Durham is 16 miles across, 25 miles long, and 28 miles from corner to corner. The county population is 288,133, with 245,475 living inside the city limits. It is located 23 miles from the Virginia border in the northeast corner of North Carolina's central Piedmont, a geographic foothills region lying between the mountains and the area where the elevation drops off to Raleigh and the coastal plain. Durham is located 140 miles from the Appalachian highlands and 130 miles from the Atlantic coast, midway between Miami and Chicago and midway between and Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Durham is known as the?City of Medicine?because almost one in four Durham workers is employed in health care or a health-related industry. In addition, Durham is home to many leading technology companies like IBM, Cree, and others located in Research Triangle Park. Those companies not only continue Durham's history of technology and innovation, but they also carry forward its manufacturing heritage, which began with tobacco and textiles in the 19th century and remains a key component of Durham's economy today. Durham is a creative, innovative community that is always doing something new. It occupies a prime location in the heart of North Carolina and is a nexus for learning, creativity, research, and industry.