One of the best parts about Raleigh is that it’s a city with a small-town feel. Even though the population in Raleigh has increased from 290,000 people in 2000 to nearly 500,000 in 2019, there is still a sense of comfortability and familiarity that comes from that small-town feel. (This growth in population makes Raleigh one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.)

Raleigh has been ranked third by Forbes for best places for business and careers. The city is buzzing with entrepreneurial energy from homegrown clothing labels, craft breweries, innovative restaurants, and converted warehouses and art galleries. The Research Triangle Park draws the best and brightest from all over the world in the fields of science and technology research & development. The park is home to more than 300 companies that employ 55,000 workers and an additional 10,000 contractors.

Founded in 1792, Raleigh is a wonderland for history lovers. It was named for Sir Walter Raleigh, who attempted to establish the first English colony on the shores of the new world in the 1580s. The city’s founding fathers called Raleigh the “City of Oaks” and dedicated themselves to maintaining the area’s wooded tracts and grassy parks.

Now known as a “city in a park,” Raleigh offers a lush environment and many options for outdoor recreation—more than 10,000 acres of parkland include kayaking gems, biking routes, running trails and wide open spaces to explore. There is never a shortage of things to do in Raleigh, thanks to a diverse arts scene, museums of all sizes and subject matters, sporting events that range from college basketball to stock car racing, and one of the best food scenes in the U.S.