
Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) is located in Wake County, North Carolina, USA, about 10 miles from both downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh. The airport covers 5,000 acres and has three runways. As the second-largest airport in North Carolina, it serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport.
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The airport is located in Wake County, North Carolina, USA
Raleigh-Durham International Airport, locally known by its IATA code RDU, is located in unincorporated Wake County, North Carolina, USA. It is about 10 miles from both downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh, and it takes less than 30 minutes to get to each city by car. The airport is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to the north and east, and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to the south. Raleigh-Durham International Airport covers 5,000 acres and has three runways.
RDU ranks 35th in passenger arrivals and departures in the US, serving nearly 80 destinations, including 14 international destinations in 10 countries. The airport serves 31 U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico, with Atlanta being the busiest domestic route and New York metropolitan area having the most passengers per day. More than 15 million passengers travel through RDU annually, using 19 air carriers.
The airport is an operating base for Avelo Airlines and Endeavor Air, as well as a focus city for Delta Air Lines. Delta Air Lines has the largest market share, and Breeze Airways flies to the most destinations with 28. There are nearly 600 daily aircraft operations. The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and operations and is controlled by a board of representatives from Wake and Durham counties and the cities of Raleigh and Durham.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport is the second-largest airport in the state of North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. The passenger terminal was built from materials remaining after the construction of barracks for the Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command airfield.
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It is 10 miles from downtown Durham and Raleigh
Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) is located in unincorporated Wake County, North Carolina, USA. It is around 10 miles from downtown Durham and Raleigh, with the cities being about 25 miles apart. The airport is located centrally in North Carolina between Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. It takes less than 30 minutes to get to each city by car.
RDU is the second-largest airport in North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The airport covers 5,000 acres and has two terminals and three runways. It serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle and Piedmont regions of North Carolina. The airport offers nonstop flights from 70+ markets and serves 31 U.S. states, plus Puerto Rico.
As of 2025, RDU ranks 35th in passenger arrivals and departures in the US, with a record 15.5 million passengers travelling through in 2024. The airport has a wide range of dining and shopping options, as well as the latest technology and services. Dozens of hotels are a short drive from the airport, and there are more than 45 lodging properties accessible by airport shuttle.
The airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. Delta Air Lines has the largest market share, and Breeze Airways flies to the most destinations. The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and operations and is controlled by a board of representatives from Wake and Durham counties and the cities of Raleigh and Durham.
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RDU is the airport's IATA and ICAO code
Raleigh–Durham International Airport, locally known by its IATA code, RDU, is located in unincorporated Wake County, North Carolina. The airport is about 10 miles from downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh and is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to the north and east and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to the south.
The airport covers 5,000 acres and has three runways. It is the second-largest airport in North Carolina, serving as the main airport for Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region. RDU offers passenger service to nearly 80 destinations, including 14 international destinations in 10 countries, and handles both domestic and international carriers. Terminal 2 is the only terminal that hosts international arrivals, with 36 gates across concourses C and D.
RDU has a long history, with the region's first airport, Raleigh Municipal Airport, opening south of Raleigh in 1929. The current Raleigh–Durham Airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. The airport has grown and expanded over the years, with various airlines joining operations and new services being added. In 2024, RDU served a record 15.5 million passengers, a number that continues to grow, solidifying its place as a significant aviation hub in the region.
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Raleigh-Durham Airport opened on May 1, 1943
Raleigh-Durham International Airport (IATA: RDU) is located in unincorporated Wake County, North Carolina. The airport is about 10 miles from both downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh and is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to its north and east, and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to its south.
RDU opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. The base was designated Raleigh-Durham Army Air Field in January 1943, with barracks and three runways becoming operational on May 1. The passenger terminal was built from materials left over after the construction of four barracks for the Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command airfield. The three runways the airport had in 1951 are still visible on the southeast side of the airport: a 4,500-ft runway 5, a 4,500-ft runway 18, and a 4,490-ft runway 14.
The airport was an expansion of the region's first airport, Raleigh Municipal Airport, which opened in 1929, south of Raleigh. It was quickly outgrown, and in 1939 the North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Raleigh–Durham Aeronautical Authority to build and operate a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham. This was promoted by Eastern Air Lines, led by then-chairman Eddie Rickenbacker, who wanted to make RDU a stop on the airline's New York–Miami route.
Today, Raleigh-Durham International Airport is the second-largest airport in the state of North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The airport covers 5,000 acres (20 km2) and has two terminals and three runways. As of 2025, RDU ranks 35th in passenger arrivals and departures in the US, offering passenger service to nearly 80 destinations, including 14 international destinations in 10 countries.
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The airport covers 5,000 acres and has three runways
Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) is a large airport with a total area of 5,000 acres (20 km2) and three runways. The airport is located in unincorporated Wake County, North Carolina, USA, and is around 10 miles from both downtown Durham and downtown Raleigh. It is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to the north and east, and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to the south.
RDU is the second-largest airport in the state of North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The airport serves as a hub for Avelo Airlines, Endeavor Air, and Delta Air Lines, which is the carrier with the largest market share as of 2025. The airport also offers passenger service to nearly 80 destinations, including 14 international destinations in 10 countries.
The airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which offer numerous dining and shopping options, as well as the latest technology and services. Terminal 2 contains 36 gates across concourses C and D and is the only terminal that hosts international arrivals, using gates C21 and C23–C25. Terminal 1, on the other hand, has five gates in use.
RDU has a long history, with the region's first airport, Raleigh Municipal Airport, opening south of Raleigh in 1929. The new Raleigh–Durham Airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. The airport has since undergone various expansions and modernisations, with Terminal 1 reopening in 1982 and Terminal 2 being completed in 2011.
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Frequently asked questions
Raleigh-Durham International Airport is located in Wake County, North Carolina, USA.
Raleigh-Durham International Airport is located about 10 miles from both downtown Raleigh and downtown Durham.
The address of the airport is 2400 Terminal Blvd, Morrisville, NC 27560, US.






































