least five geographic areas, each of which use the Raleigh address and postcode, starting with
276.
Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.
Olde Raleigh ("Inside the Beltline") is home to many 20th-century neighborhoods, the City Market, Fayetteville Street, North Carolina
Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural
Sciences, North Carolina State Capitol, Peace College, Raleigh City Museum, Raleigh Convention and Conference Center, Shaw University, and
Saint Augustine's College. The neighborhoods in Old Raleigh include
Cameron Park, Boylan Heights, Country Club Hills, Five Points, Glenwood, Brooklyn, Hayes Barton, Moore Square, Mordecai,
Belvidere Park, Woodcrest and Oakwood.
East Raleigh is along Capital Boulevard near the I-440
beltline to New Hope Road. Most of East Raleigh's development is along established corridors such as US 1 (Capital Blvd), New Bern Ave, Poole Rd, Buffaloe Rd, and New Hope Rd. Enloe High School and Southeast Raleigh High
School are both in this area. It is bordered to the east by the town of Knightdale.
West Raleigh is near Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard. The area
is bordered to the west by the town of Cary. It is home to the North Carolina State University campus, Meredith
College, Pullen Park, and Cameron Village. Also in
West Raleigh are Avent Ferry Road, Blue Ridge Road, Lake Johnson, the North
Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, St. Mary's School, and Municipal Rose Garden.
North Raleigh is a large area containing many established neighborhoods along with many newly constructed
sub-divisions. It begins North of the I-440 beltline. It is a suburban location with shopping areas (such as the renovated
North Hills Mall). Neighborhoods and communities in North Raleigh include Bent
Tree, Brookhaven, Crossgate, North Hills, North Ridge, Stonebridge, Stone Creek, Stonehenge, Wakefield and Wood Valley.
South Raleigh is along U.S. 401 South toward Fuquay-Varina and US 70 into Garner. This is the least developed and least dense area of Raleigh, and is home to the last
gristmill in Wake County, Yates Mill. It is bordered to the west by Cary, to the east by
Garner, and to the southwest by Holly Springs. Neighborhoods in South Raleigh include Lake Wheeler, Penny Road and
Riverbrooke.
Economy
Raleigh's industries include electrical, medical, electronic, telecommunications equipment, clothing apparel, food processing,
paper products, and pharmaceuticals. Raleigh is part of North Carolina's Research Triangle, a center of researching and textiles.
The city is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for food stores.
The following companies are based in or operated in Raleigh:
Demographics
| Historical populations |
Census
year |
Population |
|
| 1800 |
699 |
| 1900 |
13,643 |
| 1910 |
19,218 |
| 1920 |
24,418 |
| 1930 |
37,379 |
| 1940 |
46,879 |
| 1950 |
65,679 |
| 1960 |
93,931 |
| 1970 |
122,830 |
| 1980 |
150,255 |
| 1990 |
212,092 |
| 2000 |
276,093 |
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 276,093 people, 112,608 households, and 61,371 families
residing in the city. The population density was 930.2/km² (2,409.2/mi²). There were
120,699 housing units at an average density of 406.7/km² (1,053.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 63.31% White, 27.80% African American, 0.36% Native American, 3.38% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.24% from other races, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.99% of the population. The Hispanic population
continues to grow due to a large immigrant influx, both legal and illegal.
There were 112,608 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were
married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and
45.5% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years
of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 36.6% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from
45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,612, and the median income for a family was $60,003. Males had a median
income of $39,248 versus $30,656 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$25,113. 11.5% of the population and 7.1% of families were below the poverty line.
Approximately one out of four (25.5%) Raleigh citizens are beneath 200% of the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.8%
of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Education
Higher education
In addition, Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law plans to move to Raleigh from Buies Creek, North Carolina by 2009.[5]
Public education
Public education in Raleigh is provided by the Wake County Public School
System. Raleigh is home to 134 schools in the system (84 elementary (K-5), 28 middle (6-8), 17 high (9-12), and 5
special/optional schools).
Charter schools
The State of North Carolina also provides for a certain number of charter schools.
These schools are administered separately from the Wake County Public School System. Raleigh has 10 charter schools:
- Casa Esperanza Montessori School (K-6)
- Exploris Middle School (6-8)
- Hope Elementary School (K-5)
- John H. Baker, Jr., High School (9-12)
- Magellan Charter School (3-8)
- PreEminent Charter School (K-8)
- Quest Academy (K-8)
- Raleigh Charter High School (9-12)
- SPARC Academy (K-8)
- Torchlight Academy (K-6)
Private education
Culture
Museums
Downtown: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences,
North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh City Museum, Exploris, Playspace, Historic Oakwood, birthplace of President Andrew Johnson
West Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of Art, J. C. Raulston Arboretum
South Raleigh: Harley Davidson Bikes Museum
Performance
The Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek hosts major touring musical acts. The
Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts
encompasses the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the Fletcher Opera Theater, the Kennedy Theatre, and the Meymandi Concert Hall.
During the NC State Fair, Dorton Arena, itself an
architectural wonder when constructed, hosts headline acts. Theater performances are also offered at the Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, and Stewart Theater
of NCSU.
Raleigh is the home of several professional arts organizations, including the North
Carolina Symphony, the Opera Company of North Carolina, the North Carolina Theatre, and Carolina Ballet. The numerous
local colleges and universities significantly add to the options available for viewing live performance. Raleigh is also home to
the North American Brass Band Association's 4 time Youth Division Champion Triangle Youth Brass
Band.
Art
North Carolina Museum of Art, occupying a large suburban campus on Blue
Ridge Road, near the State Fairgrounds, houses arguably the premier public art collection between Washington and Atlanta. In
addition to fine collections of American, European, and ancient art, the museum has hosted major exhibitions featuring Rodin
(2000) and Monet (2006-2007), attracting over 100,000 visitors each. Unlike many prominent museums, the NC Museum of Art received
a large number of the works in its permanent collection through purchases with public funds. The attached "Museum Park" is one of
the largest such parks in the country.
The museum is currently undergoing a major expansion, which should be completed in 2008.
Sports
Professional
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The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes
franchise moved to Raleigh in 1997 from Hartford, Connecticut (where it was known
as the Hartford Whalers), although the first two seasons were played in
Greensboro, North Carolina, while the arena built for the Hurricanes, the
Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena, now known as the RBC Center, was built. It is the
only major professional sports team in the area. The Hurricanes are the only major league (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) professional sports team in
North Carolina to have won a championship, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, over the
Edmonton Oilers in the seventh and decisive game. Before the Carolina Hurricanes, several other professional sports leagues have had failed franchises in Raleigh
including the Arena Football League, the World League of American Football, the United States Basketball League with the Raleigh
Cougars, and the Women's United Soccer Association (in nearby
Cary). The Carolina Railhawks of the United
Soccer Leagues play in neighboring Cary.
On the individual professional sports side, Raleigh has been the host of the Nationwide
Tour Rex Hospital Open since 1994, contested at various locations around the
Triangle, with its current home being the TPC at Wakefield Plantation.
Amateur
The North Carolina Tigers, an Australian Rules football club in the USAFL, and competing in the EAFL are based in Raleigh.
Raleigh is also home to the Carolina Rollergirls, an all-women flat-track roller derby league who are proud competing members of
the WFTDA, Women's Flat Track Derby Association.
Raleigh is home to the Blazers flag football team. This team instantly gained notoriety on the
national scene by defeating its first seven opponents by mercy rule.
Leisure
Raleigh’s Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of leisure services at more than 150 sites: acres
( km²) of park land, miles ( km) of greenway, 22 staffed community centers, a BMX champion race track, 112 tennis
courts at 25 locations, 5 lakes, and 8 swimming facilities.
The J. C. Raulston Arboretum, part of N.C. State University, includes an
impressive, year-round botanical collection and is open free to the public.
The NC-DOT Mountains-to-Sea bike route goes through Raleigh, as
does the U.S. Maine-to-Florida bicycle route #1. The
NC-DOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the
RUSA 600 km brevet route.
Transportation
Air
Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Raleigh-Durham International Airport is just northwest of
Raleigh on I-40 between Raleigh and Durham.
Roads & Highways
- Interstate highway: I-40,
I-440 Beltline, I-540
- The Beltline makes a loop around the city. Visitors and even long-time residents are frequently confused by the terms "Inner
Beltline," "Outer Beltline," and "Outer Loop." The Inner and Outer Beltline (both I-440) are the same road; "inner" and "outer"
refer to the positions of the lanes of traffic, the Inner Beltline being inside of the Outer Beltline (Inner/Outer labeling). The Inner Beltline runs clockwise; the Outer is counter-clockwise. Often,
cardinal directions are posted along with the Inner/Outer designations; the directions however are not uniform throughout the
beltline.
- United States Highways:
- U.S. Route 1 (known in parts of Raleigh as Capital Boulevard)
- US-64 (Business route: New Bern Avenue, Bypass route: Knightdale Bypass)
- US-70 (known in parts of Raleigh as Glenwood Avenue, and S. Saunders St)
- US-264 (cosigned with US-64 through east Raleigh)
- U.S. Route 401 (part of Capital Boulevard, and Louisburg Road)
- North Carolina Highways:
Public Transit
- Passenger Rail: Amtrak Carolinian,
Piedmont and Silver Star offer daily service to
- Charlotte, with intermediate stops including Greensboro;
- New York City, with intermediate stops including Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia; and
- Miami, with intermediate stops including Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa.
- See NCDOT ByTrain.
- Local Bus
Other
- Bicycle: Most public buses are equipped with bicycle racks, and some roads are equipped with bicycle lanes. Bicycles can also
use Raleigh's extensive Greenway System, with trails found throughout the city.
Media
Regional Radio
Raleigh hosts the radio station WKNC, operated by students of North Carolina State University, and WSHA at
Shaw University, which is a strong local resource for jazz, and an affiliate for NPR
news segments. WCPE, which broadcasts from Raleigh but has its studios in nearby
Wake Forest, NC, is considered a definitive classical radio station with a
broad listenership made global through Internet broadcast. The Triangle, more specifically neighboring Chapel Hill, is home to
North Carolina Public Radio (WUNC-FM), a public radio
station/NPR provider that brings in listeners around the country, and UNC-TV, also based out of UNC in Chapel
Hill.
Other Raleigh radio stations include:
Local Print Media
There are several newspapers and periodicals that serve the Raleigh market:
- The News & Observer, the large daily newspaper owned by Sacramento-based
McClatchy Co.
- The Raleigh Chronicle, the online-only daily newspaper.
- The Independent Weekly, the weekly independent paper out of Durham.
- The Carolina Journal, a monthly free newspaper out of Raleigh.
- The Raleigh Downtowner, the monthly free magazine focused on downtown Raleigh.
- The Blotter, a free monthly literary magazine.
Local Television
-
Raleigh is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville Designated Market Area (#28 largest).
The following stations are licensed to Raleigh:
The market was also host to the state's first online TV station: RTP-TV - Research Triangle Park Television which had programs of local interest broadcast over the Internet. It
ceased operations in 2006.
The city is also home to the Triangle bureau of News 14 Carolina.
Sister cities
Notable Raleighites
- Clay Aiken, popular music singer
- Loy Allen Jr., NASCAR driver
- Jason Michael Carroll, country
musician
- Bill Cowher, former Pittsburgh Steelers
head coach
- Josephus Daniels, newspaper editor,
Secretary of the Navy
- John Edwards, US Senator, 2004
Democratic nominee for Vice President and 2008 Presidential Candidate
- Ron Francis, former Carolina Hurricanes
player, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
- Charles Frazier, novelist
- Justin Gatlin, Olympic athlete
- Kaye Gibbons, writer
- Michael C. Hall, actor
- Josh Hamilton, baseball player
- Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy, professional
wrestlers
- Rufus Harley, jazz musician
- Antwan Harris, New England Patriots
Super Bowl Team
- Gregory Helms, professional wrestler
- Jesse Helms, US Senator (retired)
- Gene Hobby, NASCAR Winston
Cup Driver
- Andrew Johnson, 17th president
- Marion Jones, disgraced Olympic athlete
- Sharon Lawrence, actress
- Little Brother, Rap Group
- Daniel McFadden, economist
- Nate McMillan, NBA athlete
and coach
- Tift Merritt, singer/songwriter
- Martha Nichols, famous dance teacher
- Petey Pablo, hip hop music artist
- Emily Procter, CSI: Miami
