Raleigh is located in
Wake County and is the county seat, as well as the State Capital. It is situated just southeast of
Durham along Interstate 40, on the banks of the Neuse River.
The city was founded as the capital in 1792. Workers completed the present Capitol building in 1840. Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States, was born here.
More than 270,000 people live in Raleigh. Local corporations include Cisco Systems, Glaxo Welcome and IBM, among others.
The city is the home of several institutes of higher learning, including Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Local cultural magnets include the BTI Center for the Performing Arts, Alltel Pavilion and the Entertainment & Sports Arena. In addition, the North Carolina Museum of Art is reputed to have one of the finest collections in the South.
Raleigh is part of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area.
