Research Triangle in the context of "Raleigh, North Carolina"

North Carolina (/ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/ KARR-ə-LY-nə) is a state in the Southeastern and South Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia to the southwest, and Tennessee to the west. The state is the 28th-largest and ninth-most populous of the United States. Along with South Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast. At the 2020 census, the state had a population of 10,439,388. Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its most populous and one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 2,883,370 in 2024, is the most populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 21st-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City. The Research Triangle, with an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023, is the second-most populous combined metropolitan area in the state, 31st-most populous in the United States, and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park.

The earliest evidence of human occupation in North Carolina dates back 10,000 years, found at the Hardaway Site. North Carolina was inhabited by Carolina Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan speaking tribes of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. King Charles II granted eight lord proprietors a colony they named Carolina after the king and which was established in 1670 with the first permanent settlement at Charles Town (now Charleston, South Carolina). Because of the difficulty of governing the entire colony from Charles Town, the colony was eventually divided and North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies. The Halifax Resolves resolution adopted by North Carolina on April 12, 1776, was the first formal call for independence from Great Britain among the American Colonies during the American Revolution.

Research Triangle Park (RTP) is the largest research park in the United States; it occupies 7,000 acres (2,833 ha) in North Carolina and hosts more than 300 companies and 65,000 workers. It is owned and managed by the Research Triangle Foundation, a private non-profit organization.

North Carolina's Research Triangle region is named for the facility, which sits within the geographic triangle formed by three nearby research universities: North Carolina State University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Durham (/ˈdɜːrəm/ DURR-əm) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The county seat of Durham County, small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County and Wake County. Durham is the fourth-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. The city is located in the east-central part of the Piedmont region along the Eno River. The four-county Durham–Chapel Hill metropolitan area has an estimated 620,000 residents, while the greater Research Triangle area has a population of over 2.37 million people.

A railway depot was established in 1849 on land donated by Bartlett S. Durham, the namesake of the city. Following the American Civil War, the community of Durham Station expanded rapidly, in part due to the tobacco industry. The town was incorporated by act of the North Carolina General Assembly, in April 1869. The establishment of Durham County was ratified by the General Assembly 12 years later, in 1881. It became known as the founding place and headquarters of the American Tobacco Company. Textile and electric power industries also played an important role. While these industries have declined, Durham underwent revitalization and population growth to become an educational, medical, and research center.

Interstate 85 (I-85) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Montgomery, Alabama, to Petersburg, Virginia. In Virginia, the Interstate Highway runs 68.64 miles (110.47 km) from the North Carolina state line near Bracey north to I-95 in Petersburg. I-85 passes through the eastern part of Southside, where it parallels US Route 1 (US 1) from Petersburg, where the highway runs concurrently with US 460, to south of South Hill, where the highway intersects Southside's major east–west highway, US 58. The Interstate Highway is the primary connection between the Greater Richmond Region and Research Triangle and other major metropolitan areas of North Carolina. Like all mainline Interstate Highways, I-85 is a part of the National Highway System for its entire length in Virginia.

Wake County, officially the County of Wake, is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,129,410, making it North Carolina's most populous county. From July 2005 to July 2006, Wake County was the 9th-fastest growing county in the United States, with Cary and Raleigh being the 8th- and 15th-fastest growing communities, respectively.

Its county seat is Raleigh, which is also the state capital. Eleven other municipalities are in Wake County, the largest of which is the town of Cary, the third-most populous city of the Research Triangle region and the seventh-most populous municipality in North Carolina.