Durham, North Carolina

Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It has about 230,000 people. Durham has two universities, Duke and NC Central. It is northwest of Raleigh, and northeast of Chapel Hill. It is the county seat of Durham County.

Durham, North Carolina
An intersection in downtown Durham
An intersection in downtown Durham
Flag of Durham, North Carolina
Flag
Nickname(s): 
Bull City
Location in North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
Coordinates:
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyDurham County
Founded1869
Area
 • Total94.9 sq mi (254.8 km2)
Elevation
404 ft (123 m)
Population
 (as of July 1, 2009)
 • Total229,174
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern Standard)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight)
Area code(s)919
WebsiteDurham city official site

Historical Facts

Before Europeans came to the Durham area, there were some Native American tribes nearby.

Durham was officially started in 1869, but there was a train station and some stores before that. It grew quickly in the late 1800s and early 1900s because of tobacco. NC Central was one of the first publicly funded (paid for) African-American colleges, and was started in 1924.

In the mid-1900s, people were buying less tobacco, so Durham became poorer. Some civil rights people also visited Durham during this time. The Research Triangle Park near Raleigh helped it some, but not very much.

Recently, Durham's downtown has gotten better and Durham is growing more. The old tobacco buildings are now being used for other things.

Geography

Durham is located in north-central North Carolina, near Chapel Hill and Raleigh, in an area known as The Triangle. One of the few rivers in Durham is the Eno River. It goes into Falls Lake.

Climate

Durham has a sort of mild climate with hot summers and cool winters. In the summer temperatures usually go from 90° Fahrenheit during the day to 70 °F at night. In the winter, is about 50 °F during the day and 30 °F at night. It can change more. Durham gets about 45 inches (110 cm) of rain and 6 inches (15 cm) of snow.

Transportation

Durham has a lot of transportation, or roads, trains, and airplanes. Some freeways in Durham are Interstates 40 and 85 and highway 147. Durham is right next to an airport. Durham also has a train station.

Things to see

Duke University is in Durham. Durham also has the Museum of Life and Science and the Nasher Art Museum. Downtown, there are also several tall buildings.

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