Before European colonizers arrived in the area, modern-day Durham was home to the Eno and the Occoneechi Native American people, related to the Sioux and the Shakori Native Americans. These people built their village, naming it Adshusheer, which is now contemporary Durham. The first documented European in the area was the English explorer John Lawson, who named Durham "the flower of the Carolinas" in 1701. By the mid-1700s, residents of the United Kingdom settled the land granted to them by King Charles I. These colonizers built gristmills and set about working the ground to create sustainable livelihoods. In its early days, the settlers primarily engaged in agricultural pursuits, establishing massive plantations during the antebellum period. Traders brought many African slaves to work the land, but there were already free African-American people in the region, many of whom had fought in the Revolutionary War. The end of the Civil War resulted in a population boom in the city. This growth was mainly attributable to the city's thriving tobacco industry. In 1869, officials incorporated Durham, naming it after Dr. Bartlett Durham. By the early 1900s, the city was home to Duke Power, now known as Duke Energy. Duke Power was known for harnessing electricity from hydroelectric dams in the western mountains of North Carolina. This capturing of power led to Duke Power becoming the leading electricity provider for the west and central North Carolina towns. The textile industry also chose the Durham region as a base, bringing more jobs into the city. Textile mills in Durham led to the population doubling in a short time. During the 20th century, the city developed a thriving African American community comprising many of the most prosperous black-owned businesses in the country. Most of these entrepreneurs located their businesses on Parrish St., known as "Black Wall Street." In 1910, Dr. E. James Shepard founded the NC Central University, the country's first publicly supported liberal arts college for African-Americans. In 1924, Duke University established and built a large campus and hospital. In the 1950s, this same institution, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University collaborated to buy a substantial area of land in southern Durham County. This collaboration then used the ground to create the country's first "science park." Durham was also home to an important part of the civil rights movement. Supporters of this movement staged multiple sit-ins to achieve equal rights. Martin Luther King Jr. also joined the protests in Durham, where he coined his famous rallying cry "fill up the jails" during a speech at White Rock Baptist Church. King also said, "let us not fear going to jail" for pursuing equal rights.

The city of Durham, North Carolina, offers a range of activities and attractions, such as the following:

Duke Lemur Center: This center has the most extensive collection of lemurs outside of Madagascar and is a research facility. The center has been home to over 39 species of lemurs since 1966.

Durham Farmers' Market: Visit this market on a Saturday and support the local vendors. Stalls offer locally grown produce, flowers, bakery items, honey, crafts, and artisan foods.

Durham's Street Murals: Absorb the beauty of over 40,000 square feet of elaborate murals located in the University Hill district.