Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Chapel Hill, North Carolina has been nicknamed "The Southern Part of Heaven." The largest municipality in Orange County, Chapel Hill offers the very best in small town living along with a distinctly cosmopolitan flavor.

The nation's first state university, University of North Carolina, is the heart of Chapel Hill. Chartered in 1795, the graceful campus is open for historic tours. The Orange County Historical Museum in nearby Hillsborough and the Ackland Art Museum both help to preserve North Carolinian history. UNC consistently ranks among the highest educational facilities in the nation. With over 26,000 students coming from all 50 states and 100 other countries, over 82% of the faculty have earned the highest degree in their field.

Chapel Hill nestles in the rolling, wooded portion of North Carolina's Piedmont region, and is home to a population of almost 47,000 (2001 NC estimate). Residents of Chapel Hill enjoy a moderate climate with winter temperatures averaging 40 degrees and a summer average of 76. Situated a mere three hours from both the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic Coast beaches, outdoor recreation can be found year round.

Chapel Hill is one of the three points of the Research Triangle, along with Raleigh and Durham. The Research Triangle Park, founded in 1959, has drawn in 136 companies, 106 of which are involved in research and development. Chapel Hill was recently voted the #2 city in A&E's "Top Cities To Have It All" and Money magazine rated the community as the "#1 Best Place to Live in the South."

With the unique ethnic mix of its residents, Chapel Hill, NC is a rare town in the gracious Southland, and its great range of dining establishments also reflects that. The unique blend of population, the quaint historic charm of the town alongside some of the most modern and innovative research firms in the nation, all combine to make Chapel Hill a shining star of a community.