The Free 2026 Official Visitors Guide is Here

Select pages from the Chapel Hill/Orange County 2026 Official Visitors Guide

The Free 2026 Official Visitors Guide is Here

Featuring the towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough plus UNC-Chapel Hill

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FAQ

What’s in Orange County, NC?

Orange County, NC is located on the edge of Research Triangle Park. With more than 139,000 residents, Orange County includes historic Hillsborough, the county seat; Chapel Hill, home of the University of North Carolina; Carrboro, a former railroad and mill town.

 

What is the Triangle or Research Triangle?

It is a term first coined to refer to the proximity of three major research universities and to The Research Triangle Park (RTP) founded in their midst; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University in Raleigh and Duke University in Durham. RTP is the largest research park in the country. The Triangle always includes Chapel Hill, Durham and Raleigh at its core.

 

How far is Chapel Hill/Carrboro from the airport?

Raleigh/Durham International Airport (RDU) is about 17 miles from the airport with easy access of I-40 interstate.

 

How do I get from the airport to Chapel Hill?

RDU recommends calling Taxi Taxi at 919-333-333. Obtaining a rental car is easy at RDU Airport. There are 10 rental car companies operating and offer courtesy shuttles to their offices, which are located on airport property. Uber and Lyft have designated pickup locations. 

What are the largest meeting facilities in the area?

  • The Sheraton Chapel Hill offers 168 rooms and 19,564 sq. ft. of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space with up to 10 meeting rooms. Sheraton Chapel Hill went through an extensive renovation in 2021 including a new F&B program, modern day 'Public-Square' and an outdoor event deck.

  • The Carolina Inn offers 185 rooms and 16,271 sq. ft. of unique and flexible event space and 14,262 sq. ft. of outdoor space, including spacious and meticulously landscaped courtyards and unique gathering spaces. 

  • The Friday Conference Center an IACC certified venue and operated by the University of North Carolina is the largest conference space in Chapel Hill. They offer 25,000 sq. ft. of space and 26 meeting spaces with built-in technology systems. The building also houses a 425-seat auditorium and on-site catering and dining.

 

What are the luxury hotels in the area?

  • The Carolina Inn, part of the Destination Hotels collection by Hyatt and is a AAA 4-diamond historic hotel that sits on the campus of the University of North Carolina.

  • The Siena Hotel is a 4-diamond Italian boutique property and is part of the Autograph by Marriott collection and home to the renowned Il Palio restaurant, the only AAA 4-diamond Italian Restaurant in North Carolina.

  • The Graduate Chapel Hill by Hilton is part of one-of-a-kind hotels based in college towns across the US each capturing the charm, local history and pop-culture unique to the nearby university. 

 

Which hotels are located in downtown walk-able districts?

The Carolina Inn, the Graduate Chapel Hill and the AC Hotel Chapel Hill are located in downtown Chapel Hill. The Hampton Inn and Suites in located in downtown Carrboro.

 

When is the best time to book a meeting?

Due to the nature of our college town with collegiate sports and commencement, there are certain months where hotels are their busiest. Click here for an At-a-Glance Seasonality Chart.

 

What is the weather like?

On average, there are 216 sunny days per year in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The July high is around 89 degrees. Summers tend to be more humid. The January low is 28. Snowfall is 5 inches. The number of days with any measurable precipitation is 118. The climate makes it an ideal destination.