Durham

Durham, North Carolina

Durham, the county seat of Durham County, is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The boundaries of the city almost touch Orange and Wake counties. Durham ranked 74th in terms of population in the United States and fourth in North Carolina in the 2020 census, with a population of 283,506 people. The city is situated along the Eno River in the eastern Piedmont region. The four-county Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area, which had a population of 649,903 as of the 2020 Census, is centered on Durham. As part of the Raleigh-Durham-Cary Combined Statistical Area, also known as the Research Triangle and home to 2,043,867 people as of the 2020 Census, Durham is also included by the Office of Management and Budget.

On land given by the city's namesake, Bartlett S. Durham, a railroad depot was built in 1849. The tobacco industry had a factor in Durham Station's quick growth after the American Civil War. In April 1869, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law incorporating the town. The General Assembly approved Durham County's creation 12 years later, in 1881. It gained notoriety as the location of the American Tobacco Company's inception and main office. The textile and electric power industries both had a significant impact. Durham underwent redevelopment and population growth to become a center for education, medicine, and research even though these businesses have collapsed.

Numerous reputable universities, including Duke University and North Carolina Central University, are located in Durham. The Duke University Hospital and other commercial businesses are the focus of Durham's leadership in the nation's health-related activities. The major employers in the city are Duke and its Duke University Health System. The University of North Carolina system includes the historically black North Carolina Central University. The Research Triangle Park, located south of Durham and covering an area of 11 square miles, is at the center of the Research Triangle region, which is made up of the two universities that together comprise Durham one of its vertices.

The Nasher Museum of Art and the neo-Gothic Duke Chapel are located on the Duke University campus. The Durham Performing Arts Center, Carolina Theatre, Duke Homestead and Tobacco Factory, as well as the Museum of Life and Science are further noteworthy locations in the city. Bennett Place honors the site of Joseph E. Johnston's American Civil War capitulation to William T. Sherman. Raleigh-Durham International Airport provides air service to the city and to Raleigh.

Geography

At 35°59′19′′N 78°54′26′′W (35.988644, 78.907167), Durham is situated in the east-central portion of the Piedmont area. Its geography is largely flat with some rolling hills, like much of the area.

A total of 108.3 square miles (280.4 km2) of land and 0.93 square miles (2.4 km2), or 0.84%, of water make up the city. Of this total area, 107.4 square miles (278.1 km2) are covered by the city.

The soil is primarily clay, making it unsuitable for farming. The northern region of Durham is traversed by the Eno River, a tributary of the Neuse River, as well as a number of smaller little creeks. The city of Durham is situated on a ridge that separates the watersheds of the Cape Fear River, which flows south to the Atlantic near Wilmington, and the Neuse River, which flows east to Pamlico Sound. Wake County contains a minor chunk of the city.

The distance from Durham to Chapel Hill is 10.41 miles, to Raleigh is 20.78 miles, to Greensboro is 50.21 miles, to Charlotte is 121.40 miles, and to Richmond, Virginia, is 134.06 miles.

Climate

According to the Köppen classification, Durham has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with hot and muggy summers, chilly winters, and moderate to pleasant spring and autumn. Durham experiences heavy precipitation, frequent summer thunderstorms, and temperatures between 80- and 100-degrees Fahrenheit. The region receives 6.8 inches (170 mm) of snow on average per year, however it usually melts quickly.

Durham consistently rates among the top ten areas to live when seasonal allergies aren't a problem.

As a result of climate change, Durham is likely to have more days with extreme precipitation and mild temperature increases. Durham is more likely to experience future floods because the Piedmont is predicted to have an increase in the number of days with inland flooding. By 2100, it is anticipated that high intensity, brief storms will occur up to 9 days per year. In Durham, it is projected that inland floods will affect the elderly and other vulnerable populations more severely.

Economy

The two biggest employers in Durham are Duke University and Duke University Health System. The biggest employers in Durham are listed below.

With several businesses established in Durham, such as IQVIA, Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Chimerix, BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Bio Products Laboratory USA, bioMérieux USA, and North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries continue to gain prominence.

Center for Community Self-Help, Liggett Group, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Bronto Software, Counter Culture Coffee, Burt's Bees, McKinney (advertising agency), Sugar Hill Records, Mechanics and Farmers Bank, and Southern Express are some of the well-known businesses with headquarters in Durham.

Sports

In Durham, collegiate athletics are the main priority. The men's basketball team at Duke University has a sizable fan base and has sold out every home game at Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1990. The Cameron Crazies are the name of the fans, who are well-known around the country for their chanting and raucous behavior. The team has won the NCAA Division I title five times total and three times since 2001. Duke participates in 27 different Atlantic Coast Conference sports in total.

The Durham Bulls International League baseball franchise is Durham's professional sports team. Bull Durham, a former Carolina League team, was the subject of a 1988 motion picture. The Durham Bulls Athletic Park, built in 1994 and located on the southern edge of downtown, is where the Bulls currently play. The Bulls, one of the more successful clubs in the lower levels, often draw about 500,000 fans annually. The Bulls' ballpark had formerly been Durham Athletic Park (DAP), which is situated on the northern edge of downtown. In the past, a lot of players from the current and former Durham Bulls teams made the jump from the minors to the majors. DAP has been kept intact for use by other teams, concerts supported by the City of Durham, and other occasions. From 1998 to 2000, the Durham Dragons, a women's fast pitch softball team, competed at Durham Athletic Park. Recent renovations to the DAP cost $5 million.

Government

Since the city's establishment in 1869, the region has always supported the Democratic Party's presidential nominee in elections. According to the percentage of people that supported the Democratic party in the most recent presidential elections, such as 2008, Durham County is the most liberal county in North Carolina. A very dynamic local political scene has resulted from the shifting allegiances of the region's political action committees during the 1980s. The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, the Durham People's Alliance, and the Friends of Durham are notable organizations. Progressive Democratic Party activists are more likely to be associated with the first two groupings than the third category, which typically draws Republican activists. In Durham, there are more middle-class African Americans and liberal whites than in other Southern communities of a similar size. Since the early 1980s, these two organizations have dominated local politics in both the city and county.

Durham is governed by a council-manager system. Since 2017, Steve Schewel has served as mayor. He received 59.45% of the vote. The seven-member City Council is the main legislative and fiscal body. Elaine O'Neal became Durham's first black female mayor when she was chosen as the city's new mayor in November 2021.

A 45% decrease in crime, a 10-year plan to end homelessness, initiatives to reduce truancy, issues related to growth and development, the revitalization of Downtown Durham and other historic neighborhoods and commercial districts, the elimination of cash bail, the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences, the decriminalization of marijuana, the raising of the city employee minimum wage to $15, the fluoridation of public drinking water, and a 45% decrease in crime have been key political issues. Naturally, the early 1990s merger of Durham County Schools (which served various inner-city neighborhoods) and Durham City Schools was not without controversy. A third lawsuit has been filed in response to the Durham City Council's 2018 declaration rejecting military policing that cited Israel. Javiera Caballero was chosen as Durham's first Latina council member in 2018. Since the 1980s, Durham county boards have had a majority of female members. In 2020, Durham elected an all-female board of commissioners and the first Muslim-American woman to hold elective office in the state's history.

The 4th congressional district of North Carolina, which is represented by Democrat Valerie Foushee, includes Durham.

Since 2003, it has been against the law in the city for police to ask someone about their citizenship unless they have already been arrested or charged with a crime. Police are prohibited from "...requesting particular documents for the express purpose of ascertaining a person's civil immigration status, and may not commence police action based solely on a person's civil immigration status," according to a city council resolution. The Mexican Consular Identification Card has been recognized as a legitimate form of identification by Durham police since 2010.

Following fabricated claims of sexual assault made by three white members of the Duke University lacrosse team in what is now known as the 2006 Duke University lacrosse case, racial and community tensions erupted in 2006. Young female African-American student Crystal Gail Mangum, a mother of two, made the accusations. She and another young lady had been hired to dance at the team's get-together at a residence off-campus. The players were cleared of all allegations in the case in 2007 and were pronounced innocent. Mike Nifong, the district attorney for Durham County, was fired from his position and forbidden from practicing law for conducting the case in a criminally improper manner, including withholding defense witnesses' statements. Other outcomes of the case include legal actions taken against Duke University and city officials.

Early in 2013, the brand-new Durham County Justice Center was finished.

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