Chapel Hill City Guide

Chapel Hill, the largest town in Orange County, NC, has been referred to as “the Southern Part of Heaven.” It offers the best of small town living in a unique cosmopolitan environment. Chapel Hill is home to the nation’s first state university, which was chartered in 1789. The population of 48,715 (in 2000) is diverse, consisting of professors, students, business people and retirees from all over the world, not to mention the native Chapel Hillians.

In addition to the prominence of the University of North Carolina, another attractive feature of downtown Chapel Hill is Franklin Street, named after Benjamin Franklin. This is one of the most vibrant downtowns in the state. Day and night, the streets are filled with people enjoying a great variety of shopping, dining and entertainment options.