The Research Triangle, commonly referred to as the "Triangle," is a region in the piedmont of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill and the major research universities of North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, respectively. The name was cemented in the public consciousness in the 1950s with the creation of Research Triangle Park, home to numerous high-tech companies and enterprises. Although the name is commonly used to refer to the cities, the "triangle" originally referred to the universities, whose research facilities and the educated workforce they provide are the major attraction for businesses located in the Park.
The Triangle region, as defined for statistical purposes, is generally considered to comprise the counties of Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, Orange, and Wake, although the U.S. Census Bureau divided the region into two statistical areas in 2003.
Map
The above map covers the Research Triangle region, centered roughly on the ___location of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport; the circle extends approximately 25 miles outwards.
