Durham Information
Print Area Information
Area Information
Population data according to the 2000 Census:
Durham County
Durham (City): 187,035
Gorman: 1,002
Durham, incorporated in 1853, is the youngest of the three cities that comprise the Triangle, but its story is older than its incorporation paper and mirrors much of the state's own history. The Native Americans were followed by the early Scot, Irish and English settlers who founded the area, as one put it, "the flower of the Carolinas" and set up farm houses as well as grist mills.
Antebellum North Carolina plantation life remains intact at Hardscrabble and Stagville Plantations, both north of the city. Not far away is the more typical, 19th Century yeoman's farm—the Duke Homestead—that filled the fields around what was to become Durham.
Following the civil war, the rise of the Duke family and the American Tobacco Company is a story that paralleled the state's own industrialization. It is a story of great wealth and later, unprecedented benefaction. In many ways, it's also Durham's story: the Dukes' expansion from a railroad stop on land donated by Dr. Bartlett Durham to one of the state's largest cities.
In 1924, Duke University was created by James Buchanan Duke as memorial to his father, Washington Duke. Duke's picturesque West Campus, which opened in 1930, is Gothic in architectural style and is dominated by the soaring 210-foot tower of Duke Chapel.
Like the state, the city has shifted from an agricultural/manufacturing to a research/ service economy with emphasis on high-tech biomedical and health care industries. Durham County residents enjoy a physician-to-patient ratio which is five times the national average. The city has more than 300 health related business including several major pharmaceutical research firms. More than one third of the County's workforce is employed in health-related industries.
The Research Triangle Park, or RTP, or simply "The Park" to local residents (75% of which is located in Durham County) is owned and operated by the non-profit Research Triangle Foundation. Only eight miles long and two miles wide, RTP is home to 131 companies (100 are Research and Development) with 38,500 full-time employees—and counting. Occupancy is limited to organization engaged in research, development and scientifically oriented production. The average salary of an RTP employee is $56,000.
Utilities & Public Works Departments
Raleigh
Cable TV:
Time Warner 919-595-4892
Electricity:
Duke Power Company 919-845-4174
Piedmont Electric Membership Co-op 1-800-222-3107
Trash: City of Durham 919-560-4185
Natural Gas:
PSNC Energy 1-877-776-2427
Recycling: City of Durham 919-560-4185
Telephone:
Verizon South 1-800-483-4300
Water/Sewer:
City of Durham 919-560-4411
Public Schools
Wake County Public School System 919-850-1600
Register your child with the Durham Public School System at their assigned school in your attendance zone, if you have questions about attendance zones, call 919-560-2000. Kindergarten registration is held in late April and early May for the following school year. Newcomers should register as soon as residence is established. Things you will need for registration:
- Student's social security card
- Immunization record
- Birth certificate
- Proof of residence (can be any of the following: lease agreement, mortgage statement, Durham County tax statement.
Durham has the second highest SAT participation rate among the state's largest schools districts, with 88.8% of all seniors taking the tests. Durham Public high schools scored above both the statewide and the national average. The system produced five National Merit Scholars and 25 Governor's School participants. Ten DPS schools were recognized a "School of Distinction," three as "Schools of Excellence," and three were honored by the North Carolina High School Athletics Association for "Exemplary Sportsmanship."
State & Local Tax
For more information on property taxes call
Durham County, 919-560-0700
| City (County) |
County Rate |
City/Town Rate |
Combined Rate |
Monthly Amount Per
$100K Valuation |
| Durham |
.790 |
.583 |
1.373 |
$ 114 |
| Durham County Only |
.790 |
- |
1.089 |
$ 66 |
Drivers License & Auto Tags
New North Carolina residents have 60 days to register their cars and to acquire North Carolina's driver's license. Please note that driver's license offices and car registration facilities are in separate locations.
Call the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles at 919-715-7000 to find the ones nearest you. In addition, they also maintain a very informative website where you can search for office locations and download the "Drivers Handbook."
www.dmv.dot.state.nc.us
University & Colleges
Central Carolina Community College - (Pittsboro) Pittsboro Campus (Chatham County) is home to numerous curriculum programs.
Duke University - (Durham) University and Medical Center with international academic and research prominence. Established 1924.
Durham Technical Community College - (Durham) Postsecondary education for vocational and technical careers. Established 1948.
Johnston Community College - (Smithfield) Near intersection of I-95 and US70 Business. Established 1969.
Meredith College - (Raleigh) The largest, private four-year women's college in the southeast. Established in 1899.
North Carolina Central University - (Durham) Nation's first public liberal arts institution founded for African Americans. Established in 1910.
North Carolina State University - (Raleigh) National leader in science, engineering and technology education and research. Established in 1887.
Peace College - (Raleigh) Accredited, four-year,
baccalaureate women's college. Established 1857.
Saint Augustine's College - (Raleigh) Private, accredited, historically black, coeducational college. Established in 1865.
Shaw University - (Raleigh) The oldest historically black university in the south. Established in1865.
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary - (Wake Forest) Theological training, graduate and post-graduate degree programs. Established 1951.
University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill - (Chapel Hill) The first state university in the US. Known for academics and research. Established 1789.
Wake Technical Community College - (Raleigh) Credit programs leading to associates degrees and certificates. Established 1958.
Commuting
The Triangle is a big place, and we have an honest-to-goodness, stop and roll rush hour. Keep that in mind when you are choosing a home. For easy reference, remember:
It's about 25 minutes driving time between Raleigh and Durham (via I-40 and the Durham Expressway).
It's about 35 minutes from Raleigh to Chapel Hill (via I-40 and NC Highway 54).
It's about 12 minutes from Durham to Chapel Hill (via US15-501).
Definitely add time to these estimates if you're driving during rush hours (7:30-9:00am and 4:00-6:00pm).
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