Raleigh, North Carolina
fr: Raleighde: Raleigh (North Carolina)it: Raleigh (Carolina del Nord)| official_name = City of Raleigh | |
| settlement_type | City | nickname = City of Oaks |
|---|---|
| image_caption | Downtown Raleigh from US-401 |
| imagesize | 250x200px |
| motto | You Can See the Whole State from Here |
| image_caption | |
| image_flag | RaleighNC.png |
| image_seal | RaleighNCseal.png |
| image_map | Raleigh map.
png |
| mapsize | 250x200px |
| map_caption | Map of Wake County, North Carolina |
| subdivision_type | Country | subdivision_name = United States |
| subdivision_type1 | State | subdivision_name1 = North Carolina |
| subdivision_type2 | Counties | subdivision_name2 = Wake, Durham |
| government_footnotes | |
| government_type | |
| leader_title | Mayor | leader_name = Charles Meeker (D) |
| established_title | Founded |
| established_date | 1792 |
| unit_pref | Imperial |
| area_footnotes | |
| area_magnitude | |
| area_total_km2 | 299.3 |
| area_land_km2 | 296.8 |
| area_water_km2 | 2.5 |
| area_total_sq_mi | 115.6 |
| area_land_sq_mi | 114.6 |
| area_water_sq_mi | 1.0 |
| population_as_of | 2007 |
| population_footnotes | |
| population_total | 367,995 |
| population_density_km2 | 930.2 |
| population_density_sq_mi | 3183.4 |
| timezone | Eastern (EST) |
| utc_offset | -5 |
| timezone_DST | EDT |
| utc_offset_DST | -4 |
| elevation_footnotes | |
| elevation_m | 96 |
| elevation_ft | 315 |
| latd = 35 |latm = 49 |lats = 8 |latNS | N |
| longd = 78 |longm = 38 |longs = 41 |longEW | W |
| postal_code_type | |
| postal_code | |
| area_codes | 919 984 | blank_name = FIPS code |
| blank_info | 37-55000 | blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |
| blank1_info | 1024242 |
| website | City of Raleigh |
| footnotes |
Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill make up the three primary cities of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Raleigh-Durham-Cary. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,565,223 as of July 1, 2006, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) portion estimated at 994,551 residents.
While almost all of Raleigh is located within Wake County a small portion of the city extends into neighboring Durham CountyRaleigh Durham Annexation Agreement Lines. The towns of Cary, Garner, Wake Forest, Apex, Holly Springs, Clayton and Knightdale are some of Raleigh's primary nearby suburbs.
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. The city was named in November 1792 for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of the Colony of Roanoke, the "Lost Colony," commemorated at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island, North Carolina.The city's location was chosen, in part, for being within ten miles (16 km) of Isaac Hunter's Tavern, which was known to be popular with the state legislators of the time. No known city or town had existed on the site before it was chosen as the capital. Raleigh is among 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 North, East, West and South streets. An early map of the city (courtesy of the United States Library of Congress) is available here: http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/raleigh/BUILDINGS/Raleigh1872_BIG.jpg
The North Carolina General Assembly first met in Raleigh in December 1794, and within one month, the legislators officially granted the city a charter, with a board of seven appointed commissioners (elected by the city after 1803) and an "Intendant of Police" (which would eventually become the office of Mayor) to govern it. John Haywood was the first Intendant of Police.
Despite being spared significant destruction during 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 completion of the Interstate 40 and Beltline (I-440/US-1/US-64) freeways after the 1960s.
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, are open for election every two years. Five of the council seats are district representatives and two seats are citywide representatives elected at-large. Historically, Raleigh voters have tended to elect conservative Democrats in local, state, and national elections.City Council :
- Charles Meeker Mayor
- Tommy Craven (District A, north-central Raleigh)
- Rodger Koopman (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)
Crime :
In 2005, 21 murders or non-negligent cases of manslaughter were reported within Raleigh's city limits, per the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports. The homicide rate is low for an American city of more than 350,000 people.Mayor Charles Meeker is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, 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 averages a rate of 469.2 motor vehicle thefts per year per 100,000 residents, below the average rate of 528.4 motor vehicle thefts per year per 100,000 residents for all metropolitan areas in North Carolina.
According to the Uniform Crime Reports, crime in Raleigh has steadily decreased in recent years. In 2004, there were 580 reported incidents of violent crime and 3,768 reported incidents of property crime reported per 100,000 population. Nationally there were 466 violent crimes and 3,517 property crimes reported per 100,000 population, while U.S. cities with a population between 250,000 and 500,000 residents reported 978 violent crimes and 5,631 property crimes per 100,000 population, all well above Raleigh's reported rate.
Geography :
According to the United States Census Bureau, Raleigh occupies a total area of 115.6 square miles (299.3 km²), of which 114.6 square miles (296.8 km²) is dry land and 1.0 square miles (2.5 km²)(0.84%) is covered by water.Raleigh is loacted in the northeast central region of the North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont and Atlantic 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. Its central Piedmont location situates Raleigh about three hours west of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains of the Appalachain range. The city is from Richmond, Virginia; from Washington, D.C.; and from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Climate :
Raleigh enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s°F (10 to 13°C) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2°C), although an occasional 60°F (15°C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14°C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35°C). The rainiest months are July and August.Raleigh receives an average of 4.6" of snow in winter. Freezing rain and sleet occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damaging ice storm.
Cityscape :
Raleigh is divided into five major geographic areas, each of which use a Raleigh address and a ZIP code that begins with the digits 276. Image:Fayetteville Street-27527.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. Old Raleigh ("Inside the Beltline") is home to historic neighborhoods built in the early 20th century, the restored City Market, the Fayetteville Street downtown business district, as well as the North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina State Capitol, Peace College, the 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 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 (Capital Boulevard), New Bern Avenue, Poole Road, Buffaloe Road, and New Hope Road. Neighborhoods in East Raleigh include Brentwood, New Hope and Wilder's Grove, The area is bordered to the east by the suburban town of Knightdale.
West Raleigh lies along Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard. The area is bordered to the west by suburban Cary. It is home to North Carolina State University, Meredith College, Pullen Park, and Cameron Village, Lake Johnson, the North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, Saint Mary's School, and the city's popular Rose Garden. Primary thoroughfares serving West Raleigh, in addition to Hillborough Street, are Avent Ferry Road, Blue Ridge Road and Western Boulevard.
North Raleigh is an expansive, diverse and fast-growing area of the city that is home to a large number of established neighborhoods along with many newly built subdivisions. The area generally falls North of the I-440 beltline. It is primarily suburban with numerous large shopping areas such as the recently renovated North Hills Mall, the large Crabtree Valley Mall and regional Trangle Town Center. Primary neighborhoods and subdivisions in North Raleigh include Bent Tree, Brookhaven, Crossgate, North Hills, North Ridge, Stonebridge, Stone Creek, Stonehenge, Wakefield and Wood Valley. The area is served by numerous primary transportation corridors including Glenwood Avenue (U.S. Route 70), Wake Forest Road, Millbrook Road, Lynn Road, Six Forks Road, Spring Forest Road, Creedmoor Road, Leesville Road and Strickland Road, as well as the Interstate-540 Northern Wake Expressway.
South Raleigh is located along U.S. 401 South toward Fuquay-Varina and along US 70 into suburban Garner. This area is the least developed and least dense area of Raleigh (much of the area lies within the Swift Creek watershed district where development rules limit housing densities and construction), South Raleigh is home to the only remaining gristmill in Wake County, the historic Yates Mill. The area 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 industrial base includes electrical, medical, electronic and telecommunications equipment; clothing and apparel; food processing; paper products; and pharmaceuticals. Raleigh is part of North Carolina's Research Triangle, a primary center in the United States for high-tech and biotech research as well as textile development. The city is a major retail shipping point for eastern North Carolina and a wholesale distributing point for the grocery industry.These companies are based in Raleigh or have significant facilities and operations in the city:
- Alcatel-Lucent
- Siemens Power Transportation & Distribution Division
- Progress Energy
- Red Hat
- IBM Corporation
- ABB Asea Brown Boveri
- First Citizens Bank
- Golden Corral
- RBC Centura Bank
- Lenovo
- Cisco Systems
- Carquest
- Nortel Networks
- Martin Marietta Materials
- Eaton Corporation
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 |
There were 112,608 households in the city in 2000, of which 26.5% included children below the age of 18, 39.5% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were classified as nonfamily. 33.1% of all households were individuals living alone, of which 6.2% were someone who was 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.
Age-wise, 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, 18.4% from 45 to 64. An estimated 8.3% persons 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 aged 18 or older, there were 96.6 males aged 18 or older.
The median household income in the city was $46,612, and the median family income was $60,003. Males had a median income of $39,248 versus $30,656 for females. The median per-capita income for the city was $25,113. An estimated 11.5% of the population and 7.1% of families were living below the poverty line in 2000. 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 :
Public :
- North Carolina State University
- Wake Technical Community College
Private :
- Meredith College
- Peace College
- School of Communication Arts
- Shaw University
- St. Augustine's College
- ECPI College of Technology
In addition, Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law has announced that it will move to move to downtown Raleigh from nearby Buies Creek by 2009.http://www.newsobserver.com/news/higher_education/story/726874.html
Primary and Secondary Education :
Public Schools :
Public schools in Raleigh are operated by the Wake County Public School System, the largest school system in North Carolina and the 19th largest in the United States.Charter Schools :
The State of North Carolina provides for a legislated number of charter schools. These schools are administered indepently of the Wake County Public School System. Raleigh is currently home to nine such charter schools:- Casa Esperanza Montessori School (K-6)
- 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 and Parochial Schools :
- Al Iman School
- Bonner Academy
- Cardinal Gibbons Catholic High School
- Friendship Christian School
- Gethsemane Seventh-Day Adventist School
- Montessori School of Raleigh
- Neuse Baptist Christian School
- North Raleigh Christian Academy
- Raleigh Christian Academy
- Raleigh Latin High School
- The Raleigh School
- Ravenscroft School
- Saint David's Catholic School (Previously Saint Timothy's - Hale)
- Saint Mary's School
- Saint Thomas More Academy
- Saint Timothy's School
- Trinity Academy of Raleigh
- The Trilogy School
- Wake Christian Academy
- Fellowship Christian Academy
Culture :
Museums :
North Carolina Museum of Art North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences North Carolina Museum of History Raleigh City Museum Marbles Kid's Museum President Andrew Johnson Birthplace J.C. Raulston ArboretumPerforming Arts :
The Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek hosts major international touring acts. The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts complex houses the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the Fletcher Opera Theater, the Kennedy Theatre, and the Meymandi Concert Hall. During the North Carolina State Fair, Dorton Arena hosts headline acts. Theater performances are also offered at the Raleigh Little Theatre, Theatre in the Park, and Stewart Theater at North Carolina State University.Raleigh is home to 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 performances. Raleigh is also home to the North American Brass Band Association's four-time Youth Division Champion, the Triangle Youth Brass Band.
Visual Arts :
North Carolina Museum of Art, occupying a large suburban campus on Blue Ridge Road near the State Fairgrounds, houses one of the premier public art collections located between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. In addition to fine collections of American Art, 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 100,000 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 art parks in the country. The facility is currently undergoing a major expansion, which is scheduled for completion in 2008.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), though the team's first two seasons were played in the nearby city of Greensboro, North Carolina, while its home arena, Raleigh's RBC Center was constructed. The Carolina Railhawks of the United Soccer Leagues also play in neighboring Cary.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. Prior to the arrival of the Carolina Hurricanes, several other professional sports leagues 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 Research Triangle region has hosted the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Nationwide Tour Rex Hospital Open since 1994, with the current location of play at Raleigh's Wakefield Plantation.
Amateur :
The North Carolina Tigers, an Australian Rules football club in the United States Australian Football League (USAFL) and competing in the Eastern Australian Football League (EAFL), are based in Raleigh, as is the popular Triangle Area Flag Football League (http://www.mocsports.com)Raleigh is also home to the Carolina Rollergirls, an all-women flat-track roller derby team that is a competing member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA). The Carolina Rollergirls compete at the State Fairground's Dorton Arena.
Leisure :
The Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of leisure opportunities at more than 150 sites throughout the city: of park land, of greenway, 22 staffed community centers, a BMX championship-calibre race track, 112 tennis courts among 25 locations, 5 puplic lakes, and 8 public swimming facilities.The J. C. Raulston Arboretum, a part of North Carolina State University, houses an impressive year-round botanical collection and is open free to the public.
Transportation :
Air :
Raleigh-Durham International Airport, located northwest of downtown Raleigh via Interstate-40 between Raleigh and Durham, serves the city and the greater Research Triangle metropolitan region.Designated Routes and Highways :
- Interstate Highways:
- *I-40
- *I-440 Beltline, makes a loop around the cenral city. Visitors and even some long-time residents are sometimes confused by the terms "Inner Beltline," "Outer Beltline," and "Outer Loop." The Inner Beltline and Outer Beltline both refer to I-440, with "inner" describing the route's clockwise lanes of travel and "outer" referring to its counter-clockwise travel lanes. (Inner/Outer labeling). Cardinal directions are posted on the route along with the Inner/Outer designations; however the cardinal directions will change as you drive along the curvature of the circular route. ("Outer Loop" refers to the I-540 arc that traverses North Raleigh to the north of the I-440 Beltline.)
- *I-540, also known as the Northern Wake Expressway, sometimes referred to as the "Outer Loop"
- United States Highways:
- *U.S. Route 1, known north of downtown Raleigh as Capital Boulevard
- *U.S. Route 64, business route known in East Raleigh as New Bern Avenue, bypass (freeway) route known as the Knightdale Bypass
- *U.S. Route 70, known in North Raleigh and north of downtown Raleigh as Glenwood Avenue, and south of downtown Raleigh as South Saunders Street
- *U.S. Route 264, cosigned with U.S. Route 64 through East Raleigh
- *U.S. Route 401, portions also known in Raleigh as Capital Boulevard and Louisburg Road
- North Carolina Highways:
- *N.C. Route 54, known as Chapel Hill Road in West Raleigh and Hillsborough Street coser to downtown; route ends at its interchange with I-440
- *N.C. Route 50, known as Creedmoor Road in North Raleigh
- *N.C. Route 98, known as Durham Road in North Raleigh
Intercity Rail :
Amtrak's Carolinian, Piedmont and Silver Star offer daily service between Raleigh and:- Charlotte, with intermediate stops including Greensboro.
- New York City, with intermediate stops including Richmond, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and Philadelphia.
- Miami, with intermediate stops including Columbia, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa, Florida.
Public Transit :
Public transportation in and around Raleigh is provided by the CAT, Capital Area Transit (CAT), which operates 37 bus fixed routes and an historic trolley line within the city, and the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA), which offers scheduled, fixed-route regional and commuter bus service between Raleigh and the metropolitan area's other principal cities of Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill (where TTA connects with the respective local urban transit systems), as well as to and from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Research Triangle Park and several of the region's larger suburban communities.Bicycle :
The mountains-to-the-sea North Carolina Bicycle Route 2 travels through the city of Raleigh, as does the Maine-to-Florida U.S. Bicycle Route 1. North Carolina Bicycle Route 5, the Cape Fear run, connects nearby suburban Apex to the coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina, and closely parallels the route of the Randonneurs USA (RUSA) 600km brevet route. http://www.unc.edu/~alanj/600_kilometers.htm.Most public buses are equipped with bicycle racks, and some roads have dedicated bicycle-only lanes. Bicyclists also may use Raleigh's extensive greenway system, with trails throughout the city.
Media :
Print Media :
There are several newspapers and periodicals that serve the Raleigh market:- The News & Observer, a large daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company.
- Raleigh Chronicle, a free online daily newspaper
- Independent Weekly, a free weekly newspaper (published in nearby Durham)
- Carolina Journal, a free monthly newspaper
- Raleigh Downtowner, a free monthly magazine
- The Blotter, a free monthly literary journal
Television :
Broadcast :
Raleigh is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville Designated Market Area, the 28th largest broadcast television market in the United States. The following stations are licensed to Raleigh and/or have significant operations in the city:- WRAL-TV (5, CBS): licensed to the city of Raleigh, owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company
- WLFL-TV (22, CW): licensed to the city of Raleigh, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
- WRAZ-TV (50, Fox): licensed to the city of Raleigh, owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company
- WNCN-TV (17, NBC): studios located in Raleigh, licensed to the town of Goldsboro southeast of Raleigh; owned by Media General
- WTVD-TV (11, ABC): primary news bureau located located in Raleigh, licensed to the neighboring city of Durham; owned by ABC (Walt Disney Company)
Cable :
Raleigh is home to the Research Triangle Region bureau of the regional cable news channel News 14 Carolina.Online :
The Raleigh region hosted North Carolina's first online television station, RTP-TV (Research Triangle Park Television), which broadcast news and programs of regional interest over the Internet until ceasing operations in 2006.Broadcast Radio :
Public and Listener-Supported :
- WKNC-FM (College Rock), operated by students of North Carolina State University
- WSHA-FM (Jazz), operated by Shaw University
- WCPE-FM (Classical)
- WUNC-FM (National Public Radio, North Carolina Public Radio) operated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Commercial :
- WDCG-FM
- WQDR-FM
- WBBB-FM
- WRAL-FM
- WWMY-FM
- WPTF-AM
- WRBZ-AM
- WQOK-FM