Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the second-most populous city in the state and had a population of 467,665 at the 2020 census. Known as the "City of Oaks" for its beautiful oak-lined streets, Raleigh covers an area of 148.54 square miles (384.7 km²).

Raleigh is home to North Carolina State University and is part of the Research Triangle, which also includes Durham and Chapel Hill. This area is centered around Research Triangle Park, a major hub for science and technology jobs. The Raleigh–Cary metropolitan statistical area has an estimated population of over 1.51 million people.

The city was chosen as the state capital in 1788 and incorporated in 1792. It was originally laid out in a grid pattern with the North Carolina State Capitol at the center. During the American Civil War, Raleigh was spared from major battles but faced economic challenges in the years that followed. The creation of Research Triangle Park in 1959 helped bring new opportunities in science and technology to the area.

History

See also: Timeline of Raleigh, North Carolina

Earlier capitals

Bath, the oldest town in North Carolina, was the first capital of the colony from 1705 until 1722, when Edenton took over the role. The colony had no permanent government buildings until the new capital, New Bern, was established in 1743.

18th century

In December 1770, Joel Lane asked the North Carolina General Assembly to create a new county. On January 5, 1771, the bill creating Wake County was passed. The county was formed from parts of Cumberland, Orange, and Johnston counties, and was named for Margaret Wake Tryon, the wife of Governor William Tryon. The first county seat was Bloomsbury.

New Bern, a port town on the Neuse River 35 mi (56 km) from the Atlantic Ocean, was the largest city and the capital of North Carolina during the American Revolution. When the British Army surrounded the city, it could no longer be used as the capital. From 1789 to 1794, when Raleigh was being built, the state capital was Fayetteville.

Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital in 1788, because its central location kept it safe from attacks from the coast. It was officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital. The city was incorporated on December 31, 1792, and a charter granted January 21, 1795. The city was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.

No known city or town existed previously on the chosen site. Raleigh is one of 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 the downtown streets of North, East, West and South. The plan, a grid with two main roads meeting at a central square and an additional square in each corner, was based on Thomas Holme's 1682 plan for Philadelphia. The city was developed on the land of various plantations including Crabtree, Mordecai, Oak View, Pine Hall, Pullen, Spring Hill, and Wakefield.

The North Carolina General Assembly first met in Raleigh in December 1794, and granted the city a charter, with a board of seven appointed commissioners and an "Intendant of Police" (which developed as the office of Mayor) to govern it. After 1803, city commissioners were elected. In 1799, the N.C. Minerva and Raleigh Advertiser was the first newspaper published in Raleigh. John Haywood was the first Intendant of Police.

19th century

In 1808, Andrew Johnson, the United States' future 17th President, was born at Casso's Inn in Raleigh. The city's first water supply network was completed in 1818, although due to system failures, the project was later stopped. In 1817, the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina was established and headquartered in Raleigh. In 1819, Raleigh's first volunteer fire company was founded, followed in 1821 by a full-time fire company.

In 1831, a fire destroyed the North Carolina State House. Two years later, reconstruction began with quarried gneiss being delivered by the first railroad in the state. Raleigh celebrated the completion of the new State Capitol and new Raleigh & Gaston Railroad Company in 1840. The first State Fair was held near Raleigh in 1853. The first institution of higher learning in Raleigh, Peace College, was established in 1857. Raleigh's Historic Oakwood contains many houses from the 19th century that are still in good condition.

North Carolina left the Union during the American Civil War on May 20, 1861. After the war began, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance ordered the building of walls around the city for protection from Union troops. Near the end of the Civil War, Governor Vance arranged his evacuation to avoid capture as Union General William Sherman's forces approached the city. Before leaving, Vance met with former governors Graham and Swain to write a letter of surrender for Raleigh. Their goal was to protect Raleigh from the destruction inflicted on other cities by Union troops. Graham and Swain left to meet the advancing Federal forces on the morning of April 12, 1865, and were to return by that evening. The evening came, but Graham and Swain had not returned due to train delays and their temporary capture by Sherman. Governor Vance left the evening after Graham and Sherman failed to return, leaving behind a letter giving Mayor William H. Harrison the authority to surrender.

On the morning of April 13, Mayor Harrison and others went to the southern Wake County area to meet General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick and offer to surrender. Kenneth Rayner, a long-time resident of Raleigh, delivered the offer including a promise of no resistance. Kilpatrick agreed to accept the surrender and protect Raleigh from destruction. Kilpatrick's cavalry occupied Raleigh and removed the flagpole from the state capitol, replacing it with a United States Flag above the dome. Sherman arrived shortly after and set up his headquarters in the governor's mansion. The city was spared major destruction during the war. As Confederate cavalry moved west, Union soldiers followed, leading to the Battle of Morrisville nearby.

Due to the economic and social problems of the postwar period and Reconstruction, with a state economy still heavily dependent on agriculture, the city grew little over the next several decades.

Shaw University, the South's first African American college, began classes in 1865 and was chartered in 1875. Its Estey Hall was the first building constructed for the higher education of Black women, and Leonard Medical Center was the first four-year medical school in the country for African Americans.

In 1867, Episcopal clergy founded St. Augustine's College for the education of freedmen. The biracial Reconstruction legislature created new welfare institutions: in 1869, it approved the United States' first school for blind and deaf Black people, to be located in Raleigh. In 1874, the federal government constructed the Federal Building in Raleigh, the first federal government project in the Southern U.S. following the Civil War.

In 1880, the newspapers News and Observer combined to form The News & Observer. It continues to be Raleigh's primary daily newspaper. The North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now known as North Carolina State University, was founded as a land-grant college in 1887. The city's Rex Hospital opened in 1889 and included the state's first nursing school. The Baptist Women's College, now known as Meredith College, opened in 1891, and in 1898, The Academy of Music, a private music conservatory, was established.

In the late nineteenth century, two Black Congressmen were elected from North Carolina's 2nd district, the last in 1898. George Henry White sought to promote rights for Black citizens and to challenge efforts by White Democrats to reduce Black voting by new discriminatory laws. He and his allies were unsuccessful. Based on a White supremacy campaign that returned Democrats to dominance, in 1900 the state legislature passed a new constitution, with a suffrage amendment that raised barriers to voter registration, resulting in the disenfranchisement of most Black citizens and many poor White citizens. Loss of the ability to vote also disqualified Black men (and later women) from sitting on juries and serving in any office—local, state or federal. The rising Black middle-class in Raleigh and other areas was politically silenced and shut out of local governance, and the Republican Party was no longer competitive in the state.

It was not until after federal civil rights legislation was passed in the mid-1960s that the majority of Black citizens in North Carolina would again be able to vote, sit on juries and serve in local offices. By that time, many African Americans had left the state in the Great Migration to northern industrial cities for more opportunities. No African American was elected to Congress from North Carolina until 1992.

20th century

In 1912, Bloomsbury Park opened, featuring a popular carousel ride. Relocated to Pullen Park, the Pullen Park Carousel is still operating. From 1914 to 1917, an influenza epidemic killed 288 Raleigh residents.

In 1922, WLAC signed on as the city's first radio station, but lasted only two years. WFBQ signed on in 1924 and became WPTF in 1927. It is now Raleigh's oldest continuous radio broadcaster. In 1923, the Raleigh Fall Festival was formed, which was reorganized as the North Carolina Debutante Ball in 1927. Following immigration by Catholics, on December 12, 1924, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh was officially established by Pope Pius XI. The Sacred Heart Cathedral became the official seat of the diocese with William Joseph Hafey as its bishop. The city's first airport, Curtiss-Wright Flying Field, opened in 1929. That same year, the stock market crash resulted in six Raleigh banks closing.

During the difficult 1930s of the Great Depression, government at all levels was important in creating jobs. The city provided recreational and educational programs, and hired people for public works projects. In 1932, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium was dedicated. The North Carolina Symphony, founded the same year, performed in its new home. From 1934 to 1937, the federal Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the area now known as William B. Umstead State Park. In 1939, the State General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham, with the first flight occurring in 1943.

In 1947, Raleigh citizens adopted a council–manager form of government, which is still the city's current form of government. The Dorton Arena, a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena designed by Matthew Nowicki, was opened in 1952 on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

In 1953, WNAO-TV, channel 28, became the city's first television station, though it closed in 1957. Raleigh experienced significant damage from Hurricane Hazel in 1954.

With the opening of the Research Triangle Park in 1959, Raleigh began to see a population increase, resulting in a total city population of 100,000 by 1960. In 1960, the Census Bureau reported Raleigh's population as 76.4% White and 23.4% Black.

Following the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the main achievements of the Civil Rights Movement and the Lyndon B. Johnson presidency, political participation and voting by African Americans in Raleigh increased rapidly. From the early to mid-20th century, East Hargett Street was known as Raleigh's "Black Main Street" and hosted many Black-owned businesses. The area declined after the city desegregated its establishments. Another of Raleigh's oldest Black neighborhoods, Fourth Ward, was demolished starting in 1971, with about 600 homes and 60 businesses south of downtown gone as a result of urban renewal, and 1,600 people forced to move. It was claimed that housing was substandard and the area had a lot of crime.

By the early 1970s, people in Raleigh were growing increasingly concerned about growth and urban sprawl. Community organizations felt that city offices were being too heavily influenced by business interests when the city's population was rapidly growing and various development projects were being proposed. At their request, the city elections were changed so that the mayor was to be directly elected, instead of being selected by the city council. Most city council seats were then made responsible to districts, instead of being held at-large. The 1973 elections were the first contests affected by the reforms. City councilman Clarence Lightner defeated Raleigh Merchants Bureau executive director G. Wesley Williams to become Raleigh's first Black mayor, and thus the first Black mayor in a major White-majority city in the South.

In 1976, the Raleigh City and Wake County schools merged to become the Wake County Public School System, now the largest school system in the state and 19th largest in the country. During the 1970s and 1980s, the I-440 beltline was constructed, in an attempt to ease traffic congestion and provide access to most major city roads.

The first Raleigh Convention Center (replaced in 2008) and Fayetteville Street Mall were both opened in 1977. Fayetteville Street was turned into a pedestrian-only street in an effort to help the then-ailing downtown area, but the plan was flawed and business declined for years to come. Fayetteville Street was reopened in 2007 as the main road of Raleigh's downtown.

During the 1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak of November 28, 1988, the city was affected by the most destructive of the seven tornadoes reported in Northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia between 1:00 am and 5:45 am. The Raleigh tornado caused over $77 million in damage, along with four deaths (two in the city of Raleigh, and two in Nash County) and 154 injuries. The damage path from the storm was measured at 84 mi (135 km) long, and .5 mi (0.8 km) wide at times. The tornado was rated F4.

In 1991, two large skyscrapers in Raleigh were completed, First Union Capitol Center and Two Hannover Square, along with the popular Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek in southeast Raleigh. In 1996, the Olympic Flame passed through Raleigh while on its way to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Also in 1996, Hurricane Fran struck the area, causing massive flooding and extensive structural damage. In addition, WRAL-TV became the first High-Definition broadcast station in the world. In 1997, the Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League announced their intention to move to Raleigh as the Carolina Hurricanes, becoming the city's first major league professional sports franchise.

In 1999, the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena (later renamed the RBC Center and now called Lenovo Center), opened to provide a home for the Hurricanes and the NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team, as well as an up-to-date major concert venue.

21st century

In 2001, the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium complex was expanded with the addition of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Meymandi Concert Hall, Fletcher Opera Theater, Kennedy Theatre, Betty Ray McCain Gallery and Lichtin Plaza.

Fayetteville Street reopened to car traffic in 2006. A variety of downtown building projects began around this time including the 34-story RBC Bank Tower, multiple condominium projects and several new restaurants. Additional skyscrapers are in the proposal/planning phase. The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup the same year, which was North Carolina's first professional sports championship.

With the opening of parts of I-540 from 2005 to 2007, a new 70 mi (110 km) loop around Wake County, traffic congestion eased somewhat in the North Raleigh area. Completion of the entire loop is expected to take another 15 years. In 2008, the city's Fayetteville Street Historic District joined the National Register of Historic Places.

In September 2010, Raleigh hosted the inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival. Raleigh hosted the 2011 National Hockey League All-Star Game. In April 2011, a devastating EF-3 tornado hit Raleigh, and many other tornadoes touched down in the state (ultimately the largest, but not the strongest outbreak to ever hit the state), killing 24 people. The tornado tracked northeast through parts of downtown, East Central Raleigh and Northeast Raleigh and produced $115 million in damages in Wake County. There were 4 deaths in the city.

In September 2015, Holy Trinity Anglican Church was opened; the first church to be built in downtown Raleigh since 1958. On July 26, 2017, the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh dedicated its new cathedral, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, the fifth-largest in the United States.

On October 13, 2022, a spree shooting occurred in Raleigh's Hedingham neighborhood. Five people were killed, and two others were injured. The suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was detained after being seriously hurt and later put into the care of the medical unit of a juvenile correction center.

Geography

The city of Raleigh covers 149.60 square miles (387.5 km²), with 148.54 square miles (384.7 km²) of land and 1.07 square miles (2.8 km²) of water. The Neuse River flows through the northeastern part of the city.

Raleigh lies where the Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain meet, creating gently rolling hills that slope eastward. It is about 24 miles (39 km) southeast of Durham, 63 miles (101 km) northeast of Fayetteville, and 165 miles (266 km) northeast of Charlotte.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Raleigh had 467,665 people living there. The city covers about 148.54 square miles. In 2000, there were 276,093 people living in Raleigh, showing how much the city has grown over the years.

Raleigh’s population includes people from many different backgrounds. In 2023, about 52.5% of people identified as non-Hispanic White, 28.1% as Black or African American, and smaller percentages of other groups such as Asian American, Native American, and Hispanic or Latin American. The city also has many different religious communities, with Christianity being the most common. Other religions practiced there include Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam.

The city has many households, with an average of about 2.4 people per household. In 2019, the median household income was $63,891, and many people owned their homes.

Economy

Raleigh has many different kinds of jobs and industries. It is known for its work in finance, medicine, technology, and research. The city is part of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, a big area for science and new technology. Many companies that make medicines and advanced tools have offices in Raleigh.

Some well-known companies based in Raleigh include Advance Auto Parts, Red Hat, and First Citizens BancShares. The city is also home to important groups like the North Carolina Air National Guard. Raleigh is a place where many smart people live and work together, which helps the city’s economy grow.

Arts and culture

Raleigh has many places where you can learn about art and watch performances. The city has museums such as the Marbles Kids Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. These museums have interesting exhibits for kids and families.

The city also has many places to enjoy music and theater. The Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek and the Red Hat Amphitheater host concerts, and there are theaters like the Raleigh Little Theatre and the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts where you can watch plays and other shows. Raleigh is home to groups like the North Carolina Symphony and the Carolina Ballet, making it a lively place for the arts.

Sports

See also: List of sports venues in North Carolina

Raleigh has many sports teams and events. The Carolina Hurricanes hockey team moved to Raleigh in 1997 and won a big championship called the Stanley Cup in 2006. They play their games at the Lenovo Center.

North Carolina State University, located in Raleigh, has many college sports teams called the Wolfpack. Their football games are held in a big stadium, and their basketball games are played at the Lenovo Center too. There are also many other sports clubs and leagues in the area, including soccer, baseball, and even a special kind of football called Australian rules football.

Parks and recreation

Raleigh has many places for fun and relaxation. The city has over 200 spots for leisure activities, including big areas of park land, paths for walking, community centers, and special places for sports like tennis and biking.

One famous spot is Pullen Park, the oldest public park in North Carolina. Another is the J. C. Raulston Arboretum, a beautiful garden that is open to everyone year-round. Raleigh also has a club called Raleigh Kubb where people can play and watch kubb games that help raise money for local charities.

Government

Raleigh has a special way of running its city called council-manager government. This means there is a group of leaders called the Raleigh City Council that helps make big decisions for the city. The council has eight members, including the mayor. Every two years, people in Raleigh get to choose who will be on the council. Some council members represent certain parts of the city, while others represent the whole city.

The current mayor of Raleigh is Janet Cowell. The council also includes Jonathan Melton and Stormie Forte as two members who represent the entire city, along with six other members who each represent different areas of Raleigh.

Education

Raleigh has many places for students to learn, from colleges to public and private schools. The city is home to several colleges, including North Carolina State University and Wake Technical Community College, as well as private schools like Campbell University and Meredith College.

Public schools in Raleigh are run by the Wake County Public School System, which works hard to make sure students from all kinds of families can learn together. There are special high schools called "magnet schools," schools with special programs, and schools where students can earn a high school diploma and college credits at the same time. Some of these schools include Needham B. Broughton High School, Athens Drive High School, and William G. Enloe GT/IB Center for the Humanities, Sciences, and the Arts. There are also schools that operate differently from regular public schools, called charter schools, such as Raleigh Charter High School.

Media

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

Raleigh has many places to get news and entertainment. You can read newspapers like The News & Observer, watch television channels such as WRAL-TV and WTVD, or listen to radio stations like WKNC-FM and WUNC-FM. These media options cover a wide range of topics, from local news to music and more.

The city is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville Designated Market Area, making it a key spot for broadcast television. Many stations have studios or offices in Raleigh, bringing news and shows to millions of viewers.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Air

Main article: Raleigh–Durham International Airport

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is the main airport for Raleigh and the surrounding area. It is the second largest airport in North Carolina and serves about 15 million passengers each year. The airport has flights to many places both in the United States and around the world. It has many flights each day and also has places for smaller planes and cargo planes.

There are also smaller airports in Raleigh for private planes.

Freeways and primary designated routes

Raleigh has many highways that connect it to other cities. Some important ones are:

• I-40 connects Raleigh to Durham, Chapel Hill, and the coast.
• I-87 links Raleigh to the area around Norfolk, Virginia.
• I-440 is a beltway around the center of Raleigh.
• I-540 is an outer beltway that is still being built.

There are also many United States highways and North Carolina highways that go through Raleigh.

Intercity rail

Raleigh Union Station is a busy train station. Trains stop there every day to go to places like Charlotte, New York City, Miami, and Chicago.

Public transit

Raleigh has buses that drive around the city. These buses are run by GoRaleigh. There are also buses that go between Raleigh and nearby cities like Durham and Cary, run by GoTriangle. North Carolina State University also has its own free bus system called Wolfline.

Bicycle and pedestrian

Raleigh has many places for people to ride bikes andhelps people who like to walk. There are special paths just for bikes and walking, and some buses even have racks for bikes.

Public safety

Raleigh has firefighters who help keep the city safe. There is also a prison in Raleigh for women.

Notable people

Raleigh has been home to many famous people throughout its history. Some well-known individuals from the city include authors, athletes, and public leaders who have made important contributions in various fields. You can learn more about them on the list of people from Raleigh, North Carolina.

Sister cities

Raleigh has several sister cities around the world. These include Compiègne in France, Xiangyang in China, Kingston upon Hull in England, Rostock in Germany, Nairobi in Kenya, and Gibraltar, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.