Raleigh, North Carolina

city in and state capital of North Carolina, United States of America

Raleigh (/ˈrɔːli/ RALL-lee[9]) is the capital and the 2nd most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina as well as the county seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees.[10] The area is also nicknamed "The Triangle".

Raleigh
Clockwise from top left: NC State bell tower, Confederate Monument at the North Carolina State Capitol (now removed), houses in Boylan Heights, houses in Historic Oakwood, statue of Sir Walter Raleigh, skyline of the downtown, Fayetteville Street, and the warehouse district
Clockwise from top left: NC State bell tower, Confederate Monument at the North Carolina State Capitol (now removed), houses in Boylan Heights, houses in Historic Oakwood, statue of Sir Walter Raleigh, skyline of the downtown, Fayetteville Street, and the warehouse district
Official seal of Raleigh
Official logo of Raleigh
Nickname(s): 
City of Oaks, Raleigh Wood, Oak City[1][2]
Location in Wake County and the state of North Carolina
Location in Wake County and the state of North Carolina
Raleigh is located in North Carolina
Raleigh
Raleigh
Location within North Carolina
Raleigh is located in the United States
Raleigh
Raleigh
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 35°51′15″N 78°45′43″W / 35.85417°N 78.76194°W / 35.85417; -78.76194
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountiesWake, Durham
CharteredDecember 31, 1794
Named forSir Walter Raleigh
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • BodyRaleigh City Council
 • MayorMary-Ann Baldwin (D)
Area
 • Total149.6 sq mi (387.5 km2)
 • Land148.5 sq mi (384.7 km2)
 • Water1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2)  0.72%
Elevation331 ft (101 m)
Population
 • Total467,665
 • Rank41st in the United States
2nd in North Carolina
 • Density3,148.3/sq mi (1,215.6/km2)
 • Urban
1,106,646 (US: 43rd)
 • Urban density1,994.6/sq mi (770.1/km2)
 • Metro1,413,982 (US: 42nd)
DemonymRaleighite
Time zoneUTC–05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC–04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
276XX
Area code(s)919, 984
FIPS code37-55000[8]
GNIS feature ID2404590[5]
Major airportRaleigh–Durham International Airport
Websiteraleighnc.gov

Raleigh is part of the Research Triangle area, which includes Durham and Chapel Hill. The "Triangle" nickname began after the 1959 plan and construction of the Research Triangle Park, in Durham and Wake Counties. It is in the middle of the three cities and their universities.

The Research Triangle area makes up the U.S. Census Bureau's Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Area (CSA). It had an estimated population of 2,242,324 in 2020.[11]

History

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Fayetteville Street during the 1910s. The North Carolina State Capitol can be seen in the background

Raleigh was started in 1770. In 1788, it became North Carolina's state capital. The first state fair happened in 1853 and has kept on happening. Raleigh was not hurt by the Civil War. It did not grow much after the Civil War.

In the early 1900s, Raleigh had streetcars, but they got rid of them later. Raleigh got its first TV station in 1956. In 1959, the Research Triangle Park was built. This caused people to move to the area for the jobs. In the late 1900s, Interstate 40 and Interstate 440 (freeways)were built, helping traffic. Since the late 1900s, Raleigh has grown quickly.

November 28, 1988 tornado

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On November 28, 1988, Raleigh was hit by a F4 tornado. The tornado formed after a very warm late November day. A line of thunderstorms that was spotted over the Charlotte area during the afternoon hours hit Raleigh just after 1:00 a.m. ET, however the National Weather Service (NWS) issued no tornado or severe thunderstorm watches for the area. They believed the conditions had not support the right for a tornado. There were two fatalities in the city of Raleigh, and four in total.

2011 tornado

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On April 16, 2011, an EF3 tornado struck Raleigh, killing 24 people in North Carolina and four in Raleigh.

Geography

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Raleigh is in north-central North Carolina. It is in a hilly area.

Climate

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Raleigh has a mild climate. The summers are hot, with an average high of about 90 °F (32 °C). The winters are cool, with an average high of about 50 °F (10 °C). It snows about twice a year with a total of six inches (15 centimeters). Raleigh also gets around 45 inches of rain.

Transportation

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Raleigh has a lot of good transportation. Some freeways are Interstate 40, I-440, and I-540. Some highways are U.S. Route 1, 64, and 70, and N.C. highway 50. Raleigh also has a Amtrak station and a big airport.

References

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  1. Delongowski, Carly (January 21, 2021). "Why is Raleigh nicknamed the City of Oaks?". RAL Today. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  2. Wells Shannon, Mary (August 26, 2022). "The Best Nicknames for Southern Cities". Southern Living. Retrieved November 26, 2022.
  3. "City Council: Raleigh's Governing Body". City of Raleigh. May 6, 2016. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  4. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  5. 5.0 5.1 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Raleigh, North Carolina
  6. "QuickFacts: Raleigh city, North Carolina". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  7. "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  9. Wells, John C. (2009). "Ralegh, Raleigh". Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. London: Pearson Longman. ISBN 9781405881180.
  10. "Population & Census Information". City of Raleigh. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  11. "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2022". United States Census Bureau. February 24, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.

Other websites

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