Greater Durham

Known as the Bull City and The City of Medicine, Durham is a vibrant and historically rich city located in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. As part of the Research Triangle Park (RTP) made up by Duke University, UNC and NC State University, it's no surprise that Durham is among the brainiest cities in the country and has received numerous accolades for its creative and entrepreneurial communities.

Why Durham?

People love living in Durham because its mild climate, picturesque surroundings, and all the great activities for foodies, sports fans, theatre and art connoisseurs and outdoor enthusiasts.

Among top university cities and the triangle region, Durham has a relatively low ACCRA composite cost of living index. In 2008, Durham came in at 93.5 which is lower than Atlanta (97.2), Boston (133.6), Chicago (112.5) and San Francisco (172.1). The composite cost of living considers prices for housing, groceries, health care, utilities, goods & service, and transportation combined.

Things to See and Do

1) Dining

Durham is a great place to dine out with lots of small local businesses to choose from. Check out Carpe Durham for an extensive list of restaurant reviews.

2) Get Outdoors

On Duke's campus there are wooded jogging trails in the Duke Woods and flowered strolling trails in the Duke Gardens. If you want to get off campus for a hike or primitive overnight camping, check out the Eno River and Occoneechee State Parks named after the two Native American tribes who inhabited the Durham area.

3) Arts, Theatre and Festivals

There are lots of great shows, music, festivals and art walks in and around Durham all year round. Some favorites include:

4) Sports

Durham Sports

People in Durham are serious about their college sports. People camp out in Krzyzewskiville just to get tickets to Duke basketball games (top left). In addition to basketball, Durhamites love to attend Bulls Baseball games in the new stadium and we even have a professional hockey team, the Hurricaines.

Climate and Setting

Durham is heavily wooded 27yr tree city with 98,000 acres of hard wood and evergreen forests. There are 7,800 acres of cropland, hills, dales and meandering river. Durham is home to 26 rare plant species and several rare birds and mammals. Although the climate is mild, we still have seasons in Durham: the leaves change and we get a dusting of snow a few times in the winter. However, even winter months have a few days when you don't need a coat and you can do outdoor activities year round.

Explore North Carolina 

A scenic vacation is never far from Durham with sandy Atlantic beaches and Smoky Mountain peaks within a few hours drive. Some popular, near-by cities to visit are: Wilmington NC, Asheville NC, Old Salem NC, Williamsburg VA and Washington DC. 

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