Overview

Introduction to Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The North Carolina town of Chapel Hill is located in the north central portion of the state on the Piedmont Plateau, about 30 miles outside of the state capital of Raleigh. The town, together with the cities of Raleigh and Durham, comprise the three legs of the so-called Research Triangle, named for a research park located between Durham and Raleigh. Chapel Hill is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), the oldest state-supported university in the United States.

Incorporated in 1819, the town was originally created to serve the University which had already been established before the end of the 18th century. In fact, the original map of the town shows 30 parcels of land wrapping around the northern, western, and eastern fringes of the campus. At the town's center is a hill on which once stood a Church of England house of worship called the New Hope Chapel. Although the Chapel is no longer there, the town's name serves as a reminder of its former prominence.

Events and Points of Interest in Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill is the site of the Festifall Street Fair, an annual October event which typically draws upward of 15,000 visitors. This arts and music celebration features live bands, international foods, numerous children’s activities, and over 100 of the most creative crafts people and artists in the area. Another local October event is the Hargraves Fall Carnival, featuring entertainment and games. Local attractions include the Morehead Planetarium, one of the nation's original planetariums once used as an astronaut training site for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. The North Carolina Botanical Garden, located in Chapel Hill, is the largest natural garden of its kind in the southeast. Other popular Chapel Hill attractions include the following:

  • Coker Arboretum
  • Ackland Art Museum
  • The Chapel Hill Museum
  • Stone Center for Black Culture and History
  • Kidzu Children's Museum
  • Charles Kuralt Learning Center
  • Orange County Historical Museum

Fans of collegiate sports couldn't find themselves in a better place than Chapel Hill. The University of North Carolina Tar Heels have won 37 team national championships in five different sports. The University competes in NCAA's Division I-A and participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Its teams are perennial powerhouses in women's soccer (18 national championships since 1981), men's basketball (5 national championships), men's lacrosse (3 national championships), and women's field hockey (4 national championships). The Tar Heel baseball team is also a consistent winner, most recently making it to the Championship Round of the 2006 College World Series. Notable alumni of the University's athletic program include Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm, among many others.

Pro sports are not too far away either. Major league hockey resides in the nearby city of Raleigh, home of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes. Minor League Baseball can be found only minutes away from Chapel Hill in the nearby city of Durham, where the Durham Bulls play. The Bulls compete in the International League as the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Demographics

People

Total Population59,561
Male Share of the Population46.2%
Female Share of the Population53.8%
Senior Citizens11.1%
Employed Population 16+29,052
Age of the Population26

Families

% of people married35.6%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher41.2%
Median Earnings25+$48,302
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$19,402
Median Earnings With High School Degree$19,141

Wealth

Median Family Income$125,893
% Above Poverty Level81.1%
% Below Poverty Level18.9%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time20 minutes
% Working from Home10.1%
% Walking and Biking to Work15.3%
% Using Public Transportation11.7%

Housing

People Living Alone31.2%
Median Gross Rent$1,172
Median House Value$409,200

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)37.5%
German11.8%
English11.5%
Irish8.8%
Italian5.3%
Scottish3.4%
Polish2.6%
French Except Basque2.2%
Russian1.9%
African1.6%
Dutch1.3%
Swedish1.3%
Norwegian1%
Welsh0.7%
Arab0.7%
Ukrainian0.7%
Danishn0.5%
Hungarian0.5%
Lithuanian0.4%
Canadian0.4%
Lebanese0.4%
Swiss0.4%
Ethiopian0.4%
Czech0.4%
Turkish0.3%
Austrian0.3%
West Indian0.2%
Nigerian0.2%
Romanian0.2%
Slovak0.2%
Israeli0.2%
Finnish0.2%
Greek0.2%
Iranian0.2%
Belgian0.1%
Syrian0.1%
Australian0.1%
Iraqi0.1%
Albanian0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
US/American0.1%
Senegalese0.1%
Bulgarian0.1%
Serbian0.1%
Latvian0.1%
Portuguese0.1%
Slovene0.1%
Croatian0.1%
Ghanaian0.1%
Luxemburger0.1%
Brazilian0.1%
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Chapel Hill Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyOrange County
Standard Zip Codes27514, 27516, 27517
P.O. Box Zip Codes27515
Company Zip Codes27599
Phone Area Codes919
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude35.92
Approximate Longitude-79.04

Chapel Hill Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationCHAPEL HILL 2 W
Distance1.5 miles
Jan Temp27 to 49 F
Apr Temp45 to 71 F
Jul Temp66 to 89 F
Oct Temp45 to 71 F
Annual Precip47.6 inches
StationBURLINGTON FIRE STN #5
Distance24.5 miles
Jan Temp28 to 50 F
Apr Temp45 to 72 F
Jul Temp68 to 91 F
Oct Temp46 to 73 F
Annual Precip45 inches
StationSANFORD 8 NE
Distance26.3 miles
Jan Temp30 to 52 F
Apr Temp45 to 75 F
Jul Temp67 to 91 F
Oct Temp47 to 74 F
Annual Precip47.5 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Apex48,254$119,914
Carrboro21,216$90,202
Durham264,310$75,631
Hillsborough7,083$83,275
Morrisville25,007$114,304
Pittsboro4,098$86,974

Chapel Hill Public Libraries

Chapel Hill Public Library
100 LIBRARY DR
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
(919) 968-2777

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Chapel Hill Hospitals

University Of North Carolina Hospitals
(Government - State)
101 Manning Dr
(919) 966-4131

Chapel Hill Public Schools

East Chapel Hill High
500 Weaver Dairy Rd
ZIP: 27514
(919) 969-2482
High
Total Enrollment 1411
Estes Hills Elementary
500 N Estes Dr
ZIP: 27514
(919) 942-4753
Primary
Total Enrollment 479
New Hope Elementary
1900 New Hope Church Rd
ZIP: 27514
(919) 942-9696
Primary
Total Enrollment 611
Phillips Middle
606 N Estes Dr
ZIP: 27514
(919) 929-2188
Middle
Total Enrollment 621
Unc Hospital School
101 Manning Dr
ZIP: 27514
(919) 966-5009
Other
Total Enrollment 1
Chapel Hill High
1709 High School Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 929-2106
High
Total Enrollment 1439
Culbreth Middle
225 Culbreth Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 929-7161
Middle
Total Enrollment 681
Fpg Elementary
101 Smith Level Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 942-6491
Primary
Total Enrollment 495
Margaret B. Pollard Middle
185 Granite Mill Blvd.
ZIP: 27516
(919) 969-0070
Middle
Total Enrollment 566
Mcdougle Elementary
890 Old Fayetteville Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 969-2435
Primary
Total Enrollment 477
Mcdougle Middle
900 Old Fayetteville Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 933-1556
Middle
Total Enrollment 723
Morris Grove Elementary
215 Eubanks Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 918-4800
Primary
Total Enrollment 550
Northside Elementary
350 Caldwell St
ZIP: 27516
(919) 918-2220
Primary
Total Enrollment 518
Phoenix Academy High
750 S Merritt Mill Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 918-2300
High
Total Enrollment 32
Scroggs Elementary
501 Kildaire Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 918-7165
Primary
Total Enrollment 547
Seawell Elementary
9115 Seawell School Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 967-4343
Primary
Total Enrollment 530
Smith Middle
9201 Seawell School Rd
ZIP: 27516
(919) 918-2145
Middle
Total Enrollment 835
Woods Charter
160 Woodland Grove Lane
ZIP: 27516
(919) 960-8353
Other
Total Enrollment 509
Ephesus Elementary
1495 Ephesus Church Rd
ZIP: 27517
(919) 929-8715
Primary
Total Enrollment 428
Glenwood Elementary
2 Prestwick Rd
ZIP: 27517
(919) 968-3473
Primary
Total Enrollment 475
North Chatham Elementary
3380 Lystra Road
ZIP: 27517
(919) 967-3094
Primary
Total Enrollment 584
Rashkis Elementary
601 Meadowmont Ln
ZIP: 27517
(919) 918-2160
Primary
Total Enrollment 525
Willow Oak Montessori
50101 Governors Dr, Suite 170
ZIP: 27517
(919) 240-7787
Primary
Total Enrollment 120

Chapel Hill Private Schools

Artgarden Montessori School
1603 E Franklin St
ZIP: 27514
Elementary
Total Enrollment 8
Montessori Day School
1165 Weaver Dairy Rd
ZIP: 27514
Elementary
Total Enrollment 37
St Thomas More Catholic School
920 Carmichael St
ZIP: 27514
Elementary
Total Enrollment 384
Emerson Waldorf School
6211 New Jericho Rd
ZIP: 27516
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 215
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