Raleigh is the second largest city in North Carolina. It became the capital of the state in 1788, following its central location. The city was, after all, specifically designed to be a state capital.
Raleigh is also tagged as the “City of Oaks” because of the abundance of oak trees in the area. Named after Sir Walter Raleigh, an English Aristocrat, the city of Raleigh is currently home to 403,892 residents. It is the 43rd biggest city in the country, with its land area of 142.8 square miles. Raleigh is heralded as one of the best places to live in and start businesses in by many authorities such as Forbes and Money Magazine.
Raleigh is considered as the seat of Wake County. Together with Chapel Hill and Durham, the city is included in the “Research Triangle” as they are the location of three major universities oriented in research – Duke University, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
Raleigh is also the birth place of Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States.
There are lots of places to enjoy in Raleigh. For one, you can enjoy historic neighborhoods at Downtown or Old Raleigh. Here, you can find the famous Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel, the Hayes Barton Historic District, and Historic district. You can also find the Raleigh City Museum and the North Carolina Museum of the Natural Sciences here.