Durham, North Carolina

Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the 4th-most populous city in North Carolina and 70th-most populous city in the United States. The city is located in the east-central part of the Piedmont region along the Eno River.

A railway depot was built there in 1849 on land given by Bartlett S. Durham, the city's namesake. After the American Civil War, the town grew quickly because of the tobacco industry. The town became official in April 1869. Durham County was created 12 years later, in 1881. It became famous as the starting place and headquarters of the American Tobacco Company. Textile and electric power industries were also important.

Durham has many schools, most famously Duke University and North Carolina Central University. The city is a leader in health care, centered around the Duke University Hospital and many private companies. Duke and its Duke University Health System are the biggest employers in the city. North Carolina Central University is a historically black university that is part of the University of North Carolina System. Together, these two schools make Durham part of the Research Triangle area; this includes the Research Triangle Park south of Durham, which is used for research.

On the Duke University campus are the neo-Gothic Duke Chapel, the Nasher Museum of Art and the Wallace Wade Stadium. Other important places in the city include the Museum of Life and Science, Durham Performing Arts Center, Carolina Theatre, and Duke Homestead and Tobacco Factory. Bennett Place marks where Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to William T. Sherman in the American Civil War. The city, together with Raleigh, uses Raleigh–Durham International Airport.

History

The Eno and Occoneechi peoples, linked to the Sioux and Shakori, lived in the area that became Durham. They may have had a village named Adshusheer. In 1701, explorer John Lawson wrote about the area. Scots, Irish, and English settlers came in the mid-1700s.

Before railroads, Durham was mostly farms with a few places for travelers. Large farms were created, and enslaved Africans worked there. Durham started to grow when a railroad station was built in 1849 on land given by Dr. Bartlett Durham. The town was named for him and became official in 1869.

After the Civil War, Durham’s tobacco industry grew fast. The Bull Durham Tobacco Factory became well-known, and the city grew. In 1911, Durham County was formed from parts of Orange and Wake Counties.

In the early 1900s, Durham grew with tobacco and electric companies. Textile mills also opened, doubling the city’s population. Many historic buildings were built then.

Durham had a strong African-American community. In 1910, North Carolina Central University was founded. In the 1950s and 1960s, Durham played a role in the civil rights movement. Sit-ins were held for equal rights.

Since the 1970s, Durham has grown again. The Research Triangle Park brought new jobs. Old tobacco buildings became homes and businesses. Downtown Durham has been renewed with new restaurants, shops, and offices.

Geography

Durham is in the east-central part of the Piedmont region. The land is mostly flat with gentle rolling hills.

As of 2022, Durham covered an area of 116.19 square miles (300.9 km²), with most of it being land and a small part being water. The soil in Durham is mostly clay and not great for growing crops. The Eno River, a smaller river that flows into the Neuse River, runs through the northern part of the city. Durham sits between two big river areas, with one heading east toward the Pamlico Sound and the other heading south toward the Cape Fear River near Wilmington. A tiny part of Durham is in Wake County.

Durham is close to several other cities. It is 16.1 kilometres (10 miles) northeast of Chapel Hill, 34 kilometres (21 miles) northwest of Raleigh, 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Greensboro, 195 kilometres (121 miles) northeast of Charlotte, and 216 kilometres (134 miles) southwest of Richmond, Virginia.

Climate

Durham has a humid subtropical climate, meaning it has hot, sticky summers and cool winters. The city gets a lot of rain, especially during summer storms. Durham usually gets about 7 inches (18 cm) of snow each year, which melts quickly.

Because of climate change, Durham may see more heavy rain and a few more days of flooding in the future. This could affect older people and others who might need extra help. The area is also expected to have more intense summer storms over the next years.

Demographics

Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, many people lived there. The city has people from many backgrounds.

About a quarter of families have children under 18, and another quarter have seniors over 65. The median age is 35 years. The city has a good median income, with many people doing well financially, though some still live below the poverty line.

Durham has many different religions. The most common is Christianity. There are also Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh, Baháʼí, and Hindu communities in the city.

Economy

Duke University and the Duke University Health System are the largest employers in Durham.

Arts and culture

Durham, North Carolina, is a fun place for the arts and culture. You can visit interesting spots like the Bennett Place, Duke Homestead, Hayti Heritage Centre, Museum of Durham History, Museum of Life and Science, Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, NCCU Art Museum, and West Point Mill.

The city has many fun events, such as the Bull Durham Blues Festival and the OUTsouth Queer Film Festival. Durham also has jazz festivals, plays, concerts, and art shows. Some famous movies like Bull Durham were filmed here.

Durham has a rich music scene with many kinds of music, from jazz and hip-hop to blues and rock. Famous musicians and bands, like Branford Marsalis and Iron & Wine, have ties to the city. The Eno River Festival happens every year and features lots of musical performances.

Durham is also a great place for visual arts. The Nasher Museum of Art and a 21c Museum Hotel show wonderful artwork. The Durham Art Walk is an annual festival where artists display their work in the streets. The Durham School of the Arts is a special school that teaches students about visual and performing arts.

Sports

Durham is a great place for sports fans! Duke University's men's basketball team is very popular and plays at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The team has won several big championships and has excited fans called the Cameron Crazies.

Durham also has a professional baseball team called the Durham Bulls. They play at Durham Bulls Athletic Park and often have many fans watching their games. The team has helped many players move on to play in the big leagues. The old Durham Athletic Park is still used for other sports and events.

Government and politics

Durham has a council-manager system of government. There is a mayor and a city council. Council members serve for four years, and mayors are elected every two years. The mayor leads council meetings and makes some appointments, but the city manager takes care of most daily work.

In November 2021, Elaine O’Neal became Durham’s first black female mayor. The current mayor is Leonardo Williams, who was elected in November 2023. Durham is part of North Carolina’s 4th congressional district, represented by Valerie Foushee.

The area supports the Democratic Party. Durham County is one of the more liberal areas in North Carolina. Local goals include improving downtown and neighborhoods, ending cash bail, and supporting fair wages.

Education

Public schools in Durham are run by the Durham Public Schools. This is the eighth-largest school district in North Carolina. It has 46 schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools. Some schools focus on special areas like art and medicine. There are also schools for students from all over North Carolina who love science and math.

Durham has several colleges and universities. Duke University is one of the largest, with about 14,000 students. North Carolina Central University is a public university that helps the local community. There is also a community college called Durham Technical Community College that offers two-year programs.

Media

See also: List of newspapers in North Carolina, List of radio stations in North Carolina, and List of television stations in North Carolina

Durham’s main daily newspaper is The Herald-Sun. It started in 1893. Another paper, The Independent Weekly, began in 1983. It shares news and stories from the Research Triangle area. There is also The Triangle Tribune, a weekly paper for the African-American community. It started in 1998. Duke University’s student paper, The Chronicle, covers local news too.

Durham is part of the Raleigh–Durham–Fayetteville TV market. It is the 24th biggest in the United States. WTVD, owned by ABC, is based in Durham. The public television service UNC-TV has its studios in Research Triangle Park. All major TV networks have stations that serve the area.

Durham is also part of the Raleigh–Durham radio market. The national radio service WUNC, based in Chapel Hill, has important offices in the American Tobacco Historic District since October 2005.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Freeways and primary routes

Most people in Durham travel by car. Important roads include NC 147, which connects Duke University, downtown, and Research Triangle Park, U.S. 15-501 to Chapel Hill, I-85 to Virginia and western North Carolina, and I-40 across southern Durham County. Since the early 1990s, I-40 has been a main area for new homes and businesses.

Bicycling

Durham has many bike paths and trails. It even won an award for being bicycle-friendly. The American Tobacco Trail starts downtown, goes through Research Triangle Park, and ends in Wake County. The city is also adding more bike paths.

Air

Main article: Raleigh–Durham International Airport

Raleigh–Durham International Airport, about 12 miles from Durham, is a busy airport. It offers many flights a day to cities like Boston, Charlotte, and New York, plus daily flights to places such as London, Toronto, and Paris.

Intercity rail

Amtrak runs the daily Carolinian train between Charlotte and New York City, stopping in Durham. North Carolina also runs four daily Piedmont trains between Raleigh and Charlotte, also stopping in Durham. A new train station opened in 2011 in an old tobacco building.

Public transit

GoDurham runs buses on 21 routes around Durham, centered at the Durham Station Transportation Center that opened in 2009.

GoTriangle provides bus service between Durham and nearby cities like Raleigh, Cary, and Chapel Hill, as well as to the airport, Research Triangle Park, and suburban areas. National bus service is available from Greyhound and Megabus at the Durham Station Transportation Center.

Duke University has its own bus system, Duke Transit, with buses on routes around the campus and medical facilities.

Transportation safety

Drivers can join Durham’s Pace Car Program to help keep roads safe by following speed limits, stopping at signs and lights, and letting people walk across the street.

Notable people

Durham, North Carolina, has been home to many interesting people. Some of them include Kate Lee Harris Adams, an aviator who served during World War II, and Blind Boy Fuller, a well-known musician.

Other notable individuals from Durham are Ernie Barnes, an artist, and Shirley Caesar, a pastor and gospel singer. The city has also been home to famous sports figures like Mickey Krzyzewski, the former coach of the Duke men’s basketball team, and Tracy McGrady, an NBA player.

Durham has attracted creative minds too, such as The Duffer Brothers, creators of the popular TV series Stranger Things, and Sam Beam, the singer-songwriter from the band Iron & Wine. The city’s rich history and vibrant culture continue to inspire people in many fields.

Sister cities

Durham has several sister cities around the world. These include:

• Arusha in Tanzania
• Celaya in Mexico
• Durham in County Durham, England, United Kingdom
• Kavala in Greece
• Sibiu in Romania
• Tilarán in Costa Rica
• Toyama in Japan
• Zhuzhou in China

Durham ended its partnership with Kostroma in Russia after the conflict in Ukraine began.