Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, which is North Carolina’s capital and the seat of Wake County, sits in the forested piedmont region. The site was chosen in 1788, in part because it was close to Isaac Hunter’s Tavern, a popular place frequented by early state legislators. No known settlement existed there previously; Raleigh is one of the few cities in the country planned specifically as a state capital. In 1792, it was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, who had sponsored the “lost” Colony of Roanoke on the Carolina coast.

Downtown is centered on the capitol, completed in 1840 to replace a predecessor destroyed in an 1831 fire. Modeled after classical Greek temples, the building was constructed with granite delivered on the state’s first rail line—the horse-drawn Experimental Railroad. During the Civil War, the city was captured in April 1865 by Union cavalry under General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick. Fortunately, Union forces pursued retreating Confederate troops and therefore Raleigh was largely spared from significant destruction. After the war, many institutions of higher learning were established in Raleigh. Among them is Shaw University, the first African-American college founded in the South.

In the mid-20th century, Raleigh and neighboring Durham and Chapel Hill became the anchors of the world renowned “Research Triangle,” the largest research park in the United States. Fostered by state and local governments, regional universities and business interests, the area hosts more than 170 organizations focusing primarily on scientific fields such as biotechnology and information technology.

Amtrak uses a brick station originally built by the Southern Railway in 1950. The company discontinued passenger train service to the depot in 1964, but it came to life again when Amtrak relocated to the structure in 1986. Raleigh is the busiest Amtrak stop in the state, and various studies have suggested that a new station will be needed to accommodate increased ridership. In January 2012, the mayor and the city council endorsed a recommendation to adapt the former Dillon Supply warehouse west of downtown to serve as the centerpiece of a new multimodal transportation center. As envisioned, the complex—referred to as “Union Station”—would house Amtrak and local, regional, and intercity busses, while also providing opportunities for future expansion to accommodate proposed commuter and high-speed rail services.