What County Is Chapel Hill, North Carolina In?
Chapel Hill is mostly in Orange County, North Carolina: about 95% of its residents live there, the rest in Durham County. Check a specific address near a county line. About 61,607 people live there (2020–2024 estimate). It uses Eastern Time and covers 21.6 sq mi (56.1 km²) of land. The nearest larger city or town is Durham, 8.7 mi northeast.
- Population, 2020–2024 estimate
- 61,607 ± 41
- Land area
- 21.6 sq mi (56.1 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- Sun today
- Sunrise and sunset for the year
- Elevation
- 326 ft 99 m, ground height at the central point
- Median household income
- $85,989 ± $5,527
- Median home value
- $613,700 ± $21,263
- Median rent, with utilities
- $1,613 ± $56
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 47.4% ± 1.6 points
- Metro area
- Durham-Chapel Hill, NCA principal city of the area
- Water area
- 0.15 sq mi (0.39 km²)
- State
- North Carolina
- Census place code
- 3711800
- Coordinates (central point)
- 35.928328, -79.041375
These coordinates mark a central point for the area, not a street address. Population, income, home value, rent and homes lived in by their owners: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, ± margin at 90% confidence; checked on October 13, 2026.
County boundaries in Chapel Hill
- Orange County, North Carolina58,719 residents · 95%
- Durham County, North Carolina2,888 residents · 5%
This place crosses county lines: residents by county are American Community Survey 2020–2024 estimates. A city name alone cannot identify the county for every address. It is one of the 943 cities and towns with residents in more than one county. Check a point on the county map.
Coordinates of Chapel Hill
35.928328, -79.041375 is a central point for Chapel Hill, not a street address. Convert these coordinates or share a map link.
Elevation in Chapel Hill
326 ft (99 m), the USGS ground height at Chapel Hill’s central point (3DEP terrain, 1/9 arc-second grid, NAVD 88). Ground height varies across town. Check elevation at another spot.
Sunrise and sunset in Chapel Hill
- Longest day
- 14 hours 37 minutes around June 21
- Shortest day
- 9 hours 43 minutes around December 21
- Earliest sunrise
- 5:59 AM around June 13
- Latest sunrise
- 7:43 AM the day before clocks go back in November
- Earliest sunset
- 5:01 PM around December 5
- Latest sunset
- 8:36 PM around June 29
Clocks go forward an hour on the second Sunday in March and back on the first Sunday in November, so sunrise and sunset jump an hour later in March and an hour earlier in November.
| Day | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15 | 7:25 AM | 5:25 PM | 10 h |
| Feb 15 | 7:03 AM | 5:57 PM | 10 h 54 min |
| Mar 15 | 7:27 AM | 7:23 PM | 11 h 56 min |
| Apr 15 | 6:43 AM | 7:49 PM | 13 h 6 min |
| May 15 | 6:10 AM | 8:14 PM | 14 h 4 min |
| Jun 15 | 5:59 AM | 8:34 PM | 14 h 35 min |
| Jul 15 | 6:11 AM | 8:32 PM | 14 h 21 min |
| Aug 15 | 6:34 AM | 8:06 PM | 13 h 32 min |
| Sep 15 | 6:58 AM | 7:23 PM | 12 h 25 min |
| Oct 15 | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 11 h 18 min |
| Nov 15 | 6:52 AM | 5:08 PM | 10 h 16 min |
| Dec 15 | 7:19 AM | 5:03 PM | 9 h 44 min |
Approximate times for a flat horizon at the central point; the days move by a day or so from year to year. Hills and weather can change what you see.
Time zones in Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill uses Eastern Time (America/New_York).
| Time zone | Local time and UTC offset | Next clock change |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern TimeAmerica/New_York | UTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July. Enable JavaScript for the live clock. | Enable JavaScript for upcoming changes. |
Near a time-zone line, check where you are with the time-zone finder. Your phone’s setting can differ.
ZIP Code areas, largest first
5 ZIP Code areas overlap Chapel Hill. People counts are 2020–2024 estimates for each whole ZIP area. Mailing ZIPs can differ; check an address with USPS ZIP Code Lookup.
Bordering areas, nearest first
Distances are straight lines between map points.
- Carrboro, North Carolina (town)2.6 mi west
- Durham, North Carolina (city)8.7 mi northeast
Before using this answer on a form
A city boundary, a CDP and a mailing city can mean different things.
Find the county where you are now, check its ZIP area, or check the time zone where you are.
Areas that only touch the edge
These areas meet the boundary only along a sliver. Most addresses here are not in them; for an address near the line, check with the county.