Raleigh
is the capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. It has a 2006 estimated population of approximately 356,321, making it the second most populous in North Carolina, after Charlotte. The estimated population on January 1, 2008 was 374,320 making Raleigh the 15th fastest growing city in the United States. 

Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill make up the three primary cities of the Research Triangle metropolitan region. The regional name originated after the 1959 creation of the Research Triangle Park, located midway between the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle region encompasses the U.S. Census Bureau's Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Raleigh-Durham-Cary in the central Piedmont. The estimated population of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary CSA was 1,635,974 as of July 1, 2007, with the Raleigh-Cary Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) portion estimated at 994,551 residents. 

While almost all of Raleigh is located within Wake County, a small portion of the city extends into neighboring Durham County. The towns of Cary, Garner, Wake Forest, Apex, Holly Springs, Clayton, and Knightdale are some of Raleigh's nearby suburbs. 

In 2008, Forbes magazine named Raleigh no. 1 out of the "Top 200 Best Places For Business And Careers." 

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Raleigh occupies a total area of 115.6 square miles (299.3 kmē), of which 114.6 square miles (296.8 kmē) is dry land and 1.0 square miles (2.5 kmē)(0.84%) is covered by water. 

Raleigh is located in the northeast central region of North Carolina, where the North American Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain regions meet. This area is known as the "fall line" because it marks the elevation inland at which waterfalls begin to appear in creeks and rivers. As a result, most of Raleigh features gently rolling hills that slope eastward toward the state's flat coastal plain. Its central Piedmont location situates Raleigh about three hours west of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, by car and four hours east of the Great Smoky Mountains of the Appalachian range. The city is 145 miles (233 km) from Richmond, Virginia; 232 miles (373 km) from Washington, D.C.; and 143 miles (230 km) from Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Climate
Raleigh enjoys a moderate subtropical climate, with moderate temperatures in the spring, fall, and winter. Summers are typically hot with high humidity. Winter highs generally range in the low 50s°F (10 to 13°C) with lows in the low-to-mid 30s°F (-2 to 2°C), although an occasional 60°F (15°C) or warmer winter day is not uncommon. Spring and fall days usually reach the low-to-mid 70s°F (low 20s°C), with lows at night in the lower 50s°F (10 to 14°C). Summer daytime highs often reach the upper 80s to low 90s°F (29 to 35°C). The rainiest months are July and August. 

Raleigh receives an average of 4.6" of snow in winter. Freezing rain and sleet occur most winters, and occasionally the area experiences a major damaging ice storm. 

Raleigh Neighborhoods
Raleigh is divided into six major geographic areas, each of which use a Raleigh address and a ZIP code that begins with the digits 276. 

Old Raleigh ("Inside the Beltline") is home to historic neighborhoods and buildings such as the Sir Walter Raleigh Hotel built in the early 20th century, the restored City Market, the Fayetteville Street downtown business district, as well as the North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina State Capitol, Peace College, the Raleigh City Museum, Raleigh Convention Center, Shaw University, and Saint Augustine's College. The neighborhoods in Old Raleigh include Cameron Park, Boylan Heights, Country Club Hills, Five Points, Glenwood, Brooklyn, Hayes Barton, Moore Square, Mordecai, Belvidere Park, Woodcrest, and Oakwood. 

East Raleigh is situated roughly from Capital Boulevard near the I-440 beltline to New Hope Road. Most of East Raleigh's development is along primary corridors such as U.S. Route 1 (Capital Boulevard), New Bern Avenue, Poole Road, Buffaloe Road, and New Hope Road. Neighborhoods in East Raleigh include Brentwood, New Hope, and Wilder's Grove. The area is bordered to the east by the suburban town of Knightdale. 

West Raleigh lies along Hillsborough Street and Western Boulevard. The area is bordered to the west by suburban Cary. It is home to North Carolina State University, Meredith College, Pullen Park, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Cameron Village, Lake Johnson, the North Carolina Museum of Art and historic Saint Mary's School. Primary thoroughfares serving West Raleigh, in addition to Hillsborough Street, are Avent Ferry Road, Blue Ridge Road, and Western Boulevard. 

North Raleigh is an expansive, diverse, and fast-growing area of the city that is home to a large number of established neighborhoods along with many newly built subdivisions. The area generally falls North of the I-440 beltline. It is primarily suburban with numerous large shopping areas such as the recently renovated North Hills Mall, the large Crabtree Valley Mall and regional Triangle Town Center. Primary neighborhoods and subdivisions in North Raleigh include Bedford, Bent Tree, Brookhaven, Crossgate, Falls River, North Hills, North Ridge, Stonebridge, Stone Creek, Stonehenge, Wakefield, Windsor Forest, and Wood Valley. The area is served by numerous primary transportation corridors including Glenwood Avenue (U.S. Route 70), Wake Forest Road, Millbrook Road, Lynn Road, Six Forks Road, Spring Forest Road, Creedmoor Road, Leesville Road, and Strickland Road, as well as the Interstate-540 Northern Wake Expressway. 

South Raleigh is located along U.S. 401 South toward Fuquay-Varina and along US 70 into suburban Garner. This area is the least developed and least dense area of Raleigh (much of the area lies within the Swift Creek watershed district where development rules limit housing densities and construction), South Raleigh is home to the only remaining gristmill in Wake County, the historic Yates Mill. The area is bordered to the west by Cary, to the east by Garner, and to the southwest by Holly Springs. Neighborhoods in South Raleigh include Lake Wheeler, Swift Creek, Riverbrooke, and Enchanted Oaks. 

Southeast Raleigh is bounded by downtown on the west, Garner on the southwest, and rural Wake County to the southeast. The area includes areas along Rock Quarry Road, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and New Bern Avenue. This area is very diverse, with new suburban developments to poor inner-city neighborhoods. Many of the older neighborhoods are historically black and date back to the end of the Civil War. Neighborhoods include Chavis Heights, Raleigh Country Club, Southgate, and Biltmore Hills. Walnut Creek Amphitheatre (also called Alltel Pavilion) is one of Raleigh's major outdoor concert venues and is located on Rock Quarry Road.
 

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