Durham is a city located in Durham County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 187,035. It is the county seat of Durham County, the home of Duke University and North Carolina Central University, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and is a cornerstone of the Research Triangle region of North Carolina.

Law and government

Durham operates under a council-manager government. The current mayor is Bill Bell; city council members are Cora Cole-McFadden (Ward 1, mayor pro-tem), Howard Clement, III (Ward 2), John Best, Jr. (Ward 3), Eugene A. Brown (at-large), Diane Catotti (at-large), and Thomas Stith, III (at-large).

Geography

Durham is located at 35°59'19" North, 78°54'26" West (35.988644, -78.907167)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 245.8 km² (94.9 mi²). 245.1 km² (94.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.7 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.29% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 187,035 people, 74,981 households, and 43,563 families residing in the city. The population density is 763.1/km² (1,976.4/mi²). There are 80,797 housing units at an average density of 329.7/km² (853.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 45.51% White, 43.81% African American, 0.31% Native American, 3.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.75% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. 8.56% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 74,981 households out of which 28.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% are married couples living together, 15.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% are non-families. 31.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.37 and the average family size is 3.01.

In the city the population is spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $41,160, and the median income for a family is $51,162. Males have a median income of $35,202 versus $30,359 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,526. 15.0% of the population and 11.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.4% of those under the age of 18 and 13.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Durham has sister cities Arusha, Tanzania, Durham, England, Kostroma, Russia and Toyama, Japan .

Sports

Nicknamed "The City of Medicine," Durham was incorporated April 10, 1869.

Durham's most famous sports team is the Durham Bulls International League baseball team. A movie involving the franchise, Bull Durham, was produced in 1988. The Bulls play in the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, south of downtown, constructed in 1994. Designed by HOK-Sport, the designers of the Camden Yards in Baltimore, the stadium has 10,000 seats and is fronted by an office building built by the owner of the team, Raleigh's Capital Broadcasting. Now with one of the newest and most impressive stadiums in the minor leagues, the Bulls generally generate crowds of 500,000 attendees a year. Previously, the Durham Athletic Park, located north of downtown, had served as the team's homebase. It has been preserved for the use of other minor league baseball teams as well as for concerts sponsored by the City of Durham.

Passenger transportation

• Private vehicle: Most travel in Durham is by private vehicle on public streets.
• Air: Raleigh-Durham International Airport is just south of Durham on I-40.
• Interstate Highway: I-40 and I-85
• Passenger Rail: Amtrak's Carolinian and Piedmont train offers daily service to Charlotte and Raleigh, where connections can be made to Miami, Washington DC and New Orleans.
• Local Bus: Within Durham, the DATA bus system. The Triangle Transit Authority operates buses that serve the region and connect to municipal bus systems in Raleigh and Chapel Hill.
• Trails: The American Tobacco Trail's northern terminus is in downtown Durham.
• Bicycle: All public buses are equipped with bicycle racks.

External links

• Official Durham, NC website
• Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce
• Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Official Durham Music Festival website