2011 Platinum Choice Award (Greater Raleigh CVB) - Smart Meetings magazine, December 2011
#41 Among Top 200 Hotels in the United States (The Umstead Hotel and Spa, Cary) - Condé Nast Traveler, October 2011
The 10 Safest Cities in the U.S. (Cary) - M&C, October 2011
#10 Among the Best Cities for Men 2012 (Raleigh) - Men's Health, December 2011
#4 Among 10 Most Tech-Friendly Terminals for Tech Travelers (Terminal 2, RDU International Airport) - PCWorld, December 2011
#1 Among 10 Best U.S. Airports for Wi-Fi (RDU International Airport) - PCWorld, December 2011
#12 Among 20 Best U.S. Airports for Tech Travelers (RDU International Airport) - PCWorld, December 2011
#2 Among Top Medical Cities (Raleigh-Durham-Cary) - MedCity News, December 2011
Nine Beautiful New Airport Terminals (RDU International Airport Terminal 2) - The Atlantic Cities, December 2011
#4 Among the Best Cities for Technology Jobs (Raleigh-Cary) - Forbes, November 2011
#23 Among Smartest Major U.S. Cities with More than 100,000 Residents (Raleigh) - American City Business Journals, November 2011
#7 Among Smartest Major U.S. Cities with More than 100,000 Residents (Cary) - American City Business Journals, November 2011
America's Best City (Raleigh) - Businessweek.com, September 2011
#3 Most Educated City in America (Raleigh) - Men's Health, September 2011
#5 Among 10 Best Cities for Educated Workers (Raleigh-Cary) - 24/7 Wall St., September 2011
#7 Among America's 20 Can-Do Capitals (Raleigh) - Newsweek, September 2011
Top 100 Best Cities for Families (Raleigh) - Parenting.com, September 2011
2011 Gold Service Award (Greater Raleigh CVB) - Meetings & Conventions, August 2011
Top 50 Late Night Dining Restaurants in the Nation (Solas Restaurant Lounge & Roof, Raleigh) - OpenTable, August 2011
Most Efficient Small/Medium Airport in North America (RDU International Airport) - Air Transport Research Society, August 2011
#4 Among Top 100 Places to Live in 2011 (Raleigh) - RelocateAmerica, July 2011
Best Barbecue Joints (The Pit, Raleigh) - AOL Travel News, July 2011
One of the Coolest Small Cities in America (Raleigh) - GQ, July 2011
#10 Among Top Large City Hotels in U.S./Canada (The Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary) - Travel+Leisure, July 2011
#2 Next Big Boom Town (Raleigh-Cary) - Forbes, July 2011
#21 Among 2011 Top 25 Arts Destinations - Mid-Size Cities (Raleigh) - AmericanStyle Magazine, July 2011
#1 Among Best Places for Business and Careers (Raleigh-Cary) - Forbes, June 2011
#22 Best Major League Sports Franchise (Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh) - ESPN The Magazine, June 2011
#7 Best National Hockey League Franchise (Carolina Hurricanes, Raleigh) - ESPN The Magazine, June 2011
#14 Among 2011 Best Cities for Job Growth (Raleigh-Cary) - Forbes, June 2011
Best New Public Golf Course for 2010 (Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University, Raleigh) - North Carolina Golf Panel, May 2011
Six Best New Museums in North America (N.C. Museum of Art, Raleigh) - AirTran GO Magazine, May 2011
Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community (Raleigh) - League of American Bicyclists, April 2011
#7 Top Metro for Small Business (Raleigh-Cary) - Portfolio.com/bizjournals, April 2011
#3 Best Labor Market for Young Adults (Raleigh-Cary) - Portfolio.com/bizjournals, April 2011
#3 America's Cleanest Cities (Raleigh-Cary) - Forbes, March 2011
12th Most Socially Networked City (Raleigh) - Men's Health, March 2011
50 Best Hospitals in America (Rex Hospital, Raleigh) - HealthGrades, March 2011
50 Best Hospitals in America (Rex Hospital, Raleigh) - Becker's Hospital Review, March 2011
One of Best 10 Restaurants at U.S. Airports (42nd Street Oyster Bar, RDU) - USA Today/Frommer's, March 2011
#2 Brain Magnet in the Nation (Raleigh-Durham-Cary) - Forbes, February 2011
U.S. Metro with Third-Highest Percentage of Same-Sex Couples Raising Children (Raleigh-Cary) - Gary Gates, UCLA Law School, January 2011
Two of America's 100 Best Beer Bars (Busy Bee Café and The Raleigh Times Bar, Raleigh) - Draft Magazine, January 2011
2011 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture (West Building, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh) - The American Institute of Architects, January 2011