Raleigh is the capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the second-most populous city in the state, the largest city in the Research Triangle area, and the 39th-most populous city in the U.S. Known as the "City of Oaks" for its oak-lined streets, Raleigh covers 148.54 square miles (384.7 km2) and had a population of 467,665 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Wake County and named after Sir Walter Raleigh, who founded the lost Roanoke Colony.