129 Interesting Facts About Raleigh, North Carolina You Should Know
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Raleigh is the capital city of North Carolina located midway between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.
Raleigh was founded in the early 1790s and is located on the eastern coast of the United States. Raleigh North Carolina is a part of Wake County that is the largest county situated in North Carolina.
It is the second-largest city of North Carolina after Charlotte. Its population is approximately 0.4 million. The Raleigh area is approximately 147 sq mi (380.7 sq km). Some of the cities near Raleigh are Garner, Cary, Apex, Clayton, Holly Springs, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Durham, and others.
Raleigh city is about 133 years old. Raleigh has diverse races including non-Hispanic whites (52.8%), Black (28.3%), Hispanic (12.5%), Asian American (4%), American Indian (0.4%), and the other 0.1% belongs to other races. Christianity is the dominant religion in Raleigh.
It is about two hours away from the beach and three hours away from the mountains. The Raleigh area consists of 11 towns. The North Carolina State Capitol is situated here.
It has various museums including Marbles Kids Museum, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, City of Raleigh Museum, Joel Lane House, Pope House Museum, and many others. Some of the most popular museums, historical places, and restaurants are situated in downtown Raleigh. North Raleigh mostly consists of residential buildings.
South Raleigh has places for entertainment like parks and restaurants. Raleigh along with Chapel Hill and Durham make the research triangle. It is also famous as a center for performing arts.
After reading these interesting facts about Raleigh, North Carolina, also check facts about Cheyenne Wyoming and facts about Charlotte NC.
Fun Facts About Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital city of North Carolina. It is famous for museums, parks, food, and performing arts. Below are a few fun facts about Raleigh North Carolina which will tell you more about some of the most interesting aspects of the capital city of North Carolina.
Raleigh North Carolina is also known as the City of Oaks because of the large number of oak trees found near the streets of Raleigh. It is also known as Raleighwood and Oak City.
Raleigh is named after Sir Walter Raleigh who was an English explorer. Earlier when Raleigh was established as a state in 1771, it was called the Wake County Courthouse.
Sweet potato is the state vegetable of Raleigh. There are over 40 historic places located in Raleigh and it is even identified as a national historic landmark.
The Shaw University situated in Raleigh is the first black university in history. The first art museum of the United States is situated in Raleigh.
Raleigh has a double-sided flag. On one side it has two red strips with one white strip in between them. On the other side, there is the Seal of Raleigh.
The Capitol Building in Raleigh was meant to be the tomb of the former Governor Montfort Stokes’s wife in the 19th century.
The Raleigh Beer Garden has about 366 beer choices which is the biggest beer collection in the world. The city of Raleigh is the second most populated city in North Carolina.
It was the Confederate headquarters during the American Civil War. The fifth largest cathedral of the United States is located in Raleigh. It is the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral.
North Carolina’s oldest park is situated in Raleigh. It is called Pullen Park. Due to so many free museums in Raleigh, it is also known as the Smithsonian of the South.
Historical Facts About Raleigh
The capital city of Raleigh is famous for its rich history and historical places. Downtown Raleigh is considered the historic neighborhood of the capital. Below are a few facts about this historic destination which you must check before embarking on a trip to the beautiful city.
Raleigh North Carolina was officially made the capital city of North Carolina in 1792. In April 1792, William Christmas planned and surveyed the city of Raleigh.
Raleigh was built on a forest track after the American Revolution. It was initially known as the Wake Courthouse.
It was later named Raleigh after an English explorer, Sir Walter Raleigh. Sir Walter Raleigh was trying to establish an English Colony during the 1580s.
The architecture of the city is based on the Greek Revival. Till 13 April 1865, Raleigh was the Confederate Headquarters for the Union Troops of the American Civil War.
After the end of World War II, many factories were set up in Raleigh. They included communications, electronics, textiles, and chemicals.
The land for laying out the city of Raleigh was bought from Joel Lane, a landowner in Wake County, on 30 March 1792. The first State House of Raleigh was established in 1794.
Raleigh started growing economically in the 1870s. Many publishing houses and others were built during this time.
Various educational institutes were established during the late 1800s. Some of them are St. Mary’s School (1842), Peace College (1857), Meredith College (1891), Shaw University (1865), and St. Augustine’s College (1867).
In 1949, Raleigh saw the establishment of its first suburb. The suburbs started developing rapidly all over Raleigh during the 70s. Raleigh city covers an area of 147 sq mi (380.7 sq km).
Facts About Raleigh’s Culture
Raleigh North Carolina has a rich culture. It is famous for its museums and performing arts. Downtown Raleigh is popular for its restaurants and museums. Most people live in North Raleigh. Below are some interesting facts about the culture of Raleigh which you must certainly check.
The racial composition of Raleigh includes people belonging to the following communities: Non-Hispanic Whites, White, African American, Hispanic, and Asian.
White people comprise a large part of the population. They comprise 57.5% of the total population. There are 29.3% African American, 1.2% Indians, 0.8% Chinese, 0.7% Vietnamese, 0.5% Koreans, 0.4% Filipino, 0.1% Japanese, 0.5% Native Americans, and others.
Most people living in Raleigh follow Christianity. Approximately 14.1% are Baptist, 5.6% are Methodist, 4.2% Roman Catholic, 2.8% are Presbyterianism, 1.7% are Pentecostalism, 1.2% are Anglican, 0.6% are Lutheranism, 0.7% are Latter-Day Saints and others.
The remaining population follows Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Druze, Judaism, Islam, and Taoism. Hillsborough Street and Warehouse District are the most popular places for a cultural experience in Raleigh.
Raleigh has a rich history and more than 40 historical monuments. There are various museums situated in Raleigh.
Some of them are Haywood Hall House and Gardens, African American Cultural Complex, Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, Marbles Kids Museum, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, City of Raleigh Museum, Joel Lane House, Pope House Museum, and many others.
Raleigh has various restaurants and food halls.
Some of the famous cuisines available in Raleigh are chocolate chess pie (Angus Barn), mac and cheese (Poole’s Diner), fried chicken and waffles (Beasley’s Chicken + Honey), the dirty south (Chuck’s), crack fries (Market Restaurant), steamed oysters (Shucker’s Oyster Bar and Grill), barbeque (Clyde Cooper’s BBQ), the Beaufort Bar (Escazu Chocolate), pancakes (Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant), hot dogs (Roast Grill), shrimp hushpuppies (Peak City Bar and Grill), eclectic fare (Knightdale Seafood & BBQ), Malai chicken tikka (Saffron Restaurant), baked goats cheese salad (Cattails restaurant), meat and three (Toot N Tell Family Restaurant), chicken Schnitzel (Klara’s), smokehouse ribs (Aviator Brewing Smokehouse), cornmeal crusted catfish (18 Seaboard), grilled cheese (Rockwell's American Grill), and many more.
Various events, festivals, and cultural activities are conducted in Raleigh. Some of the festivals celebrated in Raleigh are International Festival of Raleigh, Chinese Lantern Festival, Dreamville Festival, NC State Fair, Got To Be NC Festival, World Beer Festival, Lazy daze Arts and Crafts Festival, WRAL Balloon Festival, Southeast Crab Festival, Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce, and many more.
Facts About Raleigh’s Universities
Raleigh is an educational center with top institutes. It has 11 major universities.
Some of the major universities and colleges are North Carolina State University, Wake Technical Community College, Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Meredith College, Montreat College, William Peace University, Shaw University, Skema Business School, St. Augustine’s University, ECPI College of Technology, the Medical Arts School, Strayer University, and others.
Below are a few facts about the universities in Raleigh.
North Carolina State University is the best educational institute located in Raleigh. North Carolina State University is famous for its science, engineering, mathematics, and technology courses.
North Carolina State University was founded in 1887. North Carolina State University is the largest university known for STEM.
Shaw University was the first black university in history to be established in the South. Shaw University is a private liberal institution for arts. The mascot of Shaw University is Bear.
Meredith College is an outstanding women’s college that also has a good record in sports. Meredith College has six titles in lacrosse, two titles in volleyball, one title in soccer, one title in tennis, and three titles in country championships.
Strayer University has excellent courses in education, business, accounts, and health.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 129 interesting facts about Raleigh, North Carolina you should know then why not take a look at facts about Charleston SC, or facts about Charlotte NC?
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Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights
With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".
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