Durham County, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Durham County
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Durham County Courthouse
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| Motto(s):
"Live. Grow. Thrive."
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Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
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 North Carolina's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  North Carolina |
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| Founded | 1881 | ||||
| Named for | Bartlett Snipes Durham | ||||
| Seat | Durham | ||||
| Largest community | Durham | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 297.86 sq mi (771.5 km2) | ||||
| • Land | 286.53 sq mi (742.1 km2) | ||||
| • Water | 11.33 sq mi (29.3 km2) 3.80% | ||||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 324,833 | ||||
| • Estimate
(2023)
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336,892 | ||||
| • Density | 1,133.68/sq mi (437.72/km2) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||||
| Congressional district | 4th | ||||
Durham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 324,833, making it the sixth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Durham, which is the only incorporated municipality predominantly in the county, though very small portions of cities and towns mostly in neighboring counties also extend into Durham County. The central and southern parts of Durham County are highly urban, consisting of the city as well as several unincorporated suburbs. Southeastern Durham County is dominated by the Research Triangle Park, most of which is in Durham County. The northern third of Durham County is rural in nature.
Durham County is the core of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023.
Contents
History
The county was formed on April 17, 1881, from parts of Orange County and Wake County, taking the name of its own county seat. In 1911, parts of Cedar Fork Township of Wake County were transferred to Durham County and became Carr Township.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 297.86 square miles (771.5 km2), of which 286.53 square miles (742.1 km2) is land and 11.33 square miles (29.3 km2) (3.80%) is water.
State and local protected areas/sites
- Bennett Place State Historic Site
- Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land (part)
- Duke Homestead and Tobacco Factory
- East Durham Historic District
- Eno River State Park (part)
- Falls Lake State Recreation Area (part)
- Historic Stagville
- Hollow Rock Nature Park (part)
- Horton Grove Nature Preserve
- Jordan Game Land (part)
- Little River Regional Park and Natural Area (part)
- Mason Farm Biological Reserve (part)
- Museum of Life and Science
- Rolling View State Recreation Area (part)
Major water bodies
- B. Everett Jordan Lake
- Crabtree Creek
- Ellerbe Creek
- Eno River
- Falls Lake
- Flat River
- Lake Michie
- Little River
- New Hope Creek
- Stirrup Iron Creek
Adjacent counties
- Person County – north
- Granville County – northeast
- Wake County – east-southeast
- Chatham County – south
- Orange County – west
Major highways
I-40
I-85
I-540 / NC 540 Toll
I-885 / NC 885 Toll
US 15
US 15 Bus.
US 70
US 70 Bus. (Durham)
US 70 Bus. (to Orange County)
US 501
NC 54
NC 55
NC 98
NC 147
NC 157
NC 751
NC 751 Truck (truck route)
Major infrastructure
- Durham Station
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 18,041 | — | |
| 1900 | 26,233 | 45.4% | |
| 1910 | 35,276 | 34.5% | |
| 1920 | 42,219 | 19.7% | |
| 1930 | 67,196 | 59.2% | |
| 1940 | 80,244 | 19.4% | |
| 1950 | 101,639 | 26.7% | |
| 1960 | 111,995 | 10.2% | |
| 1970 | 132,681 | 18.5% | |
| 1980 | 152,785 | 15.2% | |
| 1990 | 181,835 | 19.0% | |
| 2000 | 223,314 | 22.8% | |
| 2010 | 267,587 | 19.8% | |
| 2020 | 324,833 | 21.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 336,892 | 25.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2020 census
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 133,768 | 41.18% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 109,225 | 33.62% |
| Native American | 704 | 0.22% |
| Asian | 16,707 | 5.14% |
| Pacific Islander | 83 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 14,242 | 4.38% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 50,104 | 15.42% |
As of the 2020 census, there were 324,833 people, 131,140 households, and 75,291 families residing in the county.
Communities
The city of Durham is the only incorporated municipality to predominantly exist within Durham County, and the only one whose urban core lies within the county, though small portions of municipalities from neighboring counties extend into Durham County, and the city of Durham also itself extends slightly into neighboring counties. All other towns and places within Durham County are unincorporated communities.
Cities
- Durham (county seat and largest community; small portions extend into Wake and Orange counties)
- Raleigh (mostly in Wake County)
Towns
- Chapel Hill (mostly in Orange County)
- Morrisville (mostly in Wake County)
Townships
- Carr
- Durham
- Lebanon
- Mangum
- Oak Grove
- Triangle
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Notable person
- Margaret O'Neal (1884–?), sharecropper
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Durham (Carolina del Norte) para niños
