Durham, North Carolina

Located in North Carolina, Durham city is the fifth largest city of the state. Durham is said to be the 85th largest city in all of USA and offers a very well developed infrastructure along with some fantastic buildings and parks. The city is known for its musical inclination with several artists performing here from time to time. Jazz and blues are a significant part of the Durham city and almost all pubs and restaurants will play this music periodically.

Enjoying a humid subtropical climate, the city offers all the four seasons, with cool winters, warm summers and very pleasant spring and autumn. From sports to music to rivers, parks and even shopping, the city provides for it all. Relax in the warm sun here while you take in the free spirit of Durham or simply go around the city absorbing its various cultures and rituals and cuisines.

Durham is an attractive city for both local residents as well as tourists. There are intriquing options in entertainment, education, affordable living and many other benefits the city offers its residents. It is also an area of history and culture.

Durham History

Incorporated on the 10th of April in 1869, the city of Durham goes back several centuries. It is believed that the Native American tribes that inhabited this region were the Eno and the Occaneechi. In fact, the city fell on the Great Indian Trading Path and thus was always able to enjoy a well structured plan and amenities.

King Charles I is said to have given John Carteret the Earl of Granville a large part in this region. A lot of English, Scot and Irish settlers came into this area and set up homes here. The city went through the American Revolution and played a huge part in the Regulator Movement. It was after the war that the region began to be seen as idea for large plantations. In order to work in these plantations, a large number of African Slaves were bought in all the way from Africa and this was to contribute to the present racial break up of the region.

While initially the region's economy was based solely on agriculture after the construction of the interstate highway, this area began to grow more rapidly. However, it was the railroad industry that gave the city a boost of life. The wood fueled engines of that time needed a halt between the two major towns of Raleigh and Hillsborough and this was constructed in the city in 1849 when Bartlett S. Durham donated some land for this purpose.

Interestingly despite the politics of the 19th century, the city went on to flourish. It was the soldiers who were first taken in by the tobacco of the region. After the war, when they returned back home, they found that the desire for that particular tobacco made them write letters to those in the region asking for a supply. This gave the tobacco industry here the boost it needed and the community of the area began to grow rapidly.

As the town grew in importance it was incorporated by the North Carolina General Assembly on April 10, 1869 and named after Dr. Durham who had given the land for the station. Due to the large African American population here the city went through a Civil Rights movement and this movement did hamper many historical architectural buildings.

About Durham, North Carolina

Durham is the county seat of Durham County and spills over into the Wake County as well. Durham is the core of the four-county Durham-Chapel Hill MSA and though the Office of Management and Budget divided the area into two separate MSAs, in June 6, 2003, they still continue to function as a single metropolitan area.

The city occupies an area of 94.9 square miles of which 0.29% is water. The 2010 census recorded the population here to be 228,330 people. According to the 2000 census the population of the city comprised 45.50% Whites, 43.81% African Americans, 3.64% Asian Americans and 0.31% Native Americans. The median income of a household here was $41,160 in 2000. The city is connected by road, rail as well as by air.

The city is very famous for its Jazz and Blues culture. The Carolina Theater offers some fantastic shows from time to time while the American Dance Festival and the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival are two very important cultural shows of the city. The Durham Association for Downtown Arts also offers some fantastic displays and those who have a love for dinning will find that American Tobacco District has some great restaurants to show for.

The statue of the Bull in the City center is the Wall Street symbol that shines brightly in the city. The Old Durham County Court House is another marvelous construction of the city. The Duke chapel in West Durham is a magnificent building that is visited by many for religious purposes too. The University Tower is the tallest building in the city and can be seen clearly in the skyline of Durham. The Hock Plaza is another very important building of the city as is the Hill Building. The Durham's Amtrak station is an important station, while for road transport the city offers a transportation center.

The city is also known for its sports culture and right from basketball to baseball all of these can be enjoyed here. The Cameron Indoor Stadium is an important sports center in the city. There is also the Durham Bulls Athletic Park that offers wide range of sports and has recently also been renovated. Football, Volleyball and women's softball are the other games that the city gives importance to.

About Durham County, North Carolina

Formed on April 17th 1881, Durham County is located in the State of North Carolina. Its county seat is Durham City and the county is a member of the regional Triangle J Council of Governments. The county was carved out of Orange County and Wake County and named after the county seat city of Durham.

The county occupies an area of 298 square miles of which 2.51% is water. On July 1, 2009, 269,706 people were said to live in the county. The 2000 census showed that there were 50.91% Whites living here while the African Americans were 39.46%. There were 0.30% Native Americans, 3.29% Asians and 0.04% Pacific Islanders. The median income of a household in the county in 2000 was estimated at $43,337. The economy of the county rests of the tobacco industry and also trade and tourism.

The county has Person County on its north while on the west side is Orange County. The northeast side had Granville County and the Southeast section has Wake County. The county is divided into six regions namely Carr, Durham, Lebanon, Mangum, Oak Grove and Triangle. The county houses several unincorporated communities of which Bahama, Genlee, Gorman, Oak Grove and Nelson are a few.

The American Tobacco Company manufacturing plant is housed in this county and it also has been given the status of a historical place by the National Register of Historic Places. The Bassett House is another important building in this region. The Cleveland Street District is also a historically significant area in the county. The tall North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Building in the Durham city is a very important place historically and stands tall to date. Watts Hospital and West Point on the Eno are two very significant places in the county and attract a fair number of visitors.