North Carolina · United States
Where to stay in Durham
Durham is a city in North Carolina, United States, home to about 284,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- RDU16 km · Raleigh-Durham International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/New York
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Durham
Durham ( DURR-əm) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, being the county seat of Durham County, with outskirts of the city limits also extending into Orange County and Wake County. Durham is the 4th-most populous city in North Carolina and 70th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 283,506 at the 2020 census.
Durham owes much of its wealth and history to tobacco. Through the second half of the 19th century, Washington Duke and his family grew from a single farm into American Tobacco, which controlled 90% of all cigarette production for the United States. The Duke family donated money to Trinity College, which in 1924 was renamed Duke University. In the early 20th century, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mechanics & Farmers Bank, and Mutual Savings & Loan were founded in Durham by African-Americans.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Durham
See
- Duke University
- Nasher Museum of Art
- Duke Gardens
- Duke Lemur Center
- Museum of Life and Science
- Bennett Place
- Historic Stagville
- Duke Homestead
Do
- Durham Bulls
- Carolina Theatre
- Durham Performing Arts Center
- The Pinhook
- Motorco
- Historic American Tobacco Campus
- Sky Zone Durham
- Duke Forest
- Eno River State Park
- West Point on the Eno
- Hillandale Golf
- Willowhaven
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Durham
8 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| 21c Museum Hotel Durham | 0.4 km | |
| Arrowhead Inn | 13.7 km | |
| Durham Marriott City Center | 0.5 km | |
| JB Duke Hotel | 4.3 km | |
| Morehead Manor Bed and Breakfast | 1.2 km | |
| OYO Hotel Durham West Hills OYO Rooms | 10.8 km | |
| The Durham Hotel | 0.4 km | |
| Washington Duke Inn | 4.4 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Durham
Durham has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; July is the wettest, with about 123 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Durham: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), about 16 km from the city centre in a straight line; Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO, 94 km) and Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field (FAY, 112 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Durham is served by a freeway system centered on I-85, I-40 and US 15-501. Interstates are up to national standard but smaller arterials like the latter and the Durham Freeway (NC-147) are antiquated in design and have short on- and off-ramps, which can lead to risky merging. If you wish to rent a car, car rental options at RDU Airport are plentiful and range from $20 to $50 per day, with whole-week rentals significantly discounted. Drivers in Durham and the Triangle region as a whole can be politely assessed as "assertive."
Getting around
Like Atlanta's infamous "Peachtree", Durham has a number of synonymous roadways, in some cases miles from each other. This can easily confuse visitors. The most notorious are Chapel Hill Road, Street and Boulevard. Likewise, University Drive and Duke University Road are relatively different thoroughfares, in diverging areas. Thankfully technology has rendered this issue largely irrelevant but when in doubt, ask any convenience store clerk and they'll point you where you need to go.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
RDU · Raleigh-Durham International Airport
GSO · Piedmont Triad International Airport
FAY · Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Durham
Eat
Durham is a terrific city for food, and if you search around enough, you'll find no need to go to Chapel Hill or Raleigh to cater to your tastes. From time-tested burger shacks to upscale eateries, it's easy to find unique places all over the city.
Drink
Durham, despite having prestigious universities, is not a huge bar town. If a bar crawl is your thing, you will be much better served heading west to Chapel Hill, or over to Raleigh, which has very popular bars and breweries. Still, there are good times to be had in the Bull City.
Stay safe
Durham is a safe, large city. Gentrification, urban renewal and upward trends in income have turned abandoned factory town areas into some of the most lucrative real estate in the country. Still, Durham is not a small town. It can feel rough in parts and you shouldn't leave your windows down, objects in your vehicle or your doors unlocked in any part of the city. Durham cops are professional, with exceeding standards for recruitment, but it's a busy place. Police are not standing around, even downtown; if you need them, call 911. Your biggest danger in Durham is from aggressive drivers. Do not honk at anyone unless you are in immediate danger of a collision. Road rage happens here.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Durham: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Durham?
Durham has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 32 °C; July is the wettest, with about 123 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Durham?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), about 16 km from the city centre in a straight line; Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO, 94 km) and Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field (FAY, 112 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Durham?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Durham
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.