Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. Raleigh is the 15th fastest growing city in the United States and according to City of Raleigh Planning Department's Growth Management Division, Raleigh is the 49th-largest city in the United States.
While almost all of Raleigh is located within Wake County a small portion of the city extends into neighboring Durham County. The towns of Cary, Garner, Wake Forest, Apex, Holly Springs, Clayton, and Knightdale are some of Raleigh's nearby suburbs.
Raleigh was chosen as the site of a new state capital in 1788, and was officially established in 1792 as both the new county seat and the new state capital. The city was named in November 1792 for Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of the Colony of Roanoke, the "Lost Colony," commemorated at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site on Roanoke Island, North Carolina.