Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina, a state of the United States of
America. It is the county seat of Wake County. As of the 2000 census, it
had a population of 276,093, making it the second most populous city in
North Carolina, behind Charlotte. Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill make up
the three corners of the Research Triangle, so named in 1959 with the
creation of the Research Triangle Park, a research park between Durham and
Raleigh.
History
Raleigh was established in 1792 as both the new county seat and the new
state capital. It was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of the Colony
of Roanoke, known as the "Lost Colony."
Raleigh is known as "The City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. It is a
sister city to Hull, England, Compiègne, France (twinning signed in 1989),
Kolomna, Russia, and Rostock, Germany.
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 town council, elected in
2003, consists of Mayor Charles Meeker and Council Members Michael Regan (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), Janet Cowell (at-large), and Neal Hunt (at-large)
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 is water. The total area is 0.84% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 276,093 people, 112,608 households,
and 61,371 families residing in the city. The population density is 930.2/km²
(2,409.2/mi²). There are 120,699 housing units at an average density of
406.7/km² (1,053.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 6.99%
of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 112,608 households out of which 26.5% have children under the
age of 18 living with them, 39.5% are married couples living together,
11.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% are
non-families. 33.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.2%
have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average
household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every
100 females there are 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over,
there are 96.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $46,612, and the median
income for a family is $60,003. Males have a median income of $39,248
versus $30,656 for females. The per capita income for the city is $25,113.
11.5% of the population and 7.1% of families are below the poverty line.
Out of the total people living in poverty, 13.8% are under the age of 18
and 9.3% are 65 or older.
Colleges and universities
Meredith College
North Carolina State University
Peace College
Shaw University
St. Augustine's College
Wake Technical Community College
Hospitals
Raleigh Community Hospital now DukeHealth Raleigh Hospital
Wake Medical Center
Rex Hospital
Dorothea Dix Hospital
Attractions
The Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek (http://www.alltelpavilion.com/) hosts
major touring musical acts.
The BTI Center for the Performing Arts (http://www.raleighconvention.com/bti.html)
encompasses the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, the Fletcher Opera Theater,
and the Meymandi Concert Hall.
The interactive museum Exploris (http://www.exploris.org) hosts an IMAX
theater.
The North Carolina Museum of Art (http://ncartmuseum.org/)
The North Carolina Museum of History (http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/)
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (http://www.naturalsciences.org/)
The Raleigh City Museum (http://www.raleighcitymuseum.org/)
Just north of the city is the Triangle Metro Zoo
Sports
The NHL Carolina Hurricanes moved to Raleigh in 1999 with the completion
of the RBC Center. The team played two years in Greensboro, North Carolina
on an interim basis following their move from Hartford, Connecticut, where
they were known as the Hartford Whalers. However, in Raleigh college
sports are supreme, with NCAA Division I-A rivals the North Carolina State
University Wolfpack, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tarheels,
and Duke University Blue Devils being the most prominent teams in the area.
The area also features a variety of amateur participatory sports as well,
with softball, flag football, basketball, and even dodgeball leagues
operated privately or by the municipality.
Passenger transportation
Air: Raleigh-Durham International Airport is just north of Raleigh on I-40
between Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.
Interstate highway: I-40
United States Highways:
US-1 (known in parts of Raleigh as Capital Boulevard)
US-64
US-70
US-264
US-401 (known in parts of Raleigh as Capital Boulevard)
Passenger Rail: Amtrak Carolinian, Piedmont and Silver Star offer daily
service to Charlotte, Richmond, Washington DC and Miami
Local Bus: Within Raleigh, the CAT (http://www.raleigh-nc.org/transit/)
system. The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the
region and connect to municipal bus systems in Durham and Chapel Hill.
Bicycle: All public buses are equipped with bicycle racks. The NC-DOT
Mountains-to-Sea bike route goes through Raleigh, as does the US Maine-to-Florida
bicycle route #1. The NC-DOT Cape Fear Run bicycle route connects Apex to
Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 600km brevet route (http://www.unc.edu/~alanj/600_kilometers.htm).
Churches and religious organizations
Catholic Diocese of Raleigh- Outside Link (http://www.dioceseofraleigh.org)
Parish listing- Outside Link (http://www.dioceseofraleigh.org/sites/communications/2004/quick_reference_guide.html#parishes)
Deeper Devotion Student Ministries- Outside Link (http://www.deeperdevotion.com)
Edenton Street United Methodist Church- Outside Link (http://www.esumc.org/)
Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina- Outside Link (http://www.episdionc.com/)
Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church- Outside Link (http://www.htelc.org/)
North Wake Church- Outside Link (http://www.northwake.com)
Providence Baptist Church (Southern Baptist)- Outside Link (http://www.pray.org)
Pullen Memorial Baptist Church (independent Baptist)- Outside Link (http://www.pullen.org/)
Raleigh-Cary Jewish Federation- Outside Link (http://www.rcjf.org)
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Outside Link (http://www.sebts.edu)
TriangleChristian.com- Outside Link (http://www.trianglechristian.com)
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh- Outside Link (http://www.uufr.org)
West Raleigh Presbyterian Church- Outside Link (http://www.wrpc.org/)
Islamic Center of Raleigh- Outside Link (http://www.islam1.org/)
