Raleigh-Durham International Airport — Raleigh/Durham, United States

Raleigh-Durham International Airport, known by the code RDU, sits roughly midway between the North Carolina cities of Raleigh and Durham, positioned to serve the Research Triangle area alongside Chapel Hill and its cluster of universities and technology employers. The airport grew substantially during the era when American Airlines operated a connecting hub there, and although that hub role later diminished, RDU has continued expanding on the strength of the region's booming technology, pharmaceutical, and higher-education sectors centered on Research Triangle Park. Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University all sit within a short drive, feeding a steady stream of academic and business travelers through its terminals. RDU offers a growing roster of nonstop domestic routes and a smaller but expanding set of international connections. Its two-terminal layout and ongoing capital improvements reflect the sustained population and job growth reshaping the broader Triangle region.