Destination Overview
Durham is home to Research Triangle Park, Duke and North Carolina Central universities and many "City of Medicine, USA" medical and weight management centers. Research Triangle Park is one of the largest research-related parks in the world and includes the headquarters for international companies like GlaxoSmithKline. Each year 6.31 million visitors to Durham enjoy thirteen historic sites, fifteen art centers or performance halls, twelve nature and science centers, nine highly acclaimed signature annual events with national or regional recognition, plus dozens of other unique and mainstream annual events, great spectator sports and thirteen regionally or nationally reviewed restaurants.
A compact, forested, single-city community of 273,169 residents, Durham is located in central North Carolina and is the pinnacle of the 3,000 square mile "Research Triangle Region." Due to the influence of Duke, NCCU, RTP and several medical centers, regional influence is blended with a mix of people from throughout the country and the world.
Durham has a colorful and eventful history. From the Great Indian Trading Path to the Civil War, from the enterprising "Black Wall Street" to Research Triangle Park, Durham offers one of the oldest working grist mills in the nation, one of the largest plantation holdings in the South, the first autonomous African-American church in the nation and one of the last Gothic collegiate projects in the nation. Downtown Durham was North Carolina's first commercial district on the National Register of Historic Places and is now a regional center for arts, entertainment and dining.
New Visitor Developments
Lodging
Durham has 65 lodging facilities with more than 7,700 guest rooms ranging from full-service hotels to bed and breakfast inns, from limited service hotels to deluxe hotels and golf resorts. Durham's lodging properties are conveniently situated on I-85, I-40 and clustered around downtown, Research Triangle Park and Duke University.
Access
Durham is an hour's flight or a day's drive from 54% of the nation's population and is accessible by RDU International Airport [map].
Major Airport
Durham co-owns and is served by RDU International Airport, located midway between the cities of Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Major Interstates, US and NC Highways
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- Interstates 40 and 85
- US highways 15, 70, 501
- State highways 54, 55, 98, 147, 751
"BIG PEOPLE" Photography Exhibit
Hernan Navarrete has used his cameras to explore the impact of size with informal and journalistic portraits. These images are roughly life-size. FREE admission.
