Geographic region of North Carolina, U.S.
Combined Statistical Area in North Carolina, United States
The
Research Triangle
, or simply
The Triangle
, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the
Piedmont
region of the
U.S. state
of
North Carolina
. Anchored by the cities of
Raleigh
and
Durham
and the town of
Chapel Hill
, the region is home to three major research universities:
North Carolina State University
,
Duke University
, and the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, respectively. The "Triangle" name originated in the 1950s with the creation of
Research Triangle Park
located between the three anchor cities, which is the largest
research park
in the United States and home to numerous
high tech
companies.
[4]
The nine-county region, officially named the
Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC
Combined Statistical Area
by the
Office of Management and Budget
, comprises the
Raleigh
-
Cary
,
Durham
-
Chapel Hill
, and
Henderson
, NC
Metropolitan Statistical Areas
. The 2020 census put the population of the area at 2,106,463, making it the second-largest combined statistical area in North Carolina, behind
Charlotte
.
[5]
The Raleigh?Durham television market includes a broader 24-county area which includes
Fayetteville, North Carolina
, and has a population of 2,726,000 persons.
[6]
Most of the Triangle is part of North Carolina's
first
,
second
,
fourth
,
ninth
, and
thirteenth
congressional districts.
[7]
The region is sometimes confused with the
Piedmont Triad
, which is a North Carolina region adjacent to and directly west of the Triangle comprising
Greensboro
,
Winston-Salem
, and
High Point
, among other cities.
Definitions
[
edit
]
A map of Research Triangle in
North Carolina
, highlighting the locations of
North Carolina State University
,
Duke University
, and
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Depending on which definition of the Research Triangle region is used, as few as three or as many as 16 counties are included as part of the region. The three core counties of Wake, Durham, and Orange are the homes of the three research universities for which the area is named.
Combined Statistical Area
[
edit
]
As of September 14, 2018, the US
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) delineated the Raleigh-Durham-Cary Combined Statistical Area as consisting of two metropolitan and one micropolitan statistical areas.
[8]
Those three statistical areas in turn are defined as consisting of a total of nine counties. The MSAs and their constituent counties are:
- Durham-Chapel Hill MSA
- Chatham County
- Durham County
- Granville County
- Orange County
- Person County
- Henderson μSA
- Raleigh-Cary MSA
- Franklin County
- Johnston County
- Wake County
Prior to September 2018, the OMB had used the name Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Combined Statistical Area and it included several additional counties.
[9]
The Dunn Micropolitan Statistical Area (Harnett County) and Sanford Micropolitan Statistical Area (Lee County) were moved to the Fayetteville-Sanford-Lumberton Combined Statistical Area, while the Oxford Micropolitan Statistical Area (Granville County) was folded into the Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Raleigh Metropolitan Statistical Area was also renamed the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The table below outlines the populations of the constituent counties of the Raleigh?Durham-Cary Combined Statistical Area as of the 2020 Census.
[10]
Historical population
Census
| Pop.
| Note
| %±
|
1950
| 483,418
| | ?
|
---|
1960
| 534,029
| | 10.5%
|
---|
1970
| 628,319
| | 17.7%
|
---|
1980
| 765,191
| | 21.8%
|
---|
1990
| 962,962
| | 25.8%
|
---|
2000
| 1,315,016
| | 36.6%
|
---|
2010
| 1,740,185
| | 32.3%
|
---|
2020
| 2,106,463
| | 21.0%
|
---|
County
|
2023 Estimate
|
2020 Census
|
Change
|
Wake County
|
1,190,275
|
1,129,410
|
+5.39%
|
Durham County
|
336,892
|
324,833
|
+3.71%
|
Johnston County
|
241,955
|
215,999
|
+12.02%
|
Orange County
|
150,626
|
148,696
|
+1.30%
|
Chatham County
|
81,624
|
76,285
|
+7.00%
|
Franklin County
|
77,001
|
68,573
|
+12.29%
|
Granville County
|
62,192
|
60,992
|
+1.97%
|
Vance County
|
42,301
|
42,578
|
?0.65%
|
Person County
|
39,737
|
39,097
|
+1.64%
|
Total
|
2,222,603
|
2,106,463
|
+5.51%
|
Regional partnerships
[
edit
]
The members of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership are:
[12]
All counties in North Carolina are in one of 16 regional councils which provide programs and services to local governments. The Triangle J Council of Governments includes Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, and Wake Counties.
[13]
The northern Triangle counties of Person, Granville, Franklin, Vance, and Warren are part of the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.
Cities
[
edit
]
Raleigh
is the capital of North Carolina and the largest city in the Research Triangle area.
Downtown Durham, the second-largest city in the area
The Triangle region, as defined for statistical purposes as the
Raleigh?Durham?Cary CSA
, comprises nine counties, although the
U.S. Census Bureau
divided the region into two metropolitan statistical areas and one micropolitan area in 2003. The Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area comprises Wake, Franklin, and Johnston Counties; the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan area comprises Durham, Orange, Chatham, Granville, and Person Counties; and the Henderson micropolitan area comprises Vance County.
Some area television stations define the region as
Raleigh?Durham?Fayetteville
. Fayetteville is more than 50 miles (80 km) from Raleigh, but is part of the Triangle
television market
.
Rank
|
City / town
|
County
|
2020 Census
|
2010 Census
|
Change
|
1
|
Raleigh
|
Wake County
/
Durham County
|
467,665
|
403,892
|
+15.79%
|
2
|
Durham
|
Durham County
/
Wake County
|
283,506
|
228,330
|
+24.17%
|
3
|
Cary
|
Wake County
/
Chatham County
|
174,721
|
135,234
|
+29.20%
|
4
|
Chapel Hill
|
Orange County
/
Durham County
/
Chatham County
|
61,960
|
57,233
|
+8.26%
|
5
|
Apex
|
Wake County
|
58,780
|
37,476
|
+56.85%
|
6
|
Wake Forest
|
Wake County
/
Franklin County
|
47,601
|
30,117
|
+58.05%
|
7
|
Holly Springs
|
Wake County
|
41,239
|
24,661
|
+67.22%
|
8
|
Fuquay-Varina
|
Wake County
|
34,152
|
17,937
|
+90.40%
|
9
|
Garner
|
Wake County
|
31,159
|
25,745
|
+21.03%
|
10
|
Morrisville
|
Wake County
/
Durham County
|
29,630
|
18,576
|
+59.51%
|
11
|
Clayton
|
Johnston County
/
Wake County
|
26,307
|
16,116
|
+63.24%
|
12
|
Carrboro
|
Orange County
|
21,295
|
19,582
|
+8.75%
|
13
|
Knightdale
|
Wake County
|
19,632
|
11,401
|
+72.20%
|
14
|
Mebane
|
Alamance County
/
Orange County
|
17,797
|
11,393
|
+56.21%
|
15
|
Henderson
|
Vance County
|
15,060
|
15,368
|
?2.00%
|
Education
[
edit
]
Public secondary education in the Triangle is similar to that of the majority of the state of North Carolina, in which there are county-wide school systems (the exception is
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
within Orange County but apart from Orange County Schools). Based in Cary, the
Wake County Public School System
, which includes the cities of Raleigh and Cary, is the largest school system in the state of North Carolina and the 15th-largest in the United States, with average daily enrollment of 159,949 as of the second month of the 2016?17 school year.
[14]
Other larger systems in the region include Durham Public Schools (about 33,000 students) and rapidly growing Johnston County Schools (about 31,000 students).
Institutions of higher education
[
edit
]
Old Well
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Memorial Bell Tower at NC State
Sports
[
edit
]
College sports
[
edit
]
With the significant number of universities and colleges in the area and the relative absence of major league professional sports,
NCAA
sports are very popular, particularly those sports in which the
Atlantic Coast Conference
participates, most notably basketball.
The
Duke Blue Devils
(representing
Duke University
in Durham),
NC State Wolfpack
(representing
North Carolina State University
in Raleigh), and
North Carolina Tar Heels
(representing the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
) are all members of the
ACC
. Rivalries among these schools are very strong, fueled by proximity to each other, with annual competitions in every sport. Adding to the rivalries is the large number of graduates the high schools in the region send to each of the local universities. It is very common for students at one university to know many students attending the other local universities, which increases the opportunities for "bragging" among the schools. The four ACC schools in the state, Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and
Wake Forest University
(the last of which was originally located in the town of Wake Forest before moving to Winston-Salem in 1956), are referred to as
Tobacco Road
by sportscasters, particularly in basketball. All four teams consistently produce high-caliber teams
[
opinion
]
. Each of the Triangle-based universities listed has won at least two NCAA Basketball national championships.
Three
historically black colleges
, including recent Division I arrival
North Carolina Central University
and Division II members
St. Augustine College
and
Shaw University
also boost the popularity of college sports in the region.
Other colleges in the Triangle that field intercollegiate teams include
Campbell University
,
Meredith College
, and
William Peace University
.
The Triangle will host the
World University Summer Games
in 2029.
Professional sports
[
edit
]
2006 Stanley Cup Finals
ceremony at the RBC Center (now
PNC Arena
)
The region has only one professional team of the
four major sports
, the
Carolina Hurricanes
of the
National Hockey League
, based in Raleigh. Since moving to the Research Triangle region from
Hartford, Connecticut
, they have enjoyed great success, including winning a
Stanley Cup
. The
North Carolina Courage
began play in the
National Women's Soccer League
in 2017 after the owner of North Carolina FC bought the NWSL franchise rights of the
Western New York Flash
and relocated the NWSL franchise to the Triangle. The team has achieved broad success in the league, winning 2 NWSL championships and 3 NWSL Shields in the first five years in the Triangle. With limited top-level professional sports option, minor league sports are quite popular in the region. The
Durham Bulls
in downtown Durham are a AAA Minor League baseball affiliate of the
Tampa Bay Rays
, and the
Carolina Mudcats
, based in Zebulon, are the Advanced-A affiliate of the
Milwaukee Brewers
. In Cary,
North Carolina FC
plays in the third-tier
USL League One
The area also had a team in the fledgling
World League of American Football
? however, the
Raleigh?Durham Skyhawks
, coached by
Roman Gabriel
, did not exactly cover themselves in glory; they lost all 10 games of their inaugural (and only) season in 1991. The team folded after that, being replaced in the league by the
Ohio Glory
, which fared little better at 1?9, ultimately suffering the same fate ? along with the other six teams based in North America ? when the league took a two-year hiatus, returning as a six-team all-European league in 1995. The
Orange County Speedway
in
Rougemont
hosts
stock car racing
events including the
Pro All Stars Series
, the
CARS Super Late Model Tour
and the CARS Late Model Stock Tour.
Economy
[
edit
]
IBM
Research Triangle Park
facility, pictured around 1982
The region's growing high-technology community includes such companies as
IBM
,
Lenovo
,
SAS Institute
,
Cisco Systems
,
NetApp
,
Red Hat
,
EMC Corporation
, and
Credit Suisse First Boston
. In addition to high-tech, the region is consistently ranked in the top three in the U.S. with concentration in life science companies. Some of these companies include
GlaxoSmithKline
,
Biogen Idec
,
BASF
,
Merck & Co.
,
Novo Nordisk
,
Novozymes
, and
Pfizer
.
Research Triangle Park
and
North Carolina State University's Centennial Campus
in Raleigh support innovation through R&D and technology transfer among the region's companies and research universities (including Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
The area fared relatively well during the
late-2000s recession
, ranked as the strongest region in North Carolina by the
Brookings Institution
and among the top 40 in the country. The change in unemployment during 2008 to 2009 was 4.6% and home prices was 2%. The
Greensboro
metropolitan area was listed among the second-weakest and the
Charlotte
area among the middle in the country.
[15]
Major employers
[
edit
]
Major hospitals, medical centers and medical schools
[
edit
]
North Carolina Memorial and Children's hospitals in Chapel Hill
Durham VA Medical Center in Durham
The Research Triangle region is served by these hospitals and medical centers:
[16]
- Hospitals of the
Duke University Health System
- Duke Ambulatory Surgery Center (Durham)
- Duke Children's Hospital and Health Center (Durham)
- Duke Raleigh Hospital (formerly Raleigh Community Hospital)
- Duke University Medical Center (Durham)
- Duke Regional Hospital (formerly Durham Regional Hospital)
- Person Memorial Hospital (Roxboro)
- Hospitals of the
UNC Health Care
system
- Chatham Hospital (Siler City)
- North Carolina Cancer Hospital (Chapel Hill)
- North Carolina Children's Hospital (Chapel Hill)
- North Carolina Memorial Hospital (Chapel Hill)
- North Carolina Neurosciences Hospital (Chapel Hill)
- North Carolina Women's Hospital (Chapel Hill)
- Rex Hospital
(Raleigh)
- UNC Health Johnston (Smithfield)
- Hospitals of the
WakeMed
system
- WakeMed Raleigh Campus (formerly Wake Memorial Hospital and Wake Medical Center)
- WakeMed North Hospital
- WakeMed Cary Hospital (formerly Western Wake Medical Center)
- Other hospitals and medical centers
- Central Regional Hospital (Butner)
- Durham
VA
Medical Center (Durham)
- Franklin Regional Medical Center (Louisburg)
- Harnett Health System (Dunn)
- Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital
- Angier Medical Services
- Good Hope Hospital
- Betsy Johnson Cancer Research Clinic
- Central Harnett Hospital
- Medical Schools
Transportation
[
edit
]
Freeways and primary designated routes
[
edit
]
| This section's
factual accuracy
may be compromised due to out-of-date information
. The reason given is: The East End Connector and
Interstate 885
have mainly replaced NC 147, with NC 147 remaining only in Durham.
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
(
November 2023
)
|
I-40
passing through the
Research Triangle Park
The Triangle proper is served by three major
interstate highways
:
I-40
,
I-85
, and
I-87
along with their
spurs
:
I-440
and
I-540
, and seven
U.S. Routes
:
1
,
15
,
64
,
70
,
264
,
401
, and
501
. US Highways 15 and 501 are multiplexed through much of the region as
US 15-501
.
I-95
passes 30 miles east of Raleigh through Johnston County, with I-87 connecting I-95 at
Rocky Mount, NC
to Raleigh via the
US 64?264 Bypass
.
The two interstates diverge from one another in Orange County, with I-85 heading northeast through northern Durham County toward
Virginia
, while
I-40
travels southeast through southern Durham, through the center of the region, and serves as the primary freeway through Raleigh. The related loop freeways I-440 and I-540 are primarily located in Wake County around Raleigh. I-440 begins at the interchange of US 1 and I-40 southwest of downtown Raleigh and arcs as a multiplex with US 1 northward around downtown with the formal designation as the Cliff Benson/Raleigh Beltline (cosigned with US 1 on three-fourths of its northern route) and ends at its junction with I-40 in southeast Raleigh. I-540, sometimes known as the Raleigh Outer Loop, extends from the
US 64?264 Bypass
to I-40 just inside Durham County, where it continues across the interstate as a
state route
(NC 540), prior to its becoming a
toll road
from the NC 54 interchange to the current terminus at NC Highway 55 near Holly Springs. I-95 serves the extreme eastern edge of the region, crossing north?south through suburban Johnston County.
U.S. Routes 1, 15, and 64 primarily serve the region as limited-access freeways or multilane highways with
access roads
. US 1 enters the region from the southwest as the Claude E. Pope Memorial Highway and travels through suburban Apex where it merges with US 64 and continues northeast through Cary. The two highways are codesignated for about 2 miles (3.2 km) until US 1 joins I-440 and US 64 with I-40 along the Raleigh?Cary border. Capital Boulevard, which is designated US 1 for half of its route and US 401 the other is not a limited-access freeway, although it is a major thoroughfare through northeast Raleigh and into the northern downtown area.
Durham Freeway
North Carolina Highway 147
is a limited-access freeway that connects I-85 with Toll Route NC 540 in northwestern Wake County. The older, toll-free portion of the four-lane route?known as the Durham Freeway or the I.L. "Buck" Dean Expressway?traverses downtown Durham and extends through Research Triangle Park to I-40. The Durham Freeway is often used as a detour or alternate route for I-40 through southwestern Durham the Chapel Hill area in cases of traffic accident, congestion or road construction delays. The tolled portion of NC 147, called the Triangle Expressway?North Carolina's first modern toll road when it opened to traffic in late 2011?continues past I-40 to Toll NC 540. Both Toll NC 147 and Toll NC 540 are modern facilities which collect tolls using transponders and license plate photo-capture technology.
Public transit
[
edit
]
GoTriangle
bus
Chapel Hill Transit
bus
A partnering system of multiple public transportation agencies currently serves the Triangle region under the joint
GoTriangle
branding. Raleigh is served by
GoRaleigh (formerly Capital Area Transit)
municipal transit system, while Durham has
GoDurham (formerly the Durham Area Transit Authority)
. Chapel Hill is served by
Chapel Hill Transit
, and Cary is served by
GoCary (formerly C-Tran)
public transit systems. However, GoTriangle, formerly called Triangle Transit, works in cooperation with all area transit systems by offering transfers between its own routes and those of the other systems. Triangle Transit also coordinates an extensive
vanpool
and
rideshare
program that serves the region's larger employers and commute destinations.
Plans have been made to merge all of the area's municipal systems into GoTriangle, and GoTriangle also has proposed a regional rail system to connect downtown Durham, downtown Cary and downtown Raleigh with multiple suburban stops, as well as stops in the Research Triangle Park area. The agency's initial proposal was effectively cancelled in 2006, however, when the agency could not procure adequate federal funding. A committee of local business, transportation and government leaders currently are working with GoTriangle to develop a new transit blueprint for the region, with various modes of rail transit, as well as
bus rapid transit
, open as options for consideration.
[17]
Raleigh?Durham International Airport (RDU)
[
edit
]
(
IATA
:
RDU
,
ICAO
:
KRDU
,
FAA
LID
:
RDU
)
Raleigh?Durham International Airport
welcome sign
Raleigh?Durham International Airport (RDU) has nonstop passenger service to 68 destinations with over 450 average daily departures, including nonstop international service to Canada, Europe, and Mexico.
[18]
It is located near the geographic center of The Triangle,
4
+
1
⁄
2
miles (7.2 km) northeast of the town of
Morrisville
in
Wake County
. The airport covers 5,000 acres (2,023 ha) and has three
runways
.
[19]
In 1939 the General Assembly of North Carolina chartered the Raleigh?Durham Aeronautical Authority, which was changed in 1945 to the Raleigh?Durham Airport Authority. The first new terminal opened in 1955. Terminal A (now Terminal 1) opened in 1981.
American Airlines
began service to RDU in 1985.
RDU opened the 10,000-foot (3,000 m) runway, 5L-23R, in 1986. American Airlines opened its north?south hub operation at RDU in the new Terminal C in June 1987, greatly increasing the size of RDU's operations with a new terminal including a new apron and runway. American brought RDU its first international flights to
Bermuda
,
Cancun
,
Paris
and
London
.
American Airlines
Boeing 777
touches down at RDU
In 1996, American Airlines ceased its hub operations at RDU due to
Pan Am
and
Eastern Airlines
. Pan Am and Eastern were
Miami's
main tenants until 1991, when both carriers went bankrupt. Their hubs at MIA were taken over by
United Airlines
and American Airlines. This created a difficulty in competing with
US Airways
' hub in
Charlotte
and
Delta Air Lines
' hub in Atlanta, Georgia for passengers traveling between smaller cities in the North and South.
Midway Airlines
entered the market, starting service in 1995 with the then somewhat novel concept of 50-seat
Canadair Regional Jets
providing service from its RDU hub primarily along the East Coast. Midway, originally incorporated in
Chicago
, had some success after moving its operations to the midpoint of the eastern United States at RDU and its headquarters to Morrisville, NC. The carrier ultimately could not overcome three weighty challenges: the arrival of
Southwest Airlines
, the refusal of American Airlines to renew the frequent flyer affiliation it had with Midway (thus dispatching numerous higher fare-paying businesspeople to airlines with better reward destinations), and the significant blow of September 11, 2001. Midway Airlines filed
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
on August 13, 2001, and ceased operations entirely on October 30, 2003.
In February 2000, RDU was ranked as the nation's second fastest-growing major airport in the United States, by Airports Council International, based on 1999 statistics. Passenger growth hit 24% over the previous year, ranking RDU second only to
Washington Dulles International Airport
. RDU opened Terminal A south concourse for use by
Northwest
and
Continental Airlines
in 2001. The addition added 46,000 square feet (4,300 m
2
) and five aircraft gates to the terminal. Terminal A became designated as Terminal 1 on October 26, 2008. In 2003, RDU also dedicated a new general aviation terminal. RDU continues to keep pace with its growth by redeveloping Terminal C into a new state-of-the-art terminal, now known as Terminal 2, which opened in October 2008.
[20]
As of June 2022, the airport will have international flights to Cancun, London, Montreal, Paris, Reykjavik and Toronto. Cancun and London service is provided by American, Frontier and JetBlue, while the Canada flights are provided by Air Canada, Paris by Delta, and Reykjavik by Icelandair. Icelandair is the first international carrier outside of Air Canada to service the airport. Delta Air Lines currently considers the airport to be a "focus city", or an airport that is not a hub, but is of importance to the carrier. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly shrunk the operation, but by September 2022, Delta will be serving 21 destinations on aircraft ranging from the CRJ700 to the 767.
Public general-aviation airports
[
edit
]
In addition to RDU, several smaller publicly owned
general-aviation
airports also operate in the metropolitan region:
- Triangle North Executive Airport
(
IATA
:
LFN
,
ICAO
:
KLHZ
,
FAA
LID
:
LHZ
),
Louisburg
- Raleigh Exec
(
ICAO
:
KTTA
,
FAA
LID
:
TTA
),
Sanford
- Johnston County Airport (
IATA
:
JNX
,
ICAO
:
KJNX
,
FAA
LID
:
JNX
),
Smithfield
- Horace Williams Airport
(
IATA
:
IGX
,
ICAO
:
KIGX
,
FAA
LID
:
IGX
),
Chapel Hill
(Closed)
- Harnett Regional Jetport (
IATA
:
HRJ
,
ICAO
:
KHRJ
,
FAA
LID
:
HRJ
),
Erwin
- Person County Airport
(
ICAO
:
KTDF
,
FAA
LID
:
TDF
),
Roxboro
- Siler City Municipal Airport (
ICAO
:
K5W8
,
FAA
LID
:
5W8
),
Siler City
Private airfields
[
edit
]
Lake Ridge Airport (8NC8) in Durham
Several licensed private
general-aviation
and agricultural airfields are located in the region's suburban areas and nearby rural communities:
- Bagwell Airport (
FAA
LID
:
NC99
), Garner
- Ball Airport (
FAA
LID
:
79NC
),
Louisburg
- Barclaysville Field Airport (
FAA
LID
:
NC44
),
Angier
- Brooks Field Airport (
FAA
LID
:
8NC6
), Siler City
- CAG Farms Airport (
FAA
LID
:
87NC
), Angier
- Charles Field Airport (
FAA
LID
:
NC22
), Dunn
- Cox Airport (
FAA
LID
:
NC81
), Apex
- Crooked Creek Airport (
FAA
LID
:
7NC5
), Bunn
- Dead Dog Airport (
FAA
LID
:
8NC4
),
Pittsboro
- Deck Airpark Airport (
FAA
LID
:
NC11
), Apex
- Dutchy Airport (
FAA
LID
:
5NC5
), Chapel Hill
- Eagle's Landing Airport (
FAA
LID
:
9NC8
), Pittsboro
- Field of Dreams Airport (
FAA
LID
:
51NC
),
Zebulon
- Fuquay/Angier Field Airport (
FAA
LID
:
78NC
),
Fuquay-Varina
- Hinton Field Airport (
FAA
LID
:
NC72
),
Princeton
- Kenly Airport (
FAA
LID
:
7NC3
),
Kenly
- Lake Ridge Aero Park Airport (
FAA
LID
:
8NC8
), Durham
- Miles Airport (
FAA
LID
:
NC34
), Chapel Hill
- North Raleigh Airport (
FAA
LID
:
00NC
), Louisburg
- Peacock Stolport Airport (
FAA
LID
:
4NC7
), Garner
- Raleigh East Airport (
FAA
LID
:
9NC0
),
Knightdale
- Riley Field Airport (
FAA
LID
:
1NC5
), Bunn
- Ron's Field Ultralight Airport (
FAA
LID
:
1NC1
), Pittsboro
- Triple W Airport (
ICAO
:
K5W5
,
FAA
LID
:
5W5
), Raleigh
- Womble Field Airport (
FAA
LID
:
3NC9
), Chapel Hill
Heliports
[
edit
]
NC92 helipad at
Duke University Medical Center
These licensed
heliports
serve the Research Triangle region:
- Betsy Johnson Memorial Hospital Heliport (
FAA
LID
:
NC96
), Dunn?publicly owned; medical service
- Duke University North Heliport (
ICAO
:
NC92
,
FAA
LID
:
NC92
), Durham?privately owned; public medical service
- Garner Road Heliport (
FAA
LID
:
3NC2
), Raleigh?publicly owned; state government service
- Holly Green Heliport (
FAA
LID
:
83NC
), Durham?private
- Sky-5 Heliport (
FAA
LID
:
2NC3
), Raleigh?private, owned by Sky-5 Inc. (
WRAL-TV
)
- Sprint MidAtlantic Telecom Heliport (
FAA
LID
:
11NC
),
Youngsville
?private; corporate service
- Wake Medical Center Heliport (
FAA
LID
:
0NC4
), Raleigh?publicly owned; medical service
- Western Wake Medical Center Heliport (
FAA
LID
:
04NC
), Cary?publicly owned; medical service
A number of
helipads
(i.e. marked landing sites not classified under the
FAA
LID
system) also serve a variety of additional medical facilities (such as UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill), as well as private, corporate and governmental interests, throughout the region.
Rail
[
edit
]
Amtrak
serves the region with the
Silver Meteor
,
Silver Star
,
Palmetto
,
Carolinian
, and
Piedmont
routes.
Shopping
[
edit
]
Super-regional enclosed malls
[
edit
]
- Triangle Town Center
and Commons (Raleigh; 1,431,091 ft²) (opened 2002)
- The Streets at Southpoint
(Durham; 1,336,000 ft²) (opened 2002)
- Crabtree Valley Mall
(Raleigh; 1,326,000 ft²) (opened 1972)
- Cary Towne Center
(Cary; 914,252 ft²) (opened 1979, closed 2021)
- Northgate Mall
(Durham; 857,099 ft²) (opened 1960, enclosed 1972, closed 2020)
Major shopping centers
[
edit
]
Entertainment
[
edit
]
The annual
Hopscotch Music Festival
takes place over three days in September in downtown Raleigh.
Film festivals and events:
Notable performing arts and music venues:
Theatre and dance events:
Music festivals:
Movie theatres:
Museums
[
edit
]
Gardens and parks
[
edit
]
Lakes
[
edit
]
Media
[
edit
]
The area is part of the Raleigh?Durham?Fayetteville television
designated media area
and is the 25th-largest in the country with 1,135,920 households (2014) included in that area and the second largest television market in North Carolina.
[21]
It is part of the Raleigh?Durham
Nielsen Audio
radio market (code 115) and is the 42nd-largest in the country with a population of 1,365,900.
[22]
The Raleigh?Durham?Fayetteville market is defined by Nielsen as including Chatham, Cumberland, Dunn, Durham, Granville, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Northampton, Orange, Robeson, Vance, Wake, Warren,
Wayne
, and Wilson Counties, along with parts of Franklin County.
[23]
Print
[
edit
]
Numerous newspapers and periodicals serve the Triangle market.
Paid and subscription
[
edit
]
- The News & Observer
, the major daily Raleigh newspaper and the region's largest, with a significant regional and statewide readership (especially to the east of the Triangle)
- The Herald-Sun
, the major daily Durham newspaper
- Garner News
, the weekly community newspaper for suburban Garner in southern Wake County
- The Apex Herald
, the weekly community newspaper for suburban Apex in western Wake County
- Holly Springs Sun
, the weekly community newspaper for suburban Holly Springs in southwestern Wake County
- Butner-Creedmoor News
The Weekly community newspaper for southern Granville County and surrounding areas
- Cleveland Post
, the weekly community newspaper for suburban Cleveland and nearby northwestern Johnston and southern Wake Counties
- Fuquay-Varina Independent
, the weekly community newspaper for suburban Fuquay-Varina in southwestern Wake County
- The Wake Weekly
, a weekly community newspaper serving suburban Wake Forest, northern Wake County and southern Franklin County
- The
Chatham Journal
, the weekly community newspaper for suburban
Pittsboro
and surrounding Chatham County
- The Clayton News-Star
, a weekly community newspaper for suburban Clayton and western Johnston County
- The Daily Record
, the daily community newspaper for suburban Dunn and surrounding Harnett County
- The Courier-Times
, the semiweekly community newspaper for suburban Roxboro and Person County
- Triangle Business Journal
, a weekly regional economic journal
- Cary Magazine
, a bi-monthly magazine for Cary and western Wake County
- Chapel Hill Magazine
, a bi-monthly magazine that serves 12,500 households and 1,600 businesses of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and northern Chatham County
Free
[
edit
]
- The
Independent Weekly
, a free weekly regional independent journal published in Durham
- The
Carolina Journal
, a monthly free regional newspaper published in Raleigh
- The
Raleigh Downtowner
, a free monthly magazine for downtown Raleigh and environs
- The
Raleigh Hatchet
, a free monthly magazine
- The Daily Tar Heel
, the free weekday (during the regular academic year) student newspaper at UNC-Chapel Hill
- Technician
, the free weekday (during the regular academic year) student newspaper at NC State University in Raleigh
- The Chronicle
, a free daily newspaper for (but independent of) Duke University and its surrounding community in Durham
- The Blotter
, a free monthly regional literary journal
- Fifteen-501
, a free magazine for the Durham?Chapel Hill area (named for nearby
U.S. Route 15-501
)
- Acento Latino
, a free Spanish-language weekly regional newspaper published in Raleigh
- Midtown Magazine
, a free bi-monthly lifestyle magazine published in Raleigh
Online only
[
edit
]
- The
Cary Citizen
, a free daily news source for the greater Cary and western Wake County area
- The
Raleigh Telegram
, a free daily news source for the greater Raleigh area
- The
Wake Forest Gazette
, a free weekly news site for items of local Wake Forest interest
- The
Johnston County Report
, a free daily news source for Johnston County and the surrounding areas
Television
[
edit
]
Broadcast
[
edit
]
The Triangle is part of the Raleigh?Durham?
Fayetteville
Designated Market Area for broadcast television. As of 2015
[update]
?16, the area was the 25th-largest in the country. This area includes these television stations:
- WUNC-TV
(4, Chapel Hill),
PBS
member station and flagship station of the
PBS North Carolina
television network, owned by the
University of North Carolina
system
- WRAL-TV
(5, Raleigh),
NBC
affiliate owned by
Capitol Broadcasting Company
- WTVD
(11, Durham),
ABC
O&O
owned by
ABC Owned Television Stations
- WNCN
(17, Goldsboro),
CBS
affiliate owned by
Nexstar Media Group
- WLFL
(22, Raleigh),
CW
affiliate owned by
Sinclair Broadcast Group
- WTNC-LD
(26, Durham),
UniMas
O&O owned by
TelevisaUnivision
- WRDC
(28, Durham),
MyNetworkTV
affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
- WRAY-TV
(30, Wilson),
TCT
O&O owned by
Tri-State Christian Television
- WUVC-DT
(40, Fayetteville),
Univision
O&O owned by TelevisaUnivision
- WRPX-TV
(47, Rocky Mount) and
WFPX-TV
(62, Fayetteville), both
Ion Television
O&Os owned by
Scripps Networks
- WRAZ-TV
(50, Raleigh),
Fox
affiliate owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company
Cable
[
edit
]
Raleigh is home to the Research Triangle Region bureau of the regional
cable TV
news channel
Spectrum News 1 North Carolina
.
Radio
[
edit
]
The Triangle is home to
North Carolina Public Radio
, a public radio station/
NPR
provider that brings in listeners around the country. Raleigh and a large part of the Triangle area is Arbitron radio market #43. Stations include:
FM stations:
- 88.1 FM
WKNC
(
NCSU
) College Radio from N.C. State University
- 88.5 FM
WRTP
(
RTN
) Christian ("His Radio WRTP")
- 88.7 FM
WXDU
(
DU
) College Radio from Duke University
- 88.9 FM
WRKV
(
EMF
) Contemporary Christian ("K-LOVE") from Educational Media Foundation
- 89.3 FM
WXYC
(
UNC
) College Radio from UNC-Chapel Hill
- 89.7 FM
WCPE
Classical & Opera Music
- 90.5 FM
WVRD
(
Liberty University
) Christian
- 90.7 FM
WNCU
(
NCCU
)
NPR
/Jazz from N.C. Central University
- 91.1 FM
W216BN
(
RTN
) Christian ("His Radio WRTP") (
Translator
of
WRTP
)
- 91.5 FM
WUNC
(
UNC
)
NPR
affiliate from UNC-Chapel Hill
- 92.5 FM
WYFL
(
BBN
) Christian Programs from Bible Broadcasting Network
- 93.3 FM
WERO
(
NM License, LLC
) CHR ("Bob 933")
- 93.5 FM
WRLY-LP
Community Radio ("Oak 93.5")
- 93.9 FM
WNCB
(
iHM
) Country ("B93.9")
- 94.7 FM
WQDR-FM
(
CMG
) Country ("94.7 QDR")
- 95.3 FM
W237BZ
(
iHM
) Classic Hip-Hop ("95.3 The Beat") (Translator of
WDCG-HD2
)
- 96.1 FM
WBBB
(
CMG
)
Adult hits
("96.1 BBB")
- 96.5 FM
W243DK
(
CBC
) Sports ("The Buzz") (Translator of
WCMC-HD2
)
- 96.7 FM
WKRX
Country ("Kickin' Country")
- 96.9 FM
WPLW-FM
(
CMG
) CHR ("Pulse FM")
- 97.5 FM
WQOK
(
R1
) Hip Hop ("K-97.5")
- 97.9 FM
W250B
("97.9 The Hill") (Translator of
WCHL
)
- 98.1 FM
WQSM
(
Cumulus
) CHR ("Q-98")
- 98.9 FM
W255AM
(
RTN
) Christian ("His Radio WRTP") (Translator of
WRTP
)
- 99.3 FM
W257CS
(
CBC
) Sports ("The Buzz") (Translator of
WCMC-HD2
)
- 99.9 FM
WCMC
(
CBC
) Sports ("99.9 The Fan ESPN Radio") (Flagship for
Carolina Hurricanes
)
- 100.7 FM
WRDU
(
iHM
) Classic Hits ("100.7 WRDU")
- 101.1 FM
WYMY
(
CMG
) Spanish ("La Ley 101.1 FM")
- 101.5 FM
WRAL
(
CBC
) Adult Contemporary ("Mix 101.5")
- 101.9 FM
WKRP-LP
Community Radio ("101 Nine WKRP")
- 102.3 FM
WKJO
Classic Hits ("Kix 102")
- 102.5 FM
WKXU
(
CMG
) Classic Hits ("Kix 102")
- 102.9 FM
WKIX
(
CMG
) Classic Hits ("Kix 102")
- 103.3 FM
WAKG
(
PB
) Country ("103.3 WAKG")
- 103.5 FM
WCOM-LP
Community Radio, Variety
- 103.9 FM
WNNL
(
R1
) Urban Gospel ("The Light 103.9")
- 104.3 FM
WFXK
(
R1
) Urban Adult Contemporary ("Foxy 104")
- 104.7 FM W284CP (
CMG
) Oldies ("Oldies 104.7") (Translator of
WKIX
)
- 105.1 FM
WDCG
(
iHM
) CHR ("G-105")
- 106.1 FM
WTKK
(
iHM
) Talk
- 106.7 FM
WKVK
(
EMF
) Contemporary Christian
- 107.1 FM
WFXC
(
R1
) Urban Adult Contemporary ("Foxy 107")
- 107.7 FM W299AQ (
RTN
) Christian ("His Radio WRTP") (Translator of
WRTP
)
- 107.9 FM W300AR (
RTN
) Christian ("His Radio WRTP") (Translator of
WRTP
)
|
AM stations:
- 540 AM
WETC
Catholic radio
- 570 AM
WQDR
Classic rock ("Rock 92.9")
- 620 AM
WDNC
Sports ("620 The Ticket") (Flagship for Duke Football and Basketball)
- 680 AM
WPTF
News, Talk & Sports ("NewsRadio 680 WPTF")
- 750 AM
WAUG
Urban Programming from St. Augustine's College
- 850 AM
WKIX
Oldies ("Oldies 104.7")
- 1000 AM
WRTG
Spanish
- 1030 AM
WDRU
Christian ("The Truth 1030")
- 1130 AM
WPYB
Country
- 1240 AM
WPJL
Christian
- 1310 AM
WTIK
Spanish
- 1360 AM
WCHL
("97.9 The Hill")
- 1410 AM
WRJD
Spanish Christian
- 1430 AM
WRXO
Country ("Simulcast of WKRX-FM")
- 1490 AM
WDUR
South Asian
- 1530 AM
WLLQ
Spanish
- 1550 AM
WCLY
Adult album alternative ("That Station")
- 1590 AM
WHPY
Christian
|
Map of the Triangle
[
edit
]
A map of the Triangle
Primary cities and towns
A
? Raleigh
B
? Durham
C
? Chapel Hill
D
? Cary
E
? Morrisville
F
? Apex
G
? Holly Springs
H
? Fuquay-Varina
I
? Garner
J
? Knightdale
K
? Wendell
L
? Zebulon
M
? Rolesville
N
? Wake Forest
O
? Hillsborough
P
? Carrboro
Q
? Pittsboro
R
? Clayton
S
? Youngsville
T
? Franklinton
U
? Creedmoor
V
? Stem
W
? Butner
|
Counties
1
? Wake County
2
? Durham County
3
? Orange County
4
? Chatham County
5
? Harnett County
6
? Johnston County
7
? Franklin County
8
? Granville County
Parks and bodies of water
a
?
Research Triangle Park
b
?
Umstead State Park
c
?
Jordan Lake
d
?
Haw River
e
?
Harris Lake
f
?
Lake Wheeler
g
?
Lake Benson
h
?
Falls Lake
|
Interstate highways
1
? I-40/I-85
2
? I-85
3
? I-40
4
? I-440
5
? I-540
13
? I-87
Other major highways
1
?
US 15
2
?
US 1
3
?
US 401
4
?
US 64
5
?
US 70
6
?
US 401
7
?
US 1
8
?
US 15-501
9
?
US 64
10
?
US 70
11
?
US 501
12
?
NC 147
13
?
US 64?264
14
?
US 64
Business
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Total Gross Domestic Product for Raleigh, NC (MSA)"
.
fred.stlouisfed.org
.
- ^
"Total Gross Domestic Product for Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (MSA)"
.
fred.stlouisfed.org
.
- ^
"GDP by county in 2021"
(PDF)
.
www.bea.gov
.
- ^
"The Research Triangle Park"
. Rtp.org.
Archived
from the original on 2013-05-24
. Retrieved
2013-05-16
.
- ^
"Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2010?2019"
. U.S. Census Bureau
. Retrieved
2020-03-29
.
- ^
Nielsen Station Index, Viewers in Profile, Raleigh?Durham (Fayetteville), NC May 2010
- ^
Rakich, Ryan Best, Aaron Bycoffe and Nathaniel (2021-08-09).
"What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State - North Carolina"
.
FiveThirtyEight
. Retrieved
2022-05-23
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
OMB Bulletin No. 18-04
(PDF)
(Report). Office of Management and Budget. September 14, 2018. p. 142
. Retrieved
2020-02-06
.
- ^
OMB Bulletin No. 18-03
(PDF)
(Report). Office of Management and Budget. April 10, 2018. p. 141
. Retrieved
2020-02-06
.
- ^
"County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2010-2020"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
2021-05-25
.
- ^
"Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC CSA"
. censusreporter.org
. Retrieved
June 22,
2022
.
- ^
"Counties - Research Triangle Regional Partnership"
. Retrieved
2023-03-29
.
- ^
"NC Regional Councils Map"
. NC Association of Regional Councils of Government
. Retrieved
2019-06-24
.
- ^
"District Facts / Overview"
.
wcpss.net
.
- ^
Snipes, Cameron (June 17, 2009).
"Brookings report ranks Raleigh?Cary strongest metro in N.C."
Triangle Business Journal
. Retrieved
2009-06-23
.
- ^
"North Carolina Hospitals and Medical Centers"
. The Agape Center
. Retrieved
2008-05-30
.
- ^
"Regional Transit Needs: Next Steps"
.
TTA Web Site
. Retrieved
2007-07-04
.
- ^
"Nonstop Destinations Raleigh?Durham International Airport"
. Retrieved
19 October
2017
.
- ^
FAA Airport Form 5010 for RDU
PDF
, effective February 1, 2018.
- ^
"Raleigh?Durham International Airport"
.
- ^
"Local Television Market Universe Estimates"
(PDF)
.
- ^
"Spring 2011 Market Survey Schedule & Population Ranking"
.
Arbitron
.
- ^
"Raleigh?Durham DMA"
. Time Warner. Archived from
the original
on 2011-10-17.
External links
[
edit
]
Greater Raleigh Metropolitan Region (Raleigh-Cary, MSA; part of the
Research Triangle
)
|
---|
Principal cities
| | |
---|
Other significant cities
| |
---|
Counties
| |
---|
Major universities
| |
---|
Transportation
| |
---|
Miscellaneous
| |
---|
Greater Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan region (Durham MSA, part of the
Research Triangle
)
|
---|
Principal cities
| | |
---|
Other significant cities
| |
---|
Counties
| |
---|
Major universities
| |
---|
Transportation
| |
---|
Newspapers
| |
---|
Miscellaneous
| |
---|
35°53′N
78°47′W
/
35.88°N 78.79°W
/
35.88; -78.79