You'll Probably Love Chapel Hill If You're Looking For...
- An Array of Housing Options: From urbanist villages to luxury estates, Chapel Hill has something for everyone.
- College Sports: In the Triangle, there is a heated rivalry between NC's four ACC teams. No where is this more apparent than Chapel Hill... Tar Heel Country. Even the fire trucks here are Carolina Blue.
- Excellent Schools: Known as the best-educated city in NC, Chapel Hill residents enjoy highly rated schools.
- Delicious Food: Since it has many nationally noted and award winning restaurants, Chapel Hill is where Triangle foodies go when they want really good eats.
- Coffee: Chapel Hill is known locally for its fantastic coffee shops. If you love your coffee, you'll love Chapel Hill.
- A Vibrant College Town: Since the city grew up around the university, Chapel Hill has that college town feel.
- Things to do: From arts to parks, it's easy to find something to do in Chapel Hill.
- A Fantastic Place To Retire: With access to great healthcare services, it's no wonder Chapel Hill has been named as one of the best places in the South to retire.
Where is Chapel Hill, North Carolina?
Chapel Hill is located primarily in Orange County NC, but a small eastern portion is located in Durham County NC.
The cities and communities near Chapel Hill include: Cary, Durham, Hillsboro, Carrboro, and Fearrington.
Since it is part of the Triangle area, which is centrally located in NC, Chapel Hill is within driving distance of gorgeous mountains and beaches.
What's It Like In Chapel Hill, NC?
Most outsiders know Chapel Hill, North Carolina for being the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — the school’s flagship campus. While there’s certainly much more to Chapel Hill than just the university, the community was founded specifically to serve the University of North Carolina.
Since its founding, the city itself has grown around it. According to the latest population estimates, 58,424 people now call Chapel Hill home on a full-time basis. During the school year, however, the city swells with students.
Chapel Hill makes up one of the 3 corners that define the Research Triangle, with Durham and Raleigh being the other two. Although it’s one of the central cities for this renowned part of the state, Chapel Hill is still only the 16th largest municipality in North Carolina.
Your Chapel Hill School Guide
As NC's best-educated city, Chapel Hill offers phenomenal schools. Families with school-age children are served by Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS).
"(This mindset believes) that all children can learn at much higher levels, that intelligence is not stagnant, and that there can be growth – significant growth – of all of our children given the right kind of instruction, with effort on the part of the students, effort on the part of our teachers, and the right amount of time to learn" ~ Dr Tom Forcella, former Superintendent of CHCCS on the Growth Mindset
Parents may also choose private education, or one of the highly-rated charter schools in the area. View Chapel Hill Schools here!
Easily Travel Anywhere
Though still considered "car-dependent" Chapel Hill is one of the highest-scoring cities in North Carolina for walkability. The most walkable neighborhoods in Chapel Hill are Downtown and Meadowmont.
Biking is a popular transportation option in Chapel Hill, which has an extensive greenway system connecting neighborhoods and destinations.
Chapel Hill Transit offers free bus service to Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and UNC.
The main highways that connect Chapel Hill are I-40, Hwy 501, Hwy 54, and Hwy 86.
Chapel Hill is only about 20 minutes from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, so you can go anywhere in the world!
Working In Chapel Hill NC
A number of companies call Chapel Hill, NC home. The biggest employers are:
- UNC
- UNC Health Care System
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
There's also a lot of small businesses in Chapel Hill. Entrepreneur Magazine has named Chapel Hill as one of the Top 10 Places To Start A Business.
Chapel Hill NC Parks
"Our Mission: To provide exceptional recreational and cultural opportunities in beautiful, sustainable environments." - Chapel Hill Parks & Rec
Nationally regarded for excellent quality of life, Chapel Hill's Parks department is a big part of what makes living in Chapel Hill desirable.
Not only do they maintain many parks, pools, greenways, and green spaces, but they also offer cultural activies and recreation programs for all ages.
Don't Miss These Chapel Hill Attractions
As a college town, Chapel Hill has a lot of unique and interesting things to do. Whether you're looking for something romantic or fun, there's activities for all ages to enjoy.
These three attractions regularly top "best things to do in Chapel Hill" lists. Note that they, and many things to do in Chapel Hill, are at or near the university.
Morehead Planetarium and Science Center
One of the largest and oldest planetariums in the country, the Morehead Planetarium is home to exhibits, the Science Stage, and the fulldome theater. Plus, it's on Franklin Street, which is a great place to visit on its own.
Location: UNC | 250 E. Franklin. St., Chapel Hill, N.C. 27514
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Ackland Art Museum
Showcasing a permanent collection of over 17,000 works of art, the Ackland Art Museum features European masterworks, contemporary art, Asian and African art, and local pottery. There are also programs for all ages throughout the year. Best of all, admission is FREE!
Location: UNC | 101 S. Columbia Street Chapel Hill, NC 27514
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The Carolina Basketball Museum
Whether you're a Tar Heels fan or not, if you enjoy college basketball, you will enjoy the Carolina Basketball Museum. Even reviewers who aren't big sports fans rave about the basketball museum. Plus, it's FREE!
Location: UNC | 450 Skipper Bowles Dr. Chapel Hill NC
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Chapel Hill's Best Restaurants
Named one of "America's Foodiest Small Towns" by Bon Appetit, Chapel Hill offers an eclectic mix of delicious eateries and nationally acclaimed restaurants. People move here just for the food, so as you can imagine there are a lot of phenomenal, award-winning restaurants here. These are the most highly rated by onine reviewers:
Mediterranean Deli
You can't go to Chapel Hill and not stop at the Med Deli. It's a local favorite... for good reason. The food is fresh, healthy, and consistently delicious.
Location: 410 W. Franklin St Chapel Hill NC 27516
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Kitchen
Kitchen is a highly-rated restaurant in Chapel Hill offerring traditional French bistro fare. The dishes people rave about the most are their hanger steak and mussels.
Location: 764 MLK JR BLVD Chapel Hill NC
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Al's Burger Shack
You know it's a dive when "shack" is in the name, but some of the world's best eats can be found in dives like this one. Of course, online reviewers rave about their burgers, including the veggie burger.
Location: 516 W. Franklin St. Chapel Hill 27516
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Chapel Hill: Then & Now
Founded in 1819 to serve the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill grew up around the university and maintains a small college town vibe.
Chapel Hill Stats:
- Population: 59,568
- Median Age: 25.8
- Median Family Income: $112,977
- Average Commute: 20.2 Minutes
Chapel Hill Accolades
Chapel Hill is routinely rated as a great place to live, work, and play. Here are a few of the town's most recent accolades:
- March 2017: Named #1 Best City For College Basketball Fans by WalletHub
- February 2017: Named #7 Best Place to Live in the USA for 2017 by US News & World Report
- December 2016: UNC named Top Callege Value for 2017 (for the 16th year in a row) by Kiplinger's Personal Finance
- September 2016: Durham-Chapel Hill Named #10 on Best Place For Women Entrepreneurs by Goodcall.com
- September 2016: UNC Named in Top 5 National Public University by US News & World Report
- September 2016: Named #6 of Smartest Towns by Topvaluereiews.net
- September 2016: UNC Named one of Cool Schools by Sierra Club
- August 2016: UNC Named #9 Top Public University by Forbes
- July 2016: Named #5 of best U.S. Cities for Entrepreneurs to Live & Launch by Entrepreneur Magazine
- July 2016: Named #4 Most Educated City by WalletHub
- July 2016: Named #11 Best College Town by Niche.com
- July 2016: Named #11 of Great Places in 2016 to Follow Your Passions in Retirement by Forbes.com
- June 2016: Named One of 10 Best College Towns in Nation by Athlon Sports Experts Poll
- March 2016: Named one of 16 Under The Radar Southern Food Destinations by Zagat
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