Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Chapel Hill
Franklin Street
Flag of Chapel Hill
Official seal of Chapel Hill
Nickname: 
Southern Part of Heaven
Motto(s): 
"Learning, Serving & Working Together To Build A Community Where People Thrive."
Chapel Hill is located in North Carolina
Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill is located in the United States
Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill
Coordinates: 35°55′38″N 79°02′21″W / 35.92722°N 79.03917°W / 35.92722; -79.03917
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
County
Founded1793
Chartered1851
Named forNew Hope Chapel
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorJessica Anderson (D)
Area
 • Total21.75 sq mi (56.32 km2)
 • Land21.60 sq mi (55.93 km2)
 • Water0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2)  0.69%
Elevation262 ft (80 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total61,960
 • Estimate 
(2023)
62,043
 • Density2,869.05/sq mi (1,107.75/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
27514-27517
Area codes919, 984
FIPS code37-11800
GNIS feature ID2406255[3]
Primary AirportRDU
Websitewww.townofchapelhill.org

Chapel Hill is a town in Orange and Durham County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-most populous municipality in the state.[4] Chapel Hill and Durham make up the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 608,879 in 2023. When it's combined with Raleigh, the state capital, they make up the corners of the Research Triangle (officially the Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area), which had an estimated population of 2,368,947 in 2023.[5]

The town was founded in 1793 and is centered on Franklin Street, covering 21.3 square miles (55 km2). It contains several districts and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care are a major part of the economy and town influence. Local artists have created many murals in the town.

  1. ^ "Tax Payments". Town of Chapel Hill. 2011. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  2. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CensusQuickFacts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.