Raleigh and the Research Triangle

In the 16th century, a young Englishman named Sir Walter Raleigh established the first English colony on the shores of the New World. Although the colony was to vanish, this explorers name would not be forgotten. Some 200 years later, the General Assembly of North Carolina voted to perpetuate his memory by naming the Capital City in his honor. In 1792, the City of Raleigh was born.

Today Raleigh and the Research Triangle area have a population of over 750,000, combining a gracious past with an optimistic vision of the future, a reflection of the State in miniature. Known as the City of Oaks, Raleigh is considered a park with a city in it and actually has more than 300 public parks, mini parks, squares, plazas and other green areas. Raleigh was named the First Green Survival City in the U.S. by the American Association of Nurserymen because of its interest in the preserving of greenways, and is ranked by several national surveys as one of the most livable U.S. cities.

Raleigh is a cosmopolitan center offering night clubs, fine restaurants, a number of the smartest shopping areas in the Southeast, and excellent transportation facilities, as well as athletic, cultural, and educational activities. Located in the transitional zone between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau on rolling terrain, its average elevation is around 400 feet; with the range over a 10-mile radius being between 200 and 550 feet. Centrally located between the mountains on the west and the coast on the south and east, Raleigh enjoys a favorable climate. There are very few days in the heart of the winter when the temperature falls below the 20F mark. Tropical air is present over the eastern and central sections of North Carolina during much of the summer, bringing warm temperatures and rather high humidities. Afternoon temperatures reach 90F or higher an average of about once every four days in the middle of the summer, but reach 100F an average of less than once per year. Even in the hottest weather, early morning temperatures almost always drop into the lower 70s. Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year with July having the greatest amount, on the average, and November the least.

Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina, is the site of many state endowed cultural facilities. Prominent attractions include the North Carolina Art Museum, State Museum of Natural History, North Carolina Symphony, Mordecai Historical Park, Oakwood Historical District, and the Walnut Creek Amphitheater. North Carolina State University and the other five institutions of higher education in the city provide concert series, music festivals, art and craft shows, stage productions, dance festivals and sports events as do both Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill, all within a 25-minute drive from Raleigh.

Since Raleigh is situated close to the geographical center of North Carolina, all of the activities and scenic attractions of the State are within moderate driving distance. The Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina offer some of the most beautiful scenery and best hiking and backpacking in the Eastern United States. North CarolinaÕs shoreline contains many miles of natural and unspoiled beaches.

The Research Triangle of North Carolina is an area bounded by lines connecting three universities: North Carolina State University in Raleigh, Duke University in Durham, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. About 15 miles from Raleigh, the center of the triangle is the Research Triangle ParkÑa 6,700 acre campus-like area for research laboratories and research-oriented industries. Among the major organizations having facilities in the park are North Carolina Super-computing Center, IBM, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the Research Triangle Institute, Glaxo Wellcome, and the Environmental Protection Agency. In 1994, 50 companies with more than 37,000 employees had research and production facilities in the Research Triangle Park. The triangle area was selected by Money magazine as the #1 best place to live in the nation.