Durham: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Durham is a city of 257,636 people in United States (North Carolina), 121 m (397 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), 16 km (10 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in Durham runs from about 9 h 46 min a day in late December to 14 h 39 min in late June (computed for 35.99° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Durham is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), 16 km (10 mi) from the centre, whose 10,000-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO, 94 km).
Flights to Durham: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Durham · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Charlotte, 195 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Washington, 362 km — flights
- Raleigh, 34 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Virginia Beach, 278 km — buses · tours
- Greensboro, 81 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Winston-Salem, 122 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Norfolk, 252 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Chesapeake, 252 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Richmond, 216 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Arlington, 358 km
Twin towns and sister cities: Kostroma, Arusha, Toyama.
Common questions
Which airport serves Durham?
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), 16 km (10 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Durham?
About 257,636 people live in Durham, across 287 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Durham in?
America/New_York, currently UTC-4.
What currency is used in Durham?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Durham?
Charlotte (195 km), Washington (362 km), Raleigh (34 km), Virginia Beach (278 km), Greensboro (81 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.