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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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