Chapel Hill Essential Info
Overview
Chapel Hill is in North Carolina and makes up the western-most point of the Research Triangle, commonly known as the Triangle and not to be confused with the group of North Carolina cities known as the Piedmont Triad (Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem). It is 28 miles northwest from Raleigh, 12 miles southwest from Durham and 115 miles from Charlotte. The town was originally a small village of 1000 people consisting of mostly Scottish and English immigrants arriving in the area during the 1700s; the village took its name from the New Hope Chapel east of the settlement. The church happened to be situated on a hill. (The Carolina Inn of Chapel Hill now stands where the chapel once was.) The town was founded in 1819 to support the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The town was incorporated in 1851. Its population is currently 52,440.
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Basics
Best Time To Go
Mar-Oct
Current Time
Current Weather
Mostly Cloudy
Fun Facts
- Chapel Hill derived its name from the highest point where a church was located in the late 1700s, called New Hope Chapel hill. The name was shortened to Chapel Hill.
- Franklin Street’s Carolina Coffee Shop was established in 1922 as the Carolina
Confectionery, making it one of the oldest original restaurants in the area. - The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the oldest public university in the
U.S., founded in 1793. - Hinton James was the first student on the UNC campus. He enrolled at the University on
February 12, 1795. - Franklin Street, the main street through downtown Chapel Hill was named after Benjamin Franklin. Rosemary Street, a parallel street, was named after residents who lived at its opposite ends, Rose and Mary.
Popular Foods
- Pizette
- Custom Burgers