ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA
Raleigh,
North
Carolina, the vibrant county seat of Wake
County, has a total area of 299.3 km˛ (115.6 mi.).
Raleigh is located in The
Triangle, a group of communities anchored by
Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill in North Carolina, who
work to contribute to the quality of life in the area.
Nearby Research
Triangle Park has repeatedly ranked among the top
regions in the country to live, work, find a home,
start a business, raise a family or retire
The capital of North Carolina since 1792, Raleigh was
actually founded in 1587 by Sir
Walter Raleigh as the “Cittie
of Raleigh”. The state of North Carolina purchased
1,000 acres of this centrally located land from Colonel
Joel Lane, a Revolutionary War hero and state
senator. His land was centrally located in Wake County
and became the permanent state capital. Raleigh was also
known as the “City of Oaks” for its wooded tracts.
From a population in 1880 of 669 persons, Raleigh has
grown in leaps and bounds. Raleigh, NC (U.S.
Census 2000 population 276,093) showed a 25.3%
increase from 1990, and a 38.4% increase since 1980. The
attractions are obvious.
Raleigh remains an easy-to-travel-to central location
in North Carolina. Raleigh-Durham
International Airport serves the city, being just a
15-minute drive from downtown Raleigh. Amtrak
train service and Greyhound
bus service also serve the city. I-40 passes through
Raleigh, NC and I-95 and I-85 are within 25 miles of
Raleigh. Passenger Rail services include Amtrak
Carolinian, Piedmont and Silver Star. The Triangle
Transit Authority operates local buses that serve the
region and connect to municipal bus systems in Durham
and Chapel Hill. (Public buses are equipped with bicycle
racks; the NC-DOT Mountains-to-Sea bike route goes
through Raleigh, as well as the US Maine-to-Florida
bicycle route #1).
Raleigh, North Carolina has many interesting
attractions, including museums such as the Legends
of Harley Drag Racing Museum and the NC
Museum of History. Adventure
Land offers fun things to do such as miniature golf,
batting cages, laser tag and go-cart racing. The
Atlantic coastline is two hours drive away, and the Blue
Ridge Mountains are about four hours driving time
away. Raleigh has 163 parks, 112 tennis courts and 8
municipal pools to enjoy also.
Raleigh, NC offers 500-plus restaurants to choose
from, and world-renowned golf (including 20 public
courses in the city). There are also nine sports venues
in the area, including the Paul
Derr Complex at NC
State University. NC State is a member of the Atlantic
Coast Conference, providing many sporting events to
attend.
The
Chamber of Commerce in Raleigh boasts a hot job
market and an unemployment rate well below the state and
national averages. Employment is varied and not
concentrated in any one sector. However, construction
employment in Raleigh, NC is higher than average due to
the constant growth of this city in both residential and
business sectors. The leading employer is the retail
sales industry providing staples for this constantly
growing metropolitan area. Raleigh and Wake County are
home to a wide variety of public and private companies,
including international firms like Progress
Energy, Red
Hat, Cisco
and SAS.
Raleigh’s residents are highly educated, with 40%
holding a bachelors degree or higher. Raleigh, NC boasts
one of the most aggressive high school reform agendas in
the nation, with a mandate to provide graduates with
skills and knowledge needed for today’s workplace.
The life sciences, information technology and
software development industries are thriving here,
thanks in part to the celebrated Research
Triangle Park. The region is currently ranked number
three among biotechnology centers in the nation, and
that industry continues to flourish. A well-balanced and
progressive municipality, Raleigh, North Carolina is a
proud American Model City, providing an excellent
standard of living to residents as well as a variety of
attractions for visitors.
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