Durham County, North Carolina

Durham County
Durham County Courthouse
Flag of Durham County
Official seal of Durham County
Official logo of Durham County
Motto: 
"Live. Grow. Thrive."
Map of North Carolina highlighting Durham County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°02′N 78°53′W / 36.03°N 78.88°W / 36.03; -78.88
Country United States
State North Carolina
Founded1881
Named forBartlett Snipes Durham
SeatDurham
Largest communityDurham
Area
 • Total297.86 sq mi (771.5 km2)
 • Land286.53 sq mi (742.1 km2)
 • Water11.33 sq mi (29.3 km2)  3.80%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total324,833
 • Estimate 
(2023)
336,892 Increase
 • Density1,100/sq mi (420/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitedconc.gov

Durham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 324,833,[1] making it the sixth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Durham,[2] 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.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2020CensusQuickFacts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.