North Carolina · United States
Where to stay in Raleigh
Raleigh is a city in North Carolina, United States, home to about 468,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- RDU17 km · Raleigh-Durham International Airport
- Currency
- USDUnited States dollar
- Time zone
- America/New York
- Language
- Carolinian, Chamorro, Hawaiian
About
About Raleigh
Raleigh ( RAH-lee) is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina.
As of 2020, the city had a population of about 468,000, with a metro area population of about 1.4 million. Raleigh is one of the few U.S. state capitals that was specifically established and planned to serve as a capital. Its location was chosen partly for being near the center of the state and partly because it was close to Isaac Hunter's Tavern, where North Carolina legislators and other government officials liked to stay.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Raleigh
See
- City of Raleigh Museum
- North Carolina State Capitol
- N.C. Museum of Art
- N.C. Museum of History
- N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences
- Marbles Kids Museum
- Joel Lane Museum House
- JC Raulston Arboretum
- Governor's Mansion
- Mordecai Historic Park
- Boylan Heights
- Cameron Park
Do
- Adventure Landing
- Sky Zone Raleigh
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Pullen Park
- William B. Umstead Park
- NC State Wolfpack
- North Carolina State Fair
- Lake Johnson Nature Park
- Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts
- First Fridays
- Yates Mill County Park
- Blue Water Spa
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Raleigh
5 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel | 1923 | 1.9 km |
| Soleil Center | 8.0 km | |
| Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley | 7.8 km | |
| Renaissance Raleigh North Hills Hotel | 6.3 km | |
| The StateView Hotel, Autograph Collection | 3.9 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Raleigh
Raleigh 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 Raleigh: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), about 17 km from the city centre in a straight line; Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field (FAY, 90 km) and Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV, 115 km) are also within reach.
Getting around
Within the I-440 Beltline are mostly fashionable older neighborhoods and the NC State University area. The North Raleigh neighborhoods are aligned along the "spokes of the wheel"—major thoroughfares emanating from the I-440 loop and passing through the northern edge of the much larger I-540 loop. Downtown Raleigh provides easy travel and access through its grid of one-way streets. If you're just passing through, the major thoroughfare is Capital Boulevard (US 401), which splits into Dawson Street heading south and McDowell Street heading north.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
RDU · Raleigh-Durham International Airport
FAY · Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field
PGV · Pitt-Greenville Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Raleigh
Eat
Due to the large influx of residents from around the USA and the world as well as the large student population, there is a fairly large variety of cuisine available at a wide range of prices. And, being a Southern city, there are still plenty of options for traditional Southern food and a few modern interpretations of those traditional foods. Of course, no visit to North Carolina would be complete without trying some NC-style barbecue pork.
Drink
Southwest Raleigh, particularly the area along Hillsborough Street, resembles a college town, so there are plenty of places to find a drink. What is more, the city has a number of microbreweries. For cheaper places, try near the campus of North Carolina State University on Hillsborough Street. (A scene in "Bull Durham" was filmed in Mitch's Tavern.) The downtown area known as Glenwood South has a few more upscale bars and is located between Glenwood Ave and Harrington Street and between Peace Street and Hillsborough Street just northwest of downtown. The City Market area around Moore Square and the area around Fayetteville Street also offer a good mix.
Stay safe
Raleigh's crime rate is below average for an American city of its size (and one of the lowest in the Southern USA), but one still must be cautious and intelligent. In particular, stick to the busy and well-lit parts of downtown after dark, and avoid the neighborhoods immediately south or east of downtown after dark. The NC State University campus and vicinity are safe and heavily trafficked during the day and evening, but use the university's public safety escort service in the early hours of the morning. Throughout Raleigh, you should think before using an automated teller machine (ATM) after dark, unless it's in a mall or other heavily travelled, well-lit area.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Raleigh: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Raleigh?
Raleigh 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 Raleigh?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), about 17 km from the city centre in a straight line; Fayetteville Regional Airport - Grannis Field (FAY, 90 km) and Pitt-Greenville Airport (PGV, 115 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Raleigh?
United States dollar (USD).
Nearby
Destinations near Raleigh
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.