4285 Trinity Rd
Raleigh, NC 27607
The N.C. State Fairgrounds is easily accessible from the I-440 Beltline, I-40, as well as from Blue Ridge Road, N.C. Highway 54 (Hillsborough Street) and Edwards Mill Road. Free parking is available on State Fair and Carter-Finley Football Stadium property, except for recreational vehicles that park between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m.
I-40 East into Raleigh
Exit Wade Avenue, Exit #289
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking
I-95 North to I-40 West
Exit Wade Avenue, Exit #289
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking
US 70 West to I-40 West
Exit #293, I-440 to Exit #289 Wade Avenue
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking
US 64 / 264 West to Raleigh
Exit 419 - I-440 towards Wake Forest
Exit Wade Avenue, Exit #4-B
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking
I-40 West to Raleigh
Exit Wade Avenue, Exit #289
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking
US 264 West to 64 West to Raleigh
Exit 419 - I-440 towards Wake Forest
Exit Wade Avenue, Exit #4-B
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking
I-85 North to I-40 East to Raleigh
Exit Wade Avenue, Exit #289
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking
I-95 South to I-85 South to US 1 South to Raleigh
Take I-440 W Exit towards Sanford
Exit Wade Avenue, Exit #4-B
Exit Edwards Mill Road
Follow signs to State Fair parking.
Address: 4501 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
The N.C. State Fair offers FREE off-site parking at the corner of Edwards Mill and Reedy Creek. Entrance to this lot is off Reedy Creek Road. With quick access to I-40 via Wade Avenue, this is the easiest lot to access as you make your way to the Fair!
We will also provide FREE shuttles! You'll be dropped off just across from Gate 8 on Trinity Road, and pick up will occur at the same location. Shuttles will run continuously. Drop off and pick up will be across Trinity Road at Gate 8 on the Carter Finley Stadium side of the road.
Bandwidth Dogwood Lot Parking Hours
Thursday, Oct. 16: 11 a.m. until one hour after gates close
Friday, Oct. 17 - Sunday, Oct. 26: 9 a.m. until one hour after gates close
Address: 5766 Chapel Hill Road, Raleigh, NC 27607
The N.C. State Fair offers FREE off-site parking off Hwy 54/Chapel Hill Road just past I-40 Exit 290 on your way to the fairgrounds.
We will also provide FREE shuttles! You'll be dropped off just across from our new Gate 7 off Youth Center Dr. and pick up will occur at the same location. Shuttles will run continuously.
Hwy 54 Cardinal Lot Parking Hours
Thursday, Oct. 16: 11 a.m. until one hour after gates close
Friday, Oct. 17 - Sunday, Oct. 26: 9 a.m. until one hour after gates close
Tickets will be available starting the early part of September.
All aboard for the easiest and most exciting way to experience the NC State Fair! Hop on NC By Train’s special State Fair service—tickets are on sale now and going fast. Plan your adventure to one of North Carolina’s most beloved annual events and get ready for fun, food, and unforgettable memories.
From October 15–25, let NC By Train drop you off at the heart of the action! Our special fair stop—right outside Gate 1—means you’ll step off the train and step right into the excitement. Forget parking hassles, crowded shuttles, and long walks—just pure, fair-time fun from the moment you arrive.
Flexible Daily Train Options:
- Opening Day (Oct. 15):
- Northbound arriving at the Fair: Train 72 stops at the Fair at 1:47 PM.
- Southbound departing from the Fair: Trains 77 (departs 3:43 PM) and 79 (departs 7:30 PM) serve the Fair.
- Full Fair Schedule (Oct. 16–25):
- Northbound arriving at the Fair: Train 80 (arrives 10:06 AM; 10:16 AM) and Train 72 (arrives 1:47 PM; 1:57 PM).
- Southbound departing from the Fair: Train 75 (departs 1:03 PM), Train 77 (departs 3:43 PM; 3:40 PM on Oct. 24), and Train 79 (departs 7:30 PM).
*These times are subject to change.
Booking couldn’t be easier! Just use Station Code NSF at NCByTrain.org to reserve your ticket. Sit back, enjoy spacious seating and free Wi-Fi, and roll right into the entertainment.
After enjoying the Fair, return to the Amtrak Hospitality tent no later than 20 minutes before your scheduled departure time for preboarding line up and check in. You will be responsible for knowing the train status in the event of delayed trains.
Get your hand stamped for re-entry before you leave the Fair in case of delays.
Make sure your return ticket has you departing from NSF (North Carolina State Fair), not RGH (Raleigh Union Station).
Tickets are valid only for the train listed on your reservation. Trains are not interchangeable, and passengers will not be permitted to board a different train. Please call 800-USA-Rail if you need assistance booking your train tickets or changing your reservation.
Special stop and schedules effective Oct. 15 – 25 only.
Make GoRaleigh your first RIDE at the North Carolina State Fair. From October 15-25, GoRaleigh shuttles carry passengers to the state fairgrounds from parking lot at Dix Park off Hunt Drive Lot A. You will get dropped off right at Gate 1! At the end of the day, head back to Gate 1 where a bus will pick you up and take you back to Dix Park.
LOCATIONS
Dix Park Sunflower Field - Lot A on Hunt Drive
Address: Hunt Dr. Raleigh, NC 27607
8:30 a.m. - Fair Closing | Non-Stop Express Shuttle - Every 30 Minutes
Round trip fare is $5 (one-way is $4). Seniors 65 & older and passengers with disabilities are half fare at $2.50 (one-way is $$2). Payment can be paid through cash or by using the UMO app. Stored value cannot be used to purchase passes, it must be done through the add pass section of the app. GoRaleigh does not offer refunds from UMO app.
Children 40" tall ride free. The GoPass is not valid on State Fair routes
Advanced sale passes are available through the UMO App or in person beginning October 2 and may be purchased at the GoRaleigh operations facility, 4104 Poole Rd, Raleigh, or at GoRaleigh Station in downtown Raleigh.
Go Durham will provide transportation from downtown Durham to the N.C. State Fair in 2026. The express bus service departs from Durham Station at 515 W. Pettigrew St., Durham, NC, and takes fairgoers to Gate 1 of the fairgrounds along Hillsborough St. in Raleigh.
The free service will run hourly from 8 a.m. to fair closing time. Seating is limited, and riders are asked to plan accordingly.
A full schedule is available at the Go Durham website.
Parking
Free parking is available on State Fair, Carter-Finley Football Stadium and Lenovo Center properties.
Lenovo Center Parking will be reserved/paid parking on the following dates:
Wednesday, Oct. 21
Fairgoers are encouraged to take Wade Avenue to the Edwards Mill Extension to park in these lots. There may be exceptions if events are scheduled at Carter-Finley or Lenovo Center.
Recreational vehicles are not allowed to remain in the parking spaces managed by the State Fair between the hours of midnight and 8 a.m.
Neighboring Private Lots: During the Fair, neighboring residents frequently convert parts of their property to small parking lots. This is not controlled by the N.C. State Fair.