Triangle, NC

Raleigh-Durham-Cary is commonly referred to simply as "The Triangle."  The Triangle is nestled in the central part of the Tar Heel State.  To the east, residents can easily access amazing Atlantic Coast beaches on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  To the west, the Appalachian Mountains are a short drive for breath-taking views or a weekend getaway.

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The Raleigh-Durham-Cary region is commonly referred to simply as "The Triangle."  The Triangle is nestled in the central part of the Tar Heel State.  To the east, residents can easily access amazing Atlantic Coast beaches on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  To the west, the Appalachian Mountains are a short drive for breath-taking views or a weekend getaway.

"The Triangle" name originally came from the three research universities:  Duke University (Durham), North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University (Raleigh).  The name was cemented with the creation of the Research Triangle Park (RTP).  RTP is a 7,200 acre, high tech research and development center.  The Park includes hundreds of research and development facilities for major national companies like IBM, GlaxoSmithKline and Cisco Systems.

The Triangle Region has received national accolades for being one of the nation's best places to live, start a business, raise a family and earn a world-class education by major publications like Money, Fortune and Time magazines.
 

Triangle Climate

The Triangle area is in a moderate subtropical climate.  Fall, winter and spring offer a moderate temperature while summer is generally hot and humid.  
 

Triangle Economy

The area's economy is anchored by state government, well-known universities, nationally recognized medical centers, and leading high-tech and bio-tech firms.  Some of the major employers include the North Carolina State Government, Cisco Systems, IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, Duke University and several local school systems.  
 

Education

Public Schools in the Triangle

Like most of the state, schools in the Triangle and North Carolina are county based school systems.  The one exception in the Triangle is the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School System which operates separate from the Orange County School System.  The Wake County School System (Raleigh and Cary) is the largest in the state and is one of the largest in the county.  
 

Higher Education in the Triangle

The Triangle is home to several major universities including Duke, UNC Chapel Hill and NC State.  Other notable higher Education institutions include:

• Campbell University
• Central Carolina Community College
• Durham Technical Community College
• Meredith College
• North Carolina Central University
• Peace College
• Piedmont Community College
• Shaw University
• St. Augustine's College
• Vance-Granville Community College
• Wake Technical Community College

Health

Major Hospitals and Medical Centers in the Triangle

There are a number of hospitals throughout the Triangle but most are run by three major healthcare systems:

• Duke University Health System
• UNC Health Care system
• WakeMed System

Other hospitals and medical centers:

• Dorothea Dix Hospital
• Durham VA Medical Center
• Franklin Regional Medical Center
• Johnston Memorial Hospital

Triangle Transportation

The Triangle is serviced by three major interstates:  I-40 (East/West), I-85 (North/South) and I-95 (North/South).  Due to the Triangle's central location in the state, and it's position near these three major interstate highways, vehicular travel up and down the East Coast is relatively easy.  Both the North Carolina coast to the East and the Appalachian Mountains to the West are also only a few hours trip by car.  
 

Airports

Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) services over 40 domestic and international locations and is located in the northwestern part of Wake County.

Mass Transit

Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Chapel Hill are all serviced by their own public transit systems, but all are brought together by Triangle Transit which works in cooperation with the local agencies and also maintains it's own stops and routes.  

Triangle Recreation

A relatively mild climate means year round outdoor recreation in the Triangle.  Residents have numerous parks and greenspaces to stretch their legs and enjoy the outdoors including the Eno River State Park (Durham) and William B. Umstead State Park (Raleigh).  There are also a number of local lakes for those that enjoy swimming, fishing and other water sports including Jordan Lake or Falls Lake.   

The Blue Ridge Mountains are a short drive from the Triangle to enjoy the fall foliage or a weekend getaway.  For those interested in getting some sand between their toes, to the east are the North Carolina Outer Banks and Atlantic Coast.

Shopping in the Triangle

Major Shopping Centers:

• Raleigh
  • Brier Creek
  • Cameron Village
  • Crabtree Valley Mall
  • North Hills
  • Triangle Towne Center
• Durham
  • Brightleaf Square
  • Northgate Mall
  • The Streets at Southpoint
• Cary
  • Cary Towne Center
  • Crossroads Plaza
• Chapel Hill
  • University Mall

Triangle Entertainment

Sports

Professional Sports

The area is home to only one professional sports team of the four major national sports; the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.  The Hurricanes are based in Raleigh and call the RBC Center rink their home.  

The Durham Bulls, although they are a AAA minor league baseball team, are a popular local team.  The Durham Bulls became particularly well known in 1988 after the release of the movie Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.      
 

College Sports

Due to the lack of more professional sports teams and the area's significant number of colleges and universities, NCAA sports is particularly popular in the Triangle.  Rivalries run high particularly between Duke and UNC Chapel Hill, only 8 miles apart.  

Arts and Culture

Performing Arts Centers

• Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts - Raleigh
• RBC Center - Raleigh
• Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek - Raleigh
• Walnut Creek - Raleigh
• Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park - Cary
• Durham Performing Arts Center - Durham

Museums

The Triangle is home to the several North Carolina museums, including the NC Museum of Art, Natural Science and History.  There are also numerous art exhibits and galleries throughout the Triangle.  Smaller art galleries and local museums can be found throughout the area.  You can also find a number of history museums chronicling local history going back to the American colonial period in addition to a number of historical sites and museums dedicated to the Antebellum and Civil War eras.