Quick Facts

• Established: 1869
• Population: 320,000 (estimated)
• Area: 286 square miles (Durham city and Durham County combined)
• Median age: 34
• Home to:
• Research Triangle Park
• Duke University
• North Carolina Central University
• Duke Health System
• Durham Performing Arts Center (aka DPAC)
• The Streets at Southpoint
• Durham Bulls baseball
• Duke Blue Devils sports teams
• Major employers:
• Duke University & Duke Health System
• IBM
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina
• Fidelity Investments

Durham Downtown

Durham is part of the Research Triangle Region, known for its technology companies and scholarly institutions. It's comprised of many different neighborhoods and districts, each with its own distinctive vibe. Durham has a growing and vibrant downtown, great shopping, a warehouse district with music and clubs, a celebrated food scene, bars, a brewery, top-notch universities and a buzzing startup culture.

Downtown is the vibrant heartbeat of Durham and is comprised of several unique districts. Spend a day, a morning, or a week seeing all it has to offer. Downtown Durham is a vibrant, diverse, and creative southern city. Home to several landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places and alive with food, arts, culture, and dozens of events throughout the year, it’s an area that offers something for everyone.

Unique Downtown Districts

City Center

The City Center District has restaurants, bars, galleries, local shops, and more make the area exciting, day or night. Much of the architecture is original and ensures that Durham retains its historic charm. City Center feels like a small town’s downtown that grew up, with a mix of unique local culture and commercial enterprise that makes Durham special.

American Tobacco

The former American Tobacco manufacturing plant has been reborn into the American Tobacco District, anchored by one million square feet of multi-use space, Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. It’s a district marked by world-class entertainment, professional offices and lofts, a busy dining scene, a community green, and a manmade river, all surrounded by Durham’s famed reuse architecture. And don’t miss the iconic American Tobacco water tower!

Brightleaf & Warehouse

Brightleaf Square became a premier destination when turn-of-the-century tobacco warehouses were adapted into retail, dining, and office spaces. The area is a bustling retail center during the day and a lively nightlife spot after the sun goes down.

Next to the Bright Leaf Historic District is the Warehouse District, a residential area crafted from old tobacco warehouses. It’s dominated by the West Village apartment community and the former Liggett & Myers tobacco buildings that have been converted into shops, restaurants, offices, and apartments.

Central Park

Central Park is home to the Durham Farmers’ Market and many other community events throughout the year. It also boasts a 10,000-square-foot skate park, several art studios, and great lawns to relax upon. The northern side of the Central Park District, also known as the DIY District, marks the northern edge of downtown. Here you will find a hotbed of live music, bars, and restaurants, as well as a local theater. This is also a common spot for many of Durham’s food trucks to park and serve, with rotating cuisines.

Golden Belt

The Golden Belt is a fully restored textile mill repurposed to house art space, studios, offices, retail, lofts, and dining. It is the largest all historic, LEED Gold-certified campus in the Southeast. This seven-acre campus is situated in an up-and-coming neighborhood full of restored homes.

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