Durham Map Art

Durham's map is shaped by the Neuse River's sharp bend through downtown and the ridge system that runs north-south, creating the natural divide between the Piedmont's rolling terrain. Main Street follows the ridgeline while the railroad corridor cuts perpendicular through the river valley, the original industrial spine that anchored the tobacco warehouses and mills. The street grid tightens around downtown's core before loosening into residential neighborhoods radiating outward, with Research Triangle Parkway sweeping a wide arc to the southwest toward Chapel Hill and Raleigh.

35.9940° N, 78.8986° W