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Need facts? Feature content? Find it all at your fingertips with this slightly more than basic collection of fast facts, famous firsts and regional breakdowns.

Facts, Firsts & Figures

Aerial view of Dorothea Dix Park with Raleigh skyline in distance during daytime

Fast Facts

Population

11 million (2024; ninth most populous US state)

Capital

Raleigh, established 1792

State Motto

Esse Quam Videri
"To be, rather than to seem"

Woman walking on bridge within Mt. Mitchell State Park with sun setting over mountains in the distance.

Bragging Rights

Mount Mitchell

The tallest peak in the Eastern US at 6,684 feet high

Jockey's Ridge

The tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic at 110 feet high

NC Zoo

World's largest natural habitat zoo with 500 developed acres

Biltmore House

America's largest home with 250 rooms

Wright Brothers National Memorial from behind during sunset.

Famous Firsts

First English-speaking colony in America: established 1585 at Roanoke Island

First successful, sustained and controlled powered flight: Orville and Wilbur Wright, Dec. 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills

First state university in the US to welcome students: University of North Carolina, 1795 in Chapel Hill

First gold nugget found in the US: Reed Gold Mine, 1799 in in Cabarrus County

First US forestry school: Biltmore Forest School, 1898 near Mount Pisgah

Babe Ruth’s first home run as a professional player: 1914 in Fayetteville

First National Seashore: Cape Hatteras, 1953

First (and only) state to adopt an official toast: 1957 (“Here’s to the land of the long leaf pine...")

Exterior of Underground Railroad Museum with plants on ground and mural on wall

Wonders by the Numbers

48,623 total land area in square miles (ranking 29th in the US)

320 miles of Atlantic coastline

100 counties across three regions (Mountains, Piedmont and Coast)

96 miles on the Appalachian Trail, the world’s longest pedestrian-only footpath at 2,190 miles (North Carolina has 220 additional AT miles along the ridgeline shared with Tennessee.)

1,175 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea trail, which stretches from Kuwohi in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks

4 National Forests: Pisgah, Nantahala, Uwharrie and Croatan, the only true coastal national forest in the East

39 state parks and recreation areas

North Carolina's Regions

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Mountains

Mountains

Eastern North America’s highest peaks are found in the Blue Ridge Mountains and its Great Smoky Mountains subrange in the western part of NC. Rivers, waterfalls and forests play into the region’s resort heritage.

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    Charlotte's Rail Trail

Piedmont

Mountains

The rolling foothills of central North Carolina are famous for golf resorts, lively towns and dynamic cities, including the state’s largest (Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro).

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Coast

Mountains

Defined by the Atlantic Ocean, vast sounds and island beaches, the region's easternmost stretch segues to the Inner Coastal Plain with its winding rivers, "bay lakes" and fertile farmland.

 

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Logistics

A breathtaking sunset view over the Surf City Bridge, with golden hues reflecting on the water. The setting captures the charm and serenity of the area during dusk.

Getting Here/Getting Around

By air

CLT (Charlotte), RDU (Raleigh-Durham), AVL (Asheville), GSO (Greensboro), ILM (Wilmington), FAY (Fayetteville), OAJ (Jacksonville), JQF (Concord), EWN (New Bern) and PGV (Greenville) offer commercial service. 

By train

North Carolina has 16 Amtrak stations with year-round service from New York, Washington, Atlanta, New Orleans, Orlando, Miami and other cities. 

By road

North Carolina is easily accessed via major interstate routes including 26, 40, 77, 85 and 95. Enjoy scenic rides by car, bike and motorcycle.

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