1924 Charlotte Nc Train Wreck Photo Vintage Original 6X8

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Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (808) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 176270374091 1924 CHARLOTTE NC TRAIN WRECK PHOTO VINTAGE ORIGINAL 6X8. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL 6X8 INCH PHOTO OF A CHARLOTTE NC TRAIN WRECK FROM 1924
Charlotte (/ˈʃɑːrlət/ SHAHR-luht) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census,[10] making Charlotte the 15th-most populous city in the U.S., the seventh-most populous city in the South, and the second-most populous city in the Southeast behind Jacksonville, Florida. The city is the cultural, economic, and transportation center of the Charlotte metropolitan area, whose 2020 population of 2,660,329 ranked 22nd in the U.S.[9] Metrolina is part of a sixteen-county market region or combined statistical area with a 2020 census-estimated population of 2,846,550.[11] Between 2004 and 2014, Charlotte was ranked as the country's fastest-growing metro area, with 888,000 new residents.[12][13][14][15][16] Based on U.S. census data from 2005 to 2015, Charlotte tops the U.S. in millennial population growth.[17][18][19][20] It is the third-fastest-growing major city in the United States.[21][22][23][24] Residents are referred to as "Charlotteans".[25][26] Charlotte is home to the corporate headquarters of Bank of America, Truist Financial, and the East Coast headquarters of Wells Fargo, which along with other financial institutions has made it the second-largest banking center in the United States.[27][28][29][30] Charlotte's notable attractions include three professional sports teams, the Carolina Panthers of the NFL, the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, and Charlotte FC of MLS. The city is also home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the Charlotte Ballet, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Mint Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Billy Graham Library, Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte Museum of History, Carowinds amusement park, and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.[31][32][33][34][35][36] Charlotte has a humid subtropical climate. It is located several miles east of the Catawba River and southeast of Lake Norman, the largest human-made lake in North Carolina.[37][38] Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake are two smaller human-made lakes located near the city.[39][40] History For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Charlotte, North Carolina. Early history through American Revolution Queen Charlotte of Great Britain and Ireland, c. 1779 The Catawba Indians were the first known historic tribe to settle Mecklenburg County (in the Charlotte area) and were first recorded around 1567 in Spanish records. By 1759 half the Catawba tribe had died from smallpox, which was endemic among European colonists because the Catawba had not acquired immunity to the new disease. At the time of their largest population, Catawba people numbered 10,000, but by 1826 their total population had dropped to 110.[41] The city of Charlotte was developed first by a wave of migration of Scots-Irish Presbyterians, or Ulster-Scot settlers from Northern Ireland, who dominated the culture of the Southern Piedmont Region. They made up the principal founding population in the backcountry. German immigrants also settled in the area before the American Revolutionary War, but in much smaller numbers. They still contributed greatly to the early foundations of the region. Mecklenburg County was initially part of Bath County (1696 to 1729) of the New Hanover Precinct, which became New Hanover County in 1729. The western portion of New Hanover split into Bladen County in 1734, and its western portion split into Anson County in 1750. Mecklenburg County was formed from Anson County in 1762. Further apportionment was made in 1792, after the American Revolutionary War, with Cabarrus County formed from Mecklenburg.[42] In 1842, Union County formed from Mecklenburg's southeastern portion and a western portion of Anson County. These areas were all part of one of the original six judicial/military districts of North Carolina known as the Salisbury District.[43] The area that is now Charlotte was first settled by European colonists around 1755 when Thomas Spratt and his family settled near what is now the Elizabeth neighborhood. Thomas Polk (great-uncle of President James K. Polk), who later married Thomas Spratt's daughter, built his house by the intersection of two Native American trading paths between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers.[44] One path ran north–south and was part of the Great Wagon Road; the second path ran east–west along what is now Trade Street. Nicknamed the "Queen City",[45] like its county a few years earlier, Charlotte was named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who had become the queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland in 1761, seven years before the town's incorporation.[46] A second nickname derives from the American Revolutionary War, when British commander General Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis occupied the city but was driven out by hostile residents. He wrote that Charlotte was "a hornet's nest of rebellion", leading to the nickname "The Hornet's Nest".[47] Within decades of Polk's settling, the area grew to become the Town of Charlotte, incorporated in 1768.[48] Though chartered as Charlotte, the name appears as a form of "Charlottesburgh" on many maps until around 1800.[49] A form of "Charlottetown" also appears on maps of British origin depicting General Cornwallis' route of invasion.[50] The crossroads in Piedmont became the heart of Uptown Charlotte. In 1770, surveyors marked the streets in a grid pattern for future development. The east–west trading path became Trade Street, and the Great Wagon Road became Tryon Street, in honor of William Tryon, a royal governor of colonial North Carolina.[51] The intersection of Trade and Tryon—commonly known today as "Trade & Tryon", or simply "The Square"[44]—is more properly called "Independence Square".[52] While surveying the boundary between the Carolinas in 1772, William Moultrie stopped in Charlotte, whose five or six houses were "very ordinary built of logs".[53] Local leaders came together in 1775 and signed the Mecklenburg Resolves, more popularly known as the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. While not a true declaration of independence from British rule, it is among the first such declarations that eventually led to the American Revolution. May 20, the traditional date of the signing of the declaration, is celebrated annually in Charlotte as "MecDec", with musket and cannon fire by reenactors in Independence Square. North Carolina's state flag and state seal also bear the date. Late 18th century through 19th century Charlotte is traditionally considered the home of Southern Presbyterianism, but in the 19th century, numerous churches, including Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic formed, eventually giving Charlotte the nickname, "The City of Churches".[54] In 1799, in nearby Cabarrus County, 12-year-old Conrad Reed found a 17- pound rock, which his family used as a doorstop. Three years later, a jeweler determined it was nearly solid gold, paying the family a paltry $3.50.[55] The first documented gold find in the United States of any consequence set off the nation's first gold rush. Many veins of gold were found in the area throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to the 1837 founding of the Charlotte Mint.[56] North Carolina was the chief producer of gold in the United States, until the Sierra Nevada find in 1848,[57] although the volume mined in the Charlotte area was dwarfed by subsequent rushes. Some groups still pan for gold occasionally in local streams and creeks. The Reed Gold Mine operated until 1912.[58] The Charlotte Mint was active until 1861, when Confederate forces seized it at the outbreak of the Civil War. The mint was not reopened at the war's end, but the building, albeit in a different location, now houses the Mint Museum of Art. The city's first boom came after the Civil War, as Charlotte became a cotton processing center and railroad hub. By the 1880s, Charlotte sat astride the Southern Railway mainline from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. Farmers from miles around would bring cotton to the railroad platform in Uptown. Local promotors began building textile factories, starting with the 1881 Charlotte Cotton Mill that still stands at Graham and 5th streets.[59] Charlotte's city population at the 1890 census grew to 11,557.[60] Early 20th century to present In 1910, Charlotte surpassed Wilmington to become North Carolina's largest city with 34,014 residents.[61] The population grew again during World War I, when the U.S. government established Camp Greene, north of present-day Wilkinson Boulevard. The camp supported 40,000 soldiers, with many troops and suppliers staying after the war, launching urbanization that eventually overtook older cities along the Piedmont Crescent. In the 1920 census, Charlotte fell to being the state's second largest city, Winston-Salem with 48,395 people, had two thousand more people than Charlotte. Charlotte would pass Winston-Salem in population by the 1930 census, and has remained North Carolina's largest city since.[62] Until 1958, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad operated a daily passenger train from its own station (which had opened in 1896) to Wilmington.[63][64] The city's modern-day banking industry achieved prominence in the 1970s and 1980s, largely under the leadership of financier Hugh McColl. McColl transformed North Carolina National Bank (NCNB) into a formidable national bank that through aggressive acquisitions eventually merged with BankAmerica to become Bank of America. First Union, later Wachovia in 2001, experienced similar growth before it was acquired by San Francisco-based Wells Fargo in 2008. Measured by control of assets, Charlotte became the second largest banking headquarters in the United States after New York City.[65] On September 22, 1989, the city was hit by Hurricane Hugo. With sustained winds of 69 mph (111 km/h) and gusts of 87 mph (140 km/h),[66] Hugo caused massive property damage, destroyed 80,000 trees, and knocked out electrical power to most of the population. Residents were without power for weeks, schools were closed for a week or more, and the cleanup took months. The city was caught unprepared; Charlotte is 200 miles (320 km) inland, and residents from coastal areas in both Carolinas often wait out hurricanes in Charlotte.[67] In December 2002, Charlotte and much of central North Carolina were hit by an ice storm that resulted in more than 1.3 million people losing power.[68] During an abnormally cold December, many were without power for weeks. Many of the city's Bradford pear trees split apart under the weight of the ice. In August 2015 and September 2016, the city experienced several days of protests related to the police shootings of Jonathan Ferrell and Keith Scott.[69][70] Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 308.6 square miles (799 km2), of which 306.6 square miles (794 km2) is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) is water.[71] Charlotte is the twenty-sixth-most expansive city in the United States and lies at an elevation of 751 feet (229 m). Charlotte constitutes most of Mecklenburg County in the Carolina Piedmont.[72] Uptown Charlotte sits atop a long rise between two creeks, Sugar Creek and Irwin Creek, and was built on the gunnies of the St. Catherine's and Rudisill gold mines.[73] Charlotte is 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Concord,[74] 26 miles (42 km) northeast of Rock Hill, South Carolina,[75] 83 miles (134 km) southwest of Greensboro,[76] 135 miles (217 km) west of Fayetteville,[77] and 165 miles (266 km) southwest of Raleigh, the state capitol.[78] Though the Catawba River and its lakes lie several miles west, there are no significant bodies of water or other geological features near the city center.[79] Consequently, development has neither been constrained nor helped by waterways or ports that have contributed to many cities of similar size. The lack of these obstructions has contributed to Charlotte's growth as a highway, rail, and air transportation hub.[80] Neighborhoods See also: List of Charlotte neighborhoods and List of tallest buildings in Charlotte Uptown Charlotte South Park neighborhood NoDa neighborhood and arts district in North Charlotte Charlotte has 199 neighborhoods radiating in all directions from Uptown.[81][82] Biddleville, the primary historic center of Charlotte's African American community, is west of Uptown, starting at the Johnson C. Smith University campus and extending to the airport.[83][84][85] East of The Plaza and north of Central Avenue, Plaza-Midwood is known for its international population, including Eastern Europeans, Greeks, Middle-Easterners, and Hispanics.[86][87][88] North Tryon and the Sugar Creek area include several Asian American communities.[89][90] NoDa (North Davidson), north of Uptown, is an emerging center for arts and entertainment.[91][92][93] Myers Park, Dilworth, and Eastover are home to some of Charlotte's most affluent, oldest and largest houses, on tree-lined boulevards, with Freedom Park nearby.[94][95][96][97][98] The SouthPark area offers shopping, dining, and multifamily housing.[99][100] Far South Boulevard is home to a large Hispanic community.[101] Many students, researchers, and affiliated professionals live near UNC Charlotte in the northeast area known as University City.[102][103][104] The large area known as Southeast Charlotte is home to many golf communities, luxury developments, churches, the Jewish community center, and private schools. As undeveloped land within Mecklenburg has become scarce, many of these communities have expanded into Weddington and Waxhaw in Union County.[105] Ballantyne, in the south of Charlotte, and nearly every area on the I‑485 perimeter, has experienced rapid growth over the past ten years.[106][107][108] The Steele Creek neighborhood which is primarily in Mecklenburg county is located within minutes near Uptown Charlotte.[109][110][111][112] Since the 1980s in particular, Uptown Charlotte has undergone massive construction of buildings, housing Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Hearst Corporation, and Duke Energy, several hotels, and multiple condominium developments.[113][114][115][116][117] Parks and green space Little Sugar Creek Greenway at East 4th Street overpass A view of Romare Bearden Park, also located in Uptown Charlotte Fountain of First Ward Park, located in the First Ward neighborhood of Uptown Charlotte.[118] The 120‑acre Park Road Park is a prominent landmark near the SouthPark area.[119] Park Road Park features eight basketball courts, two horseshoe pits, six baseball fields, five picnic shelters, volleyball courts, playgrounds, trails, tennis courts, and an eleven-acre lake.[120] The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Parks & Recreation Department operates 36 tennis facilities and the 12 lighted tennis courts at the park.[121] In September 2013, the 5.4 acre Romare Bearden Park opened to the public.[122][123] The urban section of Little Sugar Creek Greenway was completed in 2012. Inspired in part by the San Antonio River Walk, and integral to Charlotte's extensive urban park system, it is "a huge milestone" according to Gwen Cook, greenway planner for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.[124] However, the Little Sugar Creek Greenway bears no relation to the San Antonio River Walk. The Little Sugar Creek Greenway is prone to flooding during thunderstorms and periods of heavy rain. Creation of Little Sugar Creek Greenway cost $43 million and was controversial because it required the forced acquisition of several established local businesses.[125] The city of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County began purchasing flood-prone homes in the 1990s. Voluntary buyouts of 700 households have created around 200 acres of open land that can flood safely, thereby saving an estimated $28 million in flood damage and emergency rescues.[126] McAlpine Creek Park and integrated McAlpine Creek Greenway constructed in 1978 was the first greenway built in the western piedmont of North Carolina.[127][128] Climate Like much of the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States, Charlotte has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), with four distinct seasons; the city itself is part of USDA hardiness zone 8a, transitioning to 7b in the suburbs in all directions except the south.[129] The following narrative reflects 1991-2020 climate data. Winters are short and fairly mild, with a normal January daily mean temperature of 42.1 °F (5.6 °C). On occasion the temperature can fall below 20 °F (−6.7 °C) but Charlotte also enjoys multiple warm winter days in excess of 65 °F (18.3 °C).[130] On average, there are 59 nights per year that drop to or below freezing, and only 1.5 days that fail to rise above freezing.[130] Precipitation is evenly distributed through the year; only August stands out as a slightly wetter month, averaging 4.35 inches of rainfall. Summers are hot and humid, with a normal July daily mean temperature of 80.1 °F (26.7 °C).[131] Hot and humid days can arrive as early as May and last through the end of September. There is an average of 44 days per year with highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C).[130] Official record temperatures range from 104 °F (40 °C) recorded six times, most recently from June 29 to July 1, 2012, down to −5 °F (−21 °C) recorded on January 21, 1985, the most recent of three occasions. The record cold daily maximum is 14 °F (−10 °C) on February 12 and 13, 1899,[130] and the record warm daily minimum is 82 °F (28 °C) on August 13, 1881.[a] The average window for freezing temperatures is November 5 through March 30, allowing a growing season of 220 days.[130] Charlotte is directly in the path of subtropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico as it heads up the eastern seaboard, thus the city receives ample precipitation throughout the year but also many clear, sunny days; precipitation is generally less frequent in autumn than in spring.[130] On average, Charlotte receives 43.60 inches (1,110 mm) of precipitation annually, evenly distributed throughout the year. Annual precipitation has historically ranged from 26.23 in (666 mm) in 2001 to 68.44 in (1,738 mm) in 1884.[130] There is an average of 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) of snow, mainly in January and February and rarely December or March, with more frequent ice storms and sleet mixed in with rain; seasonal snowfall has historically ranged from trace amounts in 2011–12 to 22.6 in (57 cm) in 1959–60.[130] Snow and ice storms can have a major impact on the area, as they often pull tree limbs down onto power lines and make driving hazardous. Snow has been recorded a small number of times in April, most recently, April 2, 2019.[132][133] As of 2020, the Charlotte metropolitan area as a whole is noted for having one of the worst weather radar gaps among any major U.S. East Coast city, with little to no coverage in a roughly quadrilateral area spanning Concord, Salisbury and much of Statesville.[134] As the nearest NWS-owned NEXRAD is located in Greer, South Carolina, more than 80 mi (130 km) to the west-southwest of Charlotte, this deficit is particularly problematic during severe thunderstorm or tornado episodes.[134] The current lowest angle of the radar, based in Greer, is quite far above the surface over Charlotte, so the velocities measurement for detecting rotations cannot be below mid-level in potential tornado-forming storms and thus cannot indicate whether said rotation extends closer to the ground (below 5,000 ft (1,500 m)).[134] Climate data for Charlotte, North Carolina (Charlotte Douglas Int'l), 1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1878–present[c] Demographics Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1800 276 — 1850 1,065 — 1860 2,265 112.7% 1870 4,473 97.5% 1880 7,094 58.6% 1890 11,557 62.9% 1900 18,091 56.5% 1910 34,014 88.0% 1920 46,338 36.2% 1930 82,675 78.4% 1940 100,899 22.0% 1950 134,042 32.8% 1960 201,564 50.4% 1970 241,420 19.8% 1980 315,474 30.7% 1990 395,934 25.5% 2000 540,828 36.6% 2010 731,424 35.2% 2020 874,579 19.6% 2022 (est.) 897,720 [137] 2.6% U.S. Decennial Census[138] 1800–1900[139] 2010–2020[10] Charlotte city, North Carolina – Racial and Ethnic Composition (NH = Non-Hispanic) Note: the U.S. census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race. Race / Ethnicity Pop 2000[140] Pop 2010[141] Pop 2020[142] % 2000 % 2010 2020 White alone (NH) 297,845 329,545 347,363 55.07% 45.06% 39.72% Black or African American alone (NH) 175,661 252,007 284,206 32.48% 34.45% 32.50% Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1,589 2,250 2,177 0.29% 0.31% 0.25% Asian alone (NH) 18,264 36,115 61,420 3.38% 4.94% 7.02% Pacific Islander alone (NH) 238 436 427 0.04% 0.06% 0.05% Some Other Race alone (NH) 885 1,960 5,632 0.16% 0.27% 0.64% Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 6,546 13,423 30,650 1.21% 1.84% 3.50% Hispanic or Latino (any race) 39,800 95,688 142,704 7.36% 13.08% 16.32% Total 540,828 731,424 874,579 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% As of the 2020 United States census, there were 874,579 people, 342,448 households, and 195,614 families residing in the city. In 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates showed 885,708 residents living within Charlotte's city limits[143] and 1,093,901 in Mecklenburg County.[144] The combined statistical area, or trade area, of Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC–SC had a population of 2,728,933.[144] Figures from the more comprehensive 2010 census show Charlotte's population density to be 2,457 per square mile (949/km2). There were 319,918 housing units at an average density of 1,074.6 per square mile (414.9/km2).[145] In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Charlotte's population as 30.2% Black and 68.9% White.[146] In 2020, 39.72% of the population was non-Hispanic white, 32.5% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 7.02% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.15% other or mixed, and 16.32% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. This reflected the national demographic shift as Hispanic or Latinos and Asians increased in population.[147][148][149][150] The median income for a household in the city was $48,670, and the median income for a family was $59,452. Males had a median income of $38,767 versus $29,218 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,825. The percentage of the population living at or below the poverty line was 10.6%, with 7.8% of families living at or below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Religion Billy Graham Library Charlotte has been historically Protestant and remains predominantly Protestant today. It is the birthplace of Billy Graham, and is also the historic seat of Southern Presbyterianism. The changing demographics of the city's increasing population have brought scores of new denominations and faiths.[151][152][153] The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Wycliffe Bible Translators' JAARS Center, SIM Missions Organization, and The Christian Research Institute make their homes in the Charlotte general area.[154][155][156] In total, Charlotte proper has over 700 places of worship.[157] The Presbyterian Church (USA) is now the fourth largest denomination in Charlotte, with 68,000 members and 206 congregations. The second largest Presbyterian denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America has 43 churches and 12,000 members, followed by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church with 63 churches and 9,500 members.[158] The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America is headquartered in Charlotte, and both Reformed Theological Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary have campuses there; more recently, the religious studies academic departments of Charlotte's local colleges and universities have also grown considerably.[159] The Advent Christian Church is headquartered in Charlotte. The Western North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is also headquartered in Charlotte.[160] The largest Protestant church in Charlotte, by attendance, is Elevation Church, a Southern Baptist church founded by lead pastor Steven Furtick. The church has over 15,000 congregants at nine Charlotte locations.[161] Charlotte's Cathedral of Saint Patrick is the seat of the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, the head of which is Rev. Peter Joseph Jugis.[162] St. Matthew Parish, located in the Ballantyne neighborhood, is the largest Catholic parish with over 30,000 parishioners.[163] Charlotte is home to ~28,000 Catholics.[164] The Greek Orthodox Church's cathedral for North Carolina, Holy Trinity Cathedral, is located in Charlotte.[165] St. Peter's Catholic Church, located in Uptown, is the city's oldest Catholic church. Charlotte has the largest Jewish population in the Carolinas.[166][167] Shalom Park in south Charlotte is the hub of the Jewish community, featuring two synagogues, Temple Israel[168] and Temple Beth El, as well as a community center, the Charlotte Jewish Day School for grades K–5, and the headquarters of the Charlotte Jewish News.[169] Most African Americans in Charlotte are Baptists affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, the largest predominantly African American denomination in the United States. African American Methodists are largely affiliated with either the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, headquartered in Charlotte, or the African Methodist Episcopal Church. African American Pentecostals are represented by several organizations such as the United House of Prayer for All People, Church of God in Christ, and the United Holy Church of America. As of 2013, 51.91% of people in Charlotte practice religion on a regular basis, making it the second most religious city in North Carolina after Winston-Salem. The largest religion in Charlotte is Christianity, with Baptists (13.26%) having the largest number of adherents. The second largest Christian group are the Roman Catholics (9.43%), followed by Methodists (8.02%) and Presbyterians (5.25%). Other Christian affiliates include Pentecostals (2.50%), Lutherans (1.30%), Episcopalians (1.20%), Latter-Day Saints (0.84%), and other Christian (8.87%) churches, including the Eastern Orthodox and non-denominational congregations. Judaism (0.57%) is the second largest religion after Christianity, followed by Eastern religions (0.34%) and Islam (0.32%).[170] Economy See also: List of companies in Charlotte Bank of America Corporate Center Duke Energy Center and The Westin Charlotte Truist Center, Truist Financial's headquarters One Wells Fargo Center behind Brevard Court in Uptown Charlotte Charlotte is the second-largest banking center in the United States, after New York City.[171][172] The nation's second largest financial institution by total assets, Bank of America, calls the city home.[173] It is also home to the nation's sixth largest financial institution, Truist, formed from the merger of BB&T and SunTrust in 2019.[174][175] The city was also the former corporate home of Wachovia until its 2008 acquisition by Wells Fargo; Wells Fargo integrated legacy Wachovia, with the two banks fully merged at the end of 2011, which included transitioning all of the Wachovia branches in the Carolinas to Wells Fargo branches by October 2011. Since then, Charlotte has become the regional headquarters for East Coast operations of Wells Fargo, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California.[176] Charlotte also serves as the headquarters for Wells Fargo's capital markets activities. Bank of America's headquarters, along with other regional banking and financial services companies, are located primarily in the Uptown central business district.[177][178][179] Charlotte also has become a large employment center for major banks not headquartered in Charlotte. In May 2021 Ally Financial moved into their newly built Ally Charlotte Center which houses all 2,100 Charlotte-based employees and contractors across 725,000 square feet (67,400 m2) of the building.[180][181] U.S. Bank leases 81,424 square feet (7,564.5 m2) in Truist Center to house 850 employees[182][183] MUFG Union Bank, which is being acquired by U.S. Bank, leases 26,710 square feet (2,481 m2) in Regions 615 to house 400 employees.[184][185][186] USAA occupies 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) in The Square which is located in South End to house 500 employees.[187][188] In September 2022, TD Bank announced its plan to expand its retail in Charlotte with 15 new branches.[189][190] Charlotte has also all drawn international attention from banks, in August 2022 UK based The Bank of London announced it will be leasing 40,000 square feet (3,716 m2) in 101 Independence Center to house the 350 jobs they're creating in Charlotte by 2026.[191][192] Charlotte also operates major offices for other large companies Microsoft and Centene Corporation also operate their East Coast headquarters in Charlotte.[193][194][195] In November 2018, Honeywell moved its corporate headquarters to Charlotte.[196] In June 2019, Lowe's announced it will be building its Lowe's Global Technology Center worth $153 million, which is set to be complete in 2021 and will be headquartered in South End neighborhood in Charlotte.[197][198] In 2019, Dole Food Company relocated its headquarters to Charlotte from California, and expanded its presence in Charlotte with its merger with Ireland-based Total Produce in February 2021.[199] On May 25, 2021, it was announced that Charlotte would become the East Coast headquarters of Credit Karma.[200][201] Cedar Fair's corporate office is located in southwest Charlotte.[202] On September 20, 2022, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced it will be relocating its headquarters from nearby Greensboro to Charlotte in 2023.[203][204][205] On July 12, 2023 railcar company TTX announced it will move it's corporate headquarters to Charlotte.[206][207] As of 2019, Charlotte has seven Fortune 500 companies in its metropolitan area. Listed in order of their rank, they are: Bank of America, Honeywell, Nucor, Lowe's, Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive and Brighthouse Financial.[208] The Charlotte area includes a diverse range of businesses, including foodstuffs such as Harris Teeter,[209] Snyder's-Lance,[210] Carolina Foods Inc.,[211] Bojangles',[212] Food Lion,[213] Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill,[214] Compass Group USA,[215] Krispy Kreme, Inc.,[216] and Coca-Cola Consolidated Inc. (Charlotte being the nation's second largest Coca-Cola bottler);[217] packaging company Sealed Air,[218] financial services company Dixon Hughes Goodman,[219][220] online leading marketplace Lending Tree, chemical company Albemarle Corporation,[221] Lawn and garden equipment maker WORX, door and window maker JELD-WEN,[222] motor and transportation companies such as RSC Brands, Continental Tire the Americas, LLC.,[223] Meineke Car Care Centers, retail companies Belk,[224] Cato Corporation and Rack Room Shoes, along with a wide array of other businesses.[225][226] Charlotte is the major center of the U.S. motorsports industry, housing the US's only Formula One team, Haas F1,[227][228] multiple teams and offices of NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord.[229] Approximately 75% of the NASCAR industry's race teams, employees and drivers are based nearby.[230] The large presence of the racing technology industry and the newly built NHRA dragstrip, zMAX Dragway at Concord, are influencing other top professional drag racers to move their shops to Charlotte as well. Located in the western part of Mecklenburg County is the U.S. National Whitewater Center, which consists of human-made rapids of varying degrees, and is open to the public year-round.[231][232] The Charlotte Region has a major base of energy-oriented organizations and has become known as "Charlotte USA – The New Energy Capital".[233][234] In the region there are more than 240 companies directly tied to the energy sector, collectively employing more than 26,400. Since 2007 more than 4,000 energy sector jobs have been announced. Major energy players in Charlotte include AREVA, Duke Energy, Electric Power Research Institute, Fluor, Metso Power, Piedmont Natural Gas, Albemarle Corp, Siemens Energy, Shaw Group, Toshiba, URS Corp., and Westinghouse.[235][236] The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has a reputation in energy education and research, and its Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) trains energy engineers and conducts research.[237] Over the last couple of years, Charlotte has become a hub in the Information technology industry.[238][239][240][241][242][243] The area is an increasingly growing trucking and freight transportation hub for the East Coast. There are a couple of reasons for this growth. First, Charlotte's close proximity to major Interstates 40, 85, 77 or 95. Second, geographically it is also positioned within a 650-mile drive to 53% of the US population.[244] A number of Charlotte-based logistics companies have experienced a lot of recent growth. There are few notable expansions in the last 10 years that have help to create Charlotte as a logistics hub. In December 2015 FedEx announced plans to build a number of warehouse buildings in a Concord, North Carolina business park to located 800 jobs there.[245] In August 2016 Red Classic, Coke Consolidated transportation subsidiary, announced they would be hiring for an additional 300 jobs between August 2016 and the end of 2017.[246] The company as of August 2022 has 357 local employees.[247] In October 2022 XPO Logistics has spun off RXO into a separate company that is a truckload brokerage. The new company has 750 local employees and $4.7 billion in annual revenue[248][249] Also in October 2022 Armstrong Transport Group formerly located in the University area after relocating to South End would be adding 100 jobs to its current local headcount of 125.[247][250] Others logistics companies that have are large Charlotte presence are Maersk North America with 800 employees, Zenith Global Logisitics with 720 employees, Cargo Transporters with 650 employees,[251] Southeastern Freight Lines Inc. with 517 employees,[252] Distribution Technology with 400 employees, and Transportation Insight LLC with 375 local employees.[247] Charlotte has seen a major construction boom in recent years. Zillow identified the city as the "hottest housing market" in 2023.[253][254][255] Numerous residential units continue to be built uptown, including over 20 skyscrapers under construction, recently completed, or in the planning stage.[256][257] Many new restaurants, bars and clubs now operate in the Uptown area.[258][259] Several projects are transforming the Midtown Charlotte/Elizabeth area.[260][261][262] Population increases has also brought about gentrification in the city, particularly in predominantly African-American neighborhoods such as Biddleville and Cherry.[263][264][265][266][267] In 2013, Forbes named Charlotte among its list of Best Places for Business and Careers.[268] Charlotte was listed as the 20th largest city in the US, and the 60th fastest growing city in the US between 2000 and 2008.[269] 20 largest employers by number of employees in the Charlotte region[270] # Name Industry Number of employees 1 Atrium Health Health Care and Social Assistance 35,700 2 Wells Fargo Finance and Insurance 24,000 3 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Educational Services 18,495 4 Wal-Mart Retail Trade 17,100 5 Bank of America Finance and Insurance 15,000 6 Novant Health Health Care 11,698 7 American Airlines Transportation 11,000 8 Food Lion Retail Trade 7,900 9 Harris Teeter Retail Trade 8,239 10 Duke Energy Utilities 7,900 11 Lowe's Retail Trade 7,801 12 North Carolina State Government Public Administration 7,600 13 Daimler Trucks North America Manufacturing 6,800 14 City of Charlotte Public Administration 6,800 15 Mecklenburg County Public Administration 5,512 16 Union County Public Schools Educational Services 5,427 17 US Government Public Administration 5,300 18 YMCA of Greater Charlotte Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 4,436 19 Adecco Staffing, USA Administration and Support Services 4,200 20 Carowinds Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 4,100 Arts and culture Museums Mint Museum in Uptown Charlotte Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Discovery Place Bechtler Museum of Modern Art[271] Billy Graham Library[272] Carolinas Aviation Museum[273] Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fire Education Center and Museum[274] Charlotte Nature Museum in Freedom Park[275] Charlotte Trolley Museum in Historic South End[276] Discovery Place[277] Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture[278] Historic Rosedale Plantation[279] Levine Museum of the New South[280] The Light Factory[281] McColl Center for Art + Innovation[282] Mint Museum[283] NASCAR Hall of Fame[284] Museum of Illusions Charlotte[285] Second Ward Alumni House Museum[286] Charlotte Museum of History[287] Performing arts Actor's Theatre of Charlotte[288] Amos' Southend Music Hall[289] Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte[290] Blumenthal Performing Arts Center[291] Charlotte Ballet[292] Charlotte Symphony Orchestra[293] Carolina Theatre[294] ConCarolinas[295] ImaginOn[296] AvidxChange Music Factory[297] PNC Music Pavilion[298] Opera Carolina[299] The Robot Johnson Show[300] Citizens of the Universe[301] Children's Theatre of Charlotte[302] Theatre Charlotte[303] JazzArts Charlotte[304] Festivals and events The Charlotte region is home to many annual festivals and special events. The Carolina Renaissance Festival operates on Saturdays and Sundays each October and November. Located near the intersection of NC 73 and Poplar Tent Road, the Carolina Renaissance Festival is one of the largest renaissance themed events in the country. It features 11 stages of outdoor variety entertainment, a 22-acre village marketplace, an interactive circus, an arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament, and a feast, all rolled into one non-stop, day-long family adventure.[305] The Yiasou Greek Festival is a Greek Festival. It began in 1978 and since then has become one of Charlotte's largest cultural events.[306] The Yiasou (the Greek word for Hello, Goodbye and Cheers) Greek Festival features Hellenic cultural exhibits, authentic Greek cuisine and homemade pastries, entertainment, live music and dancing, wine tastings, art, shopping and more.[307] Taste of Charlotte is a three-day festival offering samples from area restaurants, live entertainment and children's activities. Located on Tryon Street, Taste of Charlotte spans six city blocks from Stonewall to 5th Street.[308][309] Moo and Brew Fest is an annual craft beer and burger festival that is the largest in North Carolina, held each April and includes various national musical acts.[310][311] Breakaway Music Festival is a music festival which takes place at the NC Music Factory and consists of hip hop and electronic music artists and DJs.[312] Heroes Convention is an annual comic book convention held in June at the Charlotte Convention Center. Founded in 1982, it is one of the oldest and largest independent comic book conventions in the United States.[313] Charlotte Pride is an annual LGBT event held in August. In 2019, the event attracted 200,000 people to Uptown Charlotte.[314] The event's parade became Charlotte's largest annual parade in 2017.[315] Charlotte Turkey Trot is an annual 5k & 8k running marathon hosted every Thanksgiving, it is also the largest running event in the state of North Carolina.[316][317][318] Zoos and aquariums Charlotte is "... the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a zoo".[319] The Charlotte Zoo initiative is a proposal to allocate 250 acres (101 ha) of natural North Carolina land to be dedicated to the zoological foundation, which was incorporated in 2008. On August 18, 2012, Channel 14 News says that the initiative is "... still a few years away" and the plot of land is "... just seven miles from the center of uptown". According to the news channel, "... the zoo will cost roughly $300 million, and will be completely privately-funded."[320] The Charlotte Observer references two other zoos, the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden and the North Carolina Zoological Park as two "great zoos" that are accessible from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, both roughly more than 70 miles away.[321] Charlotte is also served by the Sea Life Charlotte-Concord Aquarium in the nearby city of Concord. The aquarium is 30,000 square feet in size, and is part of the Concord Mills mall. The aquarium opened on February 20, 2014.[322][323] Libraries ImaginOn Children's Theater and Library The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library serves the Charlotte area with a large collection (more than 1.5 million) of books, CDs and DVDs at 15 locations in the city of Charlotte, with branches in the surrounding towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson. All locations provide free access to Internet-enabled computers and WiFi, and a library card from one location is accepted at all 20 locations.[324] Although the library's roots go back to the Charlotte Literary and Library Association, founded on January 16, 1891,[325] the state-chartered Carnegie Library, which opened on the current North Tryon site of the Main Library, was the first non-subscription library opened to members of the public in the city of Charlotte. The philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated $25,000 for a library building, on the condition that the city of Charlotte donate a site and $2,500 per year for books and salaries,[326] and that the state grant a charter for the library. All conditions were met, and the Charlotte Carnegie Library opened in an imposing classical building on July 2, 1903. The 1903 state charter also required that a library be opened for the disenfranchised African-American population of Charlotte. This was completed in 1905 with the opening of the Brevard Street Library for Negroes, an independent library in Brooklyn, a historically black area of Charlotte, on the corner of Brevard and East Second Streets (now Martin Luther King Boulevard).[327] The Brevard Street Library was the first library for African Americans in the state of North Carolina,[327] and some sources say in the southeast.[328] The library was closed in 1961 when the Brooklyn neighborhood in Second Ward was redeveloped, but its role as a cultural center for African-Americans in Charlotte is continued by the Beatties Ford and West Boulevard branches of the library system, as well as by Charlotte's African-American Cultural Center. Sports Main article: Sports in Charlotte, North Carolina Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets Truist Field, home of the Charlotte Knights Charlotte is home to three major professional sports franchises: the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL), the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer (MLS).[329][330][331] The Panthers have been located in Charlotte since the team's creation in 1995, and the current Hornets franchise has been located in Charlotte since its creation in 1988 (with the exception of the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons).[332] The Panthers and Charlotte FC play their home games in Bank of America Stadium, while the Hornets play in the Spectrum Center.[333] The Panthers have won six division titles from (1996, 2003, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015) and two NFC championships in 2003 and 2015.[334] Carolina has reached the Super Bowl twice but has been unsuccessful in both losing to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004 and against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 in 2016.[335] The original Hornets NBA franchise was established in 1988 as an expansion team,[336] but it relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana in 2002 after animosity grew between the team's fans and principal owner George Shinn.[337] The NBA quickly granted Charlotte an expansion franchise following the departure of the Hornets and the new franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats, began to play in 2004.[338][339] The team retook the Hornets name when the New Orleans-based team renamed itself the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013.[340] The name change became official on May 20, 2014.[341] On the same day, the franchise reclaimed the history and records of the original 1988–2002 Hornets.[342] MLS awarded its expansion team to Charlotte in 2019, which began play as Charlotte FC in 2022.[343][344][345] Charlotte is represented in professional ice hockey by the Charlotte Checkers and in professional baseball at the Triple-A level by the Charlotte Knights.[346][347] Since 1999, the Knights has been the Triple-A Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.[348][349] The Charlotte Independence are a minor professional soccer club who play in USL League One the third tier of US professional soccer.[350] The Independence play their home matches at American Legion Memorial Stadium Club Sport Founded League Venue Carolina Panthers Football 1995 National Football League Bank of America Stadium Charlotte Hornets Basketball 1988 National Basketball Association Spectrum Center Charlotte FC Soccer 2022 Major League Soccer Bank of America Stadium Charlotte Checkers Ice hockey 2010 American Hockey League Bojangles' Coliseum Charlotte Knights Baseball 1976 International League Truist Field Charlotte Independence Soccer 2015 USL League One American Legion Memorial Stadium Charlotte Eagles Soccer 1991 USL League Two Sportsplex at Matthews Charlotte Lady Eagles Soccer 2000 W-League Sportsplex at Matthews The city is also the home of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) headquarters. The NJCAA is the second-largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States with over 500 member schools in 43 states.[351] The Big South Conference is also headquartered in Charlotte. Founded in 1983, the Big South Conference has 11 member institutions with over 19 different sports and completes in the NCAA's Division I.[352] The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) also has it's headquarters in Charlotte. Founded in 1954, the ACC has 15 member institutions 4 of whom are located in the state of North Carolina with over 28 different sports and competes in NCAA's Division I.[353] Over the years, Charlotte has hosted many international, collegiate, and professional sporting events. In professional basketball, the city hosted the NBA All-Star Game twice in 1991 at the old Charlotte Coliseum and most recently in 2019 at Spectrum Center.[354][355] In collegiate sports, Charlotte hosts the ACC Championship Game and Duke's Mayo Bowl.[356][357] The city has also been the host many ACC men's basketball tournaments most recently in 2019.[358] In 2021, Charlotte hosted the ACC baseball tournament.[359] In 2017, Charlotte hosted the PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club and is set to host again by 2025.[360][361] Charlotte will also host the 2022 Presidents Cup.[362][363] In 1994, Charlotte hosted the Final Four.[364][365] Since 1931, Jim Crockett Promotions has been a full-fledged professional wrestling performer, based in the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia states, and has been called Mid-Atlantic Wrestling. National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, WWE has big matches, and many pay-per-view event. Many professional wrestlers living.[366][367][368][369][370] Currently, the city is home to two universities that participate in NCAA Division I Athletics: the Charlotte 49ers of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, as well as the Queens Royals of Queens University of Charlotte, who announced their transition from NCAA Division II to Division I on May 7, 2022.[371][372] Charlotte has participated in 11 NCAA men's basketball tournaments, 14 NCAA men's soccer tournaments, and the football team participated in their first bowl game in 2019 just six years after starting their program.[373] Johnson C. Smith University participates at the NCAA Division II level. Johnson and Wales University participate in the USCAA.[374] Government See also: Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina and City Council of Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every two years, with no term limits. The mayor is ex officio chair of the City Council, and only votes in case of a tie. Unlike other mayors in council-manager systems, Charlotte's mayor has the power to veto ordinances passed by the council; the council can override a mayoral veto by a vote of seven of its ten members.[375] The Council appoints a city manager to serve as chief administrative officer.[376] Unlike some other cities and towns in North Carolina, elections are held on a partisan basis. Vi Lyles, a Democrat elected in 2017, became the 59th mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. She is in her second term.[377] Patrick Cannon, a Democrat, was sworn in as mayor on December 2, 2013.[378] On March 26, 2014, Cannon was arrested on public corruption charges. Later the same day, he resigned as mayor.[379] Mayor Pro Tem Michael Barnes served as Acting Mayor until April 7, when the City Council selected State Senator Dan Clodfelter, also a Democrat, to serve the remainder of Cannon's term.[380] Former Mecklenburg County Commission chairwoman Jennifer Roberts defeated Clodfelter in the 2015 Democratic primary and went on to win the general election, becoming the first Democratic woman to be elected to the post.[381] She was ousted in the 2017 Democratic primary by Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles, who later defeated Republican City Councilman Kenny Smith in the general election to become Mayor of Charlotte.[382] Historically, voters have been friendly to moderates of both parties. However, in recent years, Charlotte has swung heavily to the Democrats. Republican strength is concentrated in the southeastern portion of the city, while Democratic strength is concentrated in the south-central, eastern, and northern areas.[383] The city had a Republican mayor from 1987 to 2009.[384][385][386] The city council has 11 members (7 from districts and 4 at-large). Democrats control the council with a 9-to-2 advantage, winning all 4 of the at-large seats in the November 2013, 2015, and 2017 municipal elections. While the City Council is responsible for passing ordinances, the city's budget, and other policies, all decisions can be overridden by the North Carolina General Assembly, since North Carolina municipalities do not have home rule. While municipal powers have been broadly construed since the 1960s, the General Assembly still retains considerable authority over local matters.[387] Charlotte is split between two congressional districts on the federal level. The northern half of the city is in the 12th district, represented by Democrat Alma Adams. The southern half is in the 14th district, represented by Democrat Jeff Jackson.[388] Charlotte was selected in 2011 to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which was held at the Spectrum Center.[389] It began September 4, 2012, and ended on September 6, 2012. [1] In 2018, Charlotte was chosen to host the Republican National Convention in August 2020.[390] Education See also: List of schools in Charlotte, North Carolina School system The city's public school system, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, is the second largest in North Carolina and 17th largest in the nation.[391][392] In 2009, it won the NAEP Awards, the Nation's Report Card for urban school systems with top honors among 18 city systems for fourth grade math, second place among eighth graders.[393][394] An estimated 144,000 students are taught in 164 separate elementary, middle, and high schools.[395] Charlotte is also home to many private and independent schools, including British School of Charlotte,[396] Charlotte Catholic High School,[397] Charlotte Christian School,[398] Charlotte Country Day School,[399] Charlotte Islamic Academy,[400] Charlotte Latin School,[401] Grace Academy,[402] Providence Day School,[403] Hickory Grove Christian School,[404] Northside Christian Academy,[405] Southlake Christian Academy,[406] and United Faith Christian Academy.[407][408] Colleges and universities The Student Union Quad of UNC Charlotte's main campus Charlotte is home to a number of universities and colleges such as Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson C. Smith University, Johnson & Wales University, Queens University of Charlotte, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.[409][410][411][412] Several notable colleges are located in the metropolitan suburbs. Located in nearby Davidson, North Carolina is Davidson College.[413] Additional colleges in the area include Belmont Abbey College in the suburb of Belmont, North Carolina, Gaston College with its main campus in the suburb of Dallas, North Carolina and Wingate University in the suburb of Wingate, North Carolina.[414][415] Also nearby are Winthrop University, Clinton Junior College, York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina in the westernmost part of the Charlotte area.[416][417][418] UNC Charlotte is the city's largest university. It is located in University City, the northeastern portion of Charlotte, which is also home to University Research Park, a 3,200 acres (13 km2) research and corporate park. With more than 30,000 students, UNC Charlotte is the second largest university in the state system.[419] Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in the Carolinas, with more than 70,000 students each year and 6 campuses throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region.[420] CPCC is part of the statewide North Carolina Community College System. The Charlotte School of Law opened its doors in Charlotte in 2006 and was fully accredited by the American Bar Association in 2011. The law school offered the Juris Doctor degree but the Bar association rescinded the accreditation in 2017. Charlotte School of Law, once the largest law school in the Carolinas, has ceased to operate.[421] Pfeiffer University has a satellite campus in Charlotte.[422][423] Wake Forest University, with its main campus in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, also operates a satellite campus of its Babcock Graduate School of Management in the Uptown area.[424] On March 24, 2021, it was announced Wake Forest School of Medicine would expand a 20-acre campus in Charlotte by 2024.[425] The Connecticut School of Broadcasting, DeVry University, and ECPI University all have branches in Charlotte.[426][427][428] The Universal Technical Institute has the NASCAR Technical Institute in nearby Mooresville, serving the Charlotte area.[429] Montreat College (Charlotte) maintains a School of Professional and Adult Studies in the city. Additionally, Union Presbyterian Seminary has a non-residential campus offering the Master of Arts in Christian Education, and the Master of Divinity in Charlotte near the Beverley Woods area.[430] The North Carolina Research Campus, a 350-acre biotechnology hub located northeast of Charlotte in the city of Kannapolis, is a public-private venture including eight universities, one community college, the David H. Murdock Research Institute (DHMRI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and corporate entities that collaborate to advance the fields of human health, nutrition and agriculture. Partnering educational organizations include UNC Charlotte and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, from the Charlotte region, as well as Appalachian State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina A&T State University, Shaw University, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina State University.[431] The research campus is part of a larger effort by leaders in the Charlotte area to attract energy, health, and other knowledge-based industries that contribute to North Carolina's strength in biotechnology.[432] Media Main article: Media in Charlotte, North Carolina Newspaper Charlotte has one major daily newspaper, The Charlotte Observer.[433] It boasts the largest circulation in North Carolina[434] and South Carolina. Radio Charlotte is the 24th largest radio market in the nation, according to Nielsen Audio. While major groups like iHeartMedia and Urban One have stations serving Charlotte, several smaller groups also own and operate stations in the area.[435][436] The local National Public Radio news affiliate is WFAE News, which sponsors a number of podcasts and radio shows.[437] Television According to Nielsen Media Research, Charlotte is the 22nd largest television market in the nation (as of the 2016–2017 season) and the largest in the state of North Carolina.[438] Major television stations located in Charlotte include CBS affiliate WBTV 3 (the oldest television station in the Carolinas),[439]ABC affiliate WSOC-TV 9,[440]NBC affiliate WCNC-TV 36,[441] CW affiliate WCCB 18,[442] and PBS member station WTVI 42.[443] One cable sports network is headquartered in Charlotte: the ESPN-controlled SEC Network.[444] Raycom Sports is also headquartered in Charlotte.[445][446] Other stations serving the Charlotte market include Fox affiliate WJZY 46 in Belmont,[447] UNC-TV/PBS member station WUNG-TV 58 in Concord, independent station WAXN-TV 64 (a sister to WSOC-TV) in Kannapolis, and two stations in Rock Hill, South Carolina: MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYT-TV 55 (a sister to WJZY)[448] and PBS member station WNSC-TV 30. Additionally, INSP is headquartered in nearby Indian Land, South Carolina.[449] In 2020, CNN established a Charlotte bureau spearheaded by national correspondent Dianne Gallagher.[450] Cable television customers are served by Spectrum, which offers a localized feed of Raleigh-based Spectrum News North Carolina.[451] Infrastructure City services Emergency medical services Emergency medical services for the city of Charlotte are provided by Mecklenburg EMS Agency (MEDIC). MEDIC received over 160,000 calls in 2022 and transported over 107,000 patients in Mecklenburg County.[452] The agency employs over 600 paramedics, EMTs, EMDs and admin staff.[453] In addition to dispatching MEDIC's EMS calls, the agency also dispatches all county fire calls outside of the city of Charlotte.[454] Hospitals Carolinas Medical Center is the flagship hospital of Atrium Health Hospitals in Charlotte include Atrium Health Mercy,[455] Atrium Health Pineville,[456] Atrium Health University City,[457] Carolinas ContinueCare Pineville,[458] Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center[459] / Levine Children's, Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital,[460] Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital,[461] and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.[462] Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority is the public hospital authority of Mecklenburg County.[463] Fire department The Charlotte Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, public education, hazardous materials (HAZMAT) mitigation, technical rescues, and fire prevention and inspection with 1,164 personnel. Forty-three fire stations are strategically scattered throughout Charlotte to provide a reasonable response time to emergencies in the city limits.[464] Law enforcement and crime See also: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) is a combined jurisdiction agency. The CMPD has law enforcement jurisdiction in both the city of Charlotte and the few unincorporated areas left in Mecklenburg County. The other small towns maintain their own law enforcement agencies for their own jurisdictions. The department consists of approximately 1,700 sworn law enforcement officers, 550 civilian personnel, and more than 400 volunteers.[465] An average of 4,939 vehicles are stolen every year in Charlotte.[466][467][468][469][470] According to the Congressional Quarterly Press; '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America,' Charlotte, North Carolina ranks as the 62nd most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants.[471] However, the entire Charlotte-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked as 27th most dangerous out of 338 metro areas.[472][473] Waste treatment Charlotte has a municipal waste system consisting of trash pickup, water distribution, and waste treatment. There are five waste water treatment plants operated by Charlotte Water (previously Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department).[474] Charlotte has a biosolids program.[475] Some Chester residents spoke out against the program on February 26, 2013.[476] Charlotte's sludge is handled, transported, and spread on farm fields in Chester by a company called Synagro, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Carlyle Group[477] Charlotte's sludge is of the "CLASS B" variety, which means it still contains detectable levels of pathogens.[475][478] Transportation Main article: Transportation in Charlotte, North Carolina The city of Charlotte has a lower than average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 7.4 percent of Charlotte households lacked a car, and decreased to 6 percent in 2016. The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Charlotte averaged 1.65 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[479][480][481] Mass transit Main article: Charlotte Area Transit System The Blue Line's Bland Street Station in Charlotte's South End neighborhood The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is the agency responsible for operating mass transit in the Charlotte metropolitan area, carrying over 16 million riders annually. Established in 1999 and administered as a department of the city of Charlotte, CATS operates light rail transit, streetcar, express buses, local buses, and special bus services serving Charlotte and the surrounding area in addition to other programs such as vanpool.[482][483] CATS' rail arm, LYNX Rapid Transit Services, comprises two lines as of fall 2020. The Blue Line is an 18.9‑mile line north–south light rail line running through South End, Center City, NoDa, and University City.[484] The CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar, Phase 1 of which opened in 2015, is under Phase 2 construction as of fall 2020. When completed, the Gold Line will link the Beatties Ford neighborhood through Uptown and then south and east to the Elizabeth neighborhood.[485] The LYNX Silver Line, a light rail line in the pre-project development phase as of fall 2020, will link the southeastern suburbs of Matthews, Stallings, and Indian Trail with Uptown Charlotte and the future Charlotte Gateway Station before extending west to Charlotte Douglas International Airport and across the Catawba River to Belmont in Gaston County.[486] The bulk of CATS ridership is derived from its extensive bus network, which has its main hub at the Charlotte Transportation Center in Uptown, which also connects to the Blue and Gold lines. Other bus hubs are located at community transit centers in SouthPark, Eastland, and at Rosa Parks Place. CATS operates express buses to outlying parts of the city and some commuter bus to the northern suburbs in the Lake Norman area under the MetroRAPID umbrella.[487][488] Walkability A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Charlotte the 49th most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the United States.[489][490][491][492] Roads and highways I-85/I-485 turbine interchange under construction just north of Charlotte, 2013 Charlotte's central location between the population centers of the northeast and southeast has made it a transportation focal point and primary distribution center, with two major interstate highways, I-85 and I-77, intersecting near the city's center. The latter highway also connects to the population centers of the Rust Belt.[493][494] Charlotte's beltway, designated I-485 and simply called "485" by local residents, was under construction for over 20 years, but funding problems slowed its progress.[495] The final segment was finished in mid-2015.[496] I-485 has a total circumference of approximately 67 mi (108 km). Within the city, the I-277 loop freeway encircles Charlotte's uptown (usually referred to by its two separate sections, the John Belk Freeway and the Brookshire Freeway) while Charlotte Route 4 links major roads in a loop between I-277 and I-485. Independence Freeway, which carries U.S. 74 and links downtown with the Matthews area, is undergoing an expansion and widening in the eastern part of the city.[497] Air Charlotte Douglas International Airport with the Uptown Charlotte skyline in the background In 2011, Charlotte Douglas International Airport was the sixth-busiest airport in both the U.S. and the world overall as measured by traffic (aircraft movements).[498][499] The airport handled just over 50 million travellers in 2019, as well as many domestic and international carriers including Air Canada, Lufthansa, and Volaris. It is a major hub for American Airlines, having historically been a hub for its predecessors US Airways and Piedmont Airlines.[500][501] Nonstop flights are available to many destinations across the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and South America.[502] The 145th Airlift Wing of North Carolina Air National Guard is also located east of the airport.[503][504] Intercity transportation See also: Charlotte station (Amtrak) Charlotte is served daily by three Amtrak routes with ten daily trips from a station on North Tryon Street, just outside downtown. The Crescent connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C.; Charlottesville, and Greensboro to the north, and Greenville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Meridian and New Orleans to the south. It arrives overnight once in each direction.[505] The Carolinian connects Charlotte with New York; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Richmond; Raleigh; Durham; and Greensboro. Charlotte is the southern terminus, with the northbound train leaving just before the morning rush and the southbound train arriving in the evening.[506] The Piedmont, a regional companion of the Carolinian, connects Charlotte with Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh with three daily round trips. Charlotte is the southern terminus.[507] Charlotte is also served by both Greyhound and low-cost curbside carrier Megabus. Charlotte is a service stop for Greyhound routes running to Atlanta, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York and Philadelphia. It is also a stop for buses running out of Megabus' hub in Atlanta, with connections to Megabus' northeastern routes out of New York.[508] The city is planning a new centralized downtown multimodal station called Gateway Station. It is expected to house Amtrak, Greyhound and the future LYNX Red Line.[509] It is under construction at the former site of the Greyhound station; Greyhound is currently operating from a temporary station nearby.[510] Notable people Further information: List of people from Charlotte, North Carolina Sister cities Charlotte's sister cities are:[511] Peru Arequipa, Peru (1962) Germany Krefeld, Germany (1985) China Baoding, China (1987) France Limoges, France (1992) Poland Wrocław, Poland (1993) Ghana Kumasi, Ghana (1995) See also flag United States portal flag North Carolina portal Cities portal List of municipalities in North Carolina Mecklenburg County is a county located in the southwestern region of the state of North Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,115,482,[1] making it the second-most populous county in North Carolina (after Wake County) and the first county in the Carolinas to surpass one million in population.[2] Its county seat is Charlotte, the state's largest city.[3] Mecklenburg County is the central county of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. On September 12, 2013, the county welcomed its one millionth resident.[4] Like its seat, the county is named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen of the United Kingdom (1761–1818), whose name is derived from the region of Mecklenburg in Germany, itself deriving its name from Mecklenburg Castle (Mecklenburg meaning "large castle" in Low German) in the village of Dorf Mecklenburg. History Mecklenburg County was formed in 1762 from the western part of Anson County, both in the Piedmont section of the state. It was named in commemoration of the marriage of King George III to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,[5] for whom the county seat Charlotte is named. Due to unsure boundaries, a large part of south and western Mecklenburg County extended into areas that would later form part of the state of South Carolina. In 1768, most of this area (the part of Mecklenburg County west of the Catawba River) was designated Tryon County, North Carolina. Determining the final boundaries of these "western" areas between North and South Carolina was a decades-long process. As population increased in the area following the American Revolutionary War, in 1792 the northeastern part of Mecklenburg County was taken by the North Carolina legislature for Cabarrus County. Finally, in 1842 the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County was combined with the western part of Anson County to form Union County. The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was allegedly signed on May 20, 1775, and if the document is genuine, Mecklenburg County was the first part of the Thirteen Colonies to declare independence from Great Britain.[6] The "Mecklenburg Resolves" were adopted on May 31, 1775. Mecklenburg continues to celebrate the declaration each year in May,[7] the date of which is included on the flag of North Carolina. In 1917, during World War I, Camp Greene was established west of Charlotte as a training camp for the army, it was later decommissioned. Around the 1930s and 1940s, the population began to rapidly increase, during this time, Charlotte Memorial Hospital and Charlotte College (Now UNCC) were built.[8] Lake Norman was also completed in 1964, after a 5-year construction period. In the mid-20th century, the county continued to see rapid growth. Many new government buildings were constructed, Charlotte Douglas International Airport was also expanded in 1954. By 1960, a quarter million people were living in the county with that number hitting half a million by 1990. An unsuccessful attempt to form a Consolidated city-county government was tried in 1971, but was voted down by residents.[9] The Metropolitan Statistical Area now includes 6 counties in both North and South Carolina with a combined population of 2,595,027 in 2020.[8][10] In mid-2020, the county was the site of the 2020 Colonial Pipeline oil spill, wherein about 2,000,000 U.S. gal (7,600,000 L) of gasoline leaked from the Colonial Pipeline in the Oehler Nature Preserve near Huntersville. It is one of the largest gasoline spills in U.S. history and cleanup efforts are expected to last for several years. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 square miles (1,410 km2), of which 524 square miles (1,360 km2) is land and 22 square miles (57 km2) (4.0%) is water.[11] State and local protected areas/sites Carolina Raptor Center[12] Historic Latta Place[13] Historic Rural Hill/Nature Preserve[14] Little Sugar Creek Greenway[15] President James K. Polk Historic Site[16] Nature preserves in Charlotte:[17] Auten Nature Preserve Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge Ferrelltown Nature Preserve Latta Nature Preserve McDowell Nature Preserve Possum Walk Nature Preserve Reedy Creek Nature Preserve Sherman Branch Nature Preserve Stevens Creek Nature Preserve Major water bodies Catawba River Lake Norman Mountain Island Lake Rocky River Adjacent counties Iredell County – north Cabarrus County – northeast Union County – southeast Lancaster County, South Carolina – south York County, South Carolina – southwest Gaston County – west Lincoln County – northwest Demographics Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1790 11,395 — 1800 10,439 −8.4% 1810 14,272 36.7% 1820 16,895 18.4% 1830 20,073 18.8% 1840 18,273 −9.0% 1850 13,914 −23.9% 1860 17,374 24.9% 1870 24,299 39.9% 1880 34,175 40.6% 1890 42,673 24.9% 1900 55,268 29.5% 1910 67,031 21.3% 1920 80,695 20.4% 1930 127,971 58.6% 1940 151,826 18.6% 1950 197,052 29.8% 1960 272,111 38.1% 1970 354,656 30.3% 1980 404,270 14.0% 1990 511,433 26.5% 2000 695,454 36.0% 2010 919,628 32.2% 2020 1,115,482 21.3% 2022 (est.) 1,145,392 [18] 2.7% U.S. Decennial Census[19] 1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21] 1990–2000[22] 2020[18] Population grew 2.5% per year from 1970 to 2008 2020 census Mecklenburg County racial composition[23] Race Number Percentage White (non-Hispanic) 498,683 44.71% Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 324,832 29.12% Native American 2,730 0.24% Asian 71,583 6.42% Pacific Islander 531 0.05% Other/Mixed 47,201 4.23% Hispanic or Latino 169,922 15.23% As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,115,482 people, 426,313 households, and 254,759 families residing in the county. 2000 census As of the census[24] of 2000, there were 695,454 people, 273,416 households, and 174,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,322 people per square mile (510 people/km2). There were 292,780 housing units at an average density of 556 units per square mile (215 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 64.02% White, 27.87% Black or African American, 0.35% American Indian/Alaska Native, 3.15% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.01% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 6.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 273,416 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.00% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06. In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.10% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 36.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $50,579, and the median income for a family was $60,608. Males had a median income of $40,934 versus $30,100 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,352. About 6.60% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over. Law and government Mecklenburg County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments.[25] The county is governed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The BOCC is a nine-member board made up of representatives from each of the six county districts and three at-large representatives elected by the entire county. This electoral structure favors candidates in the at-large positions who will be elected by the majority population of the county. Each District has a population of approximately 165,000 individuals. All seats are partisan and are for 2-year terms (elections occur in even years). The current chairman of the Mecklenburg BOCC is George Dunlap (D, District 3). The Current Vice-chair is Elaine Powell (D, District 1). Members of the Mecklenburg County Commission are required by North Carolina State law to choose a chair and vice-chair once a year (at the first meeting of December). Historically, the individual elected was the 'top-vote-getter' which was one of three at-large members. In 2014 this unofficial rule was changed by the Board to allow any member to serve as Chair or vice-chair as long as they received support from 4 members plus their own vote. The nine members of the Board of County Commissioners are:[26] George Dunlap (D, District 3, chairman) Elaine Powell (D, District 1, Vice Chairman) Pat Cotham (D, At-Large) Leigh Altman (D, At-Large) Wilhelmenia Rembert (D, At-Large) Vilma Leake (D, District 2) Mark Jerrell (D, District 4) Laura Meier (D, District 5) Susan Rodriguez-McDowell (D, District 6) Politics Prior to 1928, Mecklenburg County was strongly Democratic, similar to most counties in the Solid South. For most of the time from 1928 to 2000, it was a bellwether county, only voting against the national winner in 1960 and 1992. For most of the second half of the 20th century, it leaned Republican in most presidential elections. From 1952 to 2000, a Democrat only won a majority of the county's vote twice, in 1964 and 1976; Bill Clinton only won a slim plurality in 1996. However, it narrowly voted for John Kerry in 2004 even as he lost both North Carolina and the election. It swung hard to Barack Obama in 2008, giving him the highest margin for a Democrat in the county since Franklin D. Roosevelt's landslides. Obama's margin in Mecklenburg was enough for him to narrowly win the state. At the same time, John McCain became the first Republican in 64 years not to win 40 percent of the county's vote. It voted for Obama by a similar margin in 2012, and gave even more massive wins to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. In 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump turned in the worst showings for a Republican in the county since the 1930s. Since 2008, Mecklenburg County has been one of the most Democratic urban counties in the South and the third-strongest Democratic bastion in the I-85 Corridor, behind only Orange and Durham counties. United States presidential election results for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina[27]  Year Republican Democratic Third party No.  % No.  % No.  % 2020 179,211 31.60% 378,107 66.68% 9,735 1.72% 2016 155,518 32.89% 294,562 62.29% 22,777 4.82% 2012 171,668 38.24% 272,262 60.65% 4,970 1.11% 2008 153,848 37.45% 253,958 61.82% 3,011 0.73% 2004 155,084 48.00% 166,828 51.63% 1,190 0.37% 2000 134,068 50.97% 126,911 48.25% 2,057 0.78% 1996 97,719 45.91% 103,429 48.59% 11,697 5.50% 1992 99,496 43.57% 97,065 42.50% 31,814 13.93% 1988 106,236 59.42% 71,907 40.22% 653 0.37% 1984 106,754 62.67% 63,190 37.10% 393 0.23% 1980 68,384 47.80% 66,995 46.83% 7,679 5.37% 1976 61,715 49.21% 63,198 50.40% 486 0.39% 1972 77,546 68.52% 33,730 29.80% 1,900 1.68% 1968 56,325 52.40% 31,102 28.93% 20,070 18.67% 1964 46,589 48.44% 49,582 51.56% 0 0.00% 1960 48,250 55.07% 39,362 44.93% 0 0.00% 1956 44,469 62.02% 27,227 37.98% 0 0.00% 1952 44,334 57.30% 33,044 42.70% 0 0.00% 1948 11,518 34.71% 14,353 43.25% 7,314 22.04% 1944 9,434 26.66% 25,950 73.34% 0 0.00% 1940 7,013 19.60% 28,768 80.40% 0 0.00% 1936 4,709 15.25% 26,169 84.75% 0 0.00% 1932 4,973 21.32% 18,167 77.90% 181 0.78% 1928 12,041 55.41% 9,690 44.59% 0 0.00% 1924 2,572 22.46% 8,443 73.73% 437 3.82% 1920 3,421 23.22% 11,313 76.78% 0 0.00% 1916 1,257 21.78% 4,508 78.11% 6 0.10% 1912 284 5.89% 3,967 82.27% 571 11.84% 1908 1,645 29.37% 3,926 70.09% 30 0.54% 1904 748 19.01% 3,142 79.87% 44 1.12% 1900 2,234 36.63% 3,786 62.09% 78 1.28% 1896 3,921 44.61% 4,714 53.63% 155 1.76% 1892 1,933 29.87% 3,881 59.97% 658 10.17% 1888 3,253 43.07% 4,206 55.69% 93 1.23% 1884 3,101 45.83% 3,666 54.17% 0 0.00% 1880 3,245 49.12% 3,361 50.88% 0 0.00% Economy Data represents January 1990 to November 2009 Data represents January 1990 to November 2009 The major industries of Mecklenburg County are banking, manufacturing, and professional services, especially those supporting banking and medicine. Mecklenburg County is home to ten Fortune 1000 companies.[28] Fortune 1,000 companies with headquarters in Mecklenburg County Name Industry 2019 Revenue Rank 1. Bank of America Banking $110.6 billion 25[29] 2. Nucor Metals $25.1 billion 120[29] 3. Duke Energy Utilities $24.1 billion 126[29] 4. Sonic Automotive Automotive retailing $10.0 billion 316[29] 5. Brighthouse Financial Insurance $9.0 billion 342[29] 6. Sealed Air Conglomerate $4.7 billion 555[29] 7. Coca-Cola Consolidated Food Processing $4.7 billion 563[29] 8. JELD-WEN Holding Building Products $4.3 billion 590[29] 9. Albemarle Chemicals $3.4 billion 702[29] 10. SPX Electronics $2.1 billion 962[29] Wachovia, a former Fortune 500 company, had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by Wells Fargo for $15.1 billion. Wells Fargo maintains the majority of the former company's operations in Charlotte.[30] Goodrich Corporation, a former Fortune 500 company, had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by United Technologies Corporation for $18.4 billion. Charlotte is now the headquarters for UTC Aerospace Systems.[31] 20 largest employers in Mecklenburg County, by number of employees in region (Q2 2018)[32] Name Industry Number of employees 1. Atrium Health Health Care and Social Assistance 35,700 2. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Educational Services 18,495 3. Bank of America Finance and Insurance 15,000 4. American Airlines Transportation and Warehousing 11,000 5. Harris Teeter Retail Trade 8,239 6. Duke Energy Utilities 7,900 7. City of Charlotte Public Administration 6,800 8. Mecklenburg County Government Public Administration 5,512 9. YMCA of Greater Charlotte Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 4,436 10. Carowinds Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 4,100 11. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Educational Services 4,000 11. United States Postal Service Transportation and Warehousing 4,000 11. TIAA Finance and Insurance 4,000 14. LPL Financial Finance and Insurance 2,850 15. Central Piedmont Community College Educational Services 2,700 16. Belk Retail Trade 2,300 17. DMSI Transportation and Warehousing 2,175 18. IBM Professional Services 2,100 19. Robert Half International Administrative and Support Services 2,000 19. Allstate Insurance Finance and Insurance 2,000 Transportation Air The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte. Intercity rail With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta and the large volumes of freight moving in and out of the county via truck. Mecklenburg County is served daily by three Amtrak routes. The Crescent train connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlottesville, and Greensboro to the north, and Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans to the southwest. The Carolinian train connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro. The Piedmont train connects Charlotte with Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro. The Amtrak station is located at 1914 North Tryon Street. A new centralized multimodal train station, Gateway Station, has been planned for the city. It is expected to house the future LYNX Purple Line, the new Greyhound bus station, and the Crescent line that passes through Uptown Charlotte. Mecklenburg County is the proposed southern terminus for the initial segment of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor operating between Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Currently in conceptual design, the SEHSR would eventually run from Washington, D.C. to Macon, Georgia. Light rail and mass transit Light rail service in Mecklenburg County is provided by LYNX Rapid Transit Services. Currently, the 19-mile (31 km) Lynx Blue Line runs from University of North Carolina at Charlotte, through Uptown Charlotte, to Pineville; build-out is expected to be complete by 2034. The CityLynx Gold Line, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) streetcar line runs from the Charlotte Transportation Center to Hawthorne Lane & 5th Street, with additional stops to French Street in Biddleville and Sunnyside Avenue currently under construction. Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus service serves all of Mecklenburg County, including Charlotte, and the municipalities of Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews, Pineville, and Mint Hill. The vintage Charlotte Trolley also operates in partnership with CATS. On July 14, 2015, the Goldrush Streetcar was revived to operate in Uptown after several decades of absence. The line runs from Trade Street, near Charlotte Transportation and Convention Center, to Elizabeth Avenue. In addition to several restaurants, this line also serves Central Piedmont Community College and Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital. The city is applying for a $50 million Federal Transportation Grant to gain funding to construct expansion of a line to serve Johnson C. Smith University to the West and East along Central Avenue. Freight Mecklenburg's manufacturing base, its central location on the Eastern Seaboard, and the intersection of two major interstates in the county have made it a hub for the trucking industry. Also located in the county is the Inland Port of Charlotte, which is a major rail corridor for CSX rail lines. Major roadways  I-77  I-85  I-277  I-485  US 21  US 29  US 74  US 521  NC 16  NC 24  NC 27  NC 49  NC 51  NC 73  NC 115  NC 160  NC 218  Route 4 Education School system The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) serves the entire county; however, the State of North Carolina also has approved a number of charter schools in Mecklenburg County (independently operated schools financed with tax dollars). Colleges and universities Current University of North Carolina at Charlotte Davidson College Queens University of Charlotte Central Piedmont Community College Johnson & Wales University Johnson C. Smith University Union Presbyterian Seminary (Charlotte campus) Pfeiffer University Charlotte Campus Wake Forest University Charlotte Campus Former King's College Libraries The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County serves residents of Mecklenburg County. Library cards from any branch can be used at all 20 locations. The library has an extensive collection (over 1.5 million items) of reference and popular materials including DVDs, books on CD, best sellers, downloadable media, and books. The Billy Graham Library contains the papers and memorabilia related to the career of the well-known 20th century evangelist, Billy Graham. Healthcare Two major healthcare providers exist within Mecklenburg County, Atrium Health, and Novant Health. The two healthcare systems combined offer 14 emergency departments throughout Mecklenburg County, including a psychiatric emergency department[33] and two children's emergency departments. Two hospitals in the region offer trauma services with one level I trauma center[34] and one level III.[35] Atrium Health, legally Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, is the public hospital authority of the county.[36] The residents of Mecklenburg County are provided emergency medical service by MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency. All emergency ambulance service is provided by MEDIC. No other emergency transport companies are allowed to operate within Mecklenburg County. In the fiscal year 2022, MEDIC responded to over 160,000 calls for service and transported over 107,000 patients.[37] While MEDIC is a division of Mecklenburg County Government, a board guides and directs MEDIC that consists of members affiliated with Atrium Health, Novant Health and a swing vote provided by the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. Atrium and Novant are the two major medical institutions in Charlotte, North Carolina. Arts and culture Museums and libraries Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Billy Graham Library Carolinas Aviation Museum Charlotte Museum of History Charlotte Nature Museum Discovery Place Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture ImaginOn Levine Museum of the New South McColl Center for Visual Art Mint Museum Randolph Mint Museum UPTOWN NASCAR Hall of Fame Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Sports and entertainment Carolina Panthers Charlotte Hornets Charlotte Hounds Charlotte FC Charlotte Checkers Charlotte Knights Charlotte Independence Charlotte Motor Speedway Bank of America Stadium Truist Field Knights Stadium American Legion Memorial Stadium Music and performing arts venues Actor's Theatre of Charlotte Bojangles' Coliseum Carolina Actors Studio Theatre ImaginOn Knight Theater Morrison YMCA Amphitheatre The Neighborhood Theatre in NoDa North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Ovens Auditorium PNC Music Pavilion Spectrum Center Spirit Square Theatre Charlotte Uptown Amphitheatre At the NC Music Factory Amusement parks Carowinds Great Wolf Lodge in Cabarrus County Ray's Splash Planet Other attractions Carolina Place Mall Carolina Raptor Center Concord Mills Mall in Cabarrus County Lake Norman Lake Wylie Latta Plantation Nature Preserve Little Sugar Creek Greenway Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center Northlake Mall President James K. Polk Historic Site SouthPark Mall U.S. National Whitewater Center Charlotte Premium Outlets Communities Map of Mecklenburg County with municipal and township labels Mecklenburg County contains seven municipalities including the City of Charlotte and the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville (north of Charlotte); and the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville (south and southeast of Charlotte). Small portions of Stallings and Weddington are also in Mecklenburg County, though most of those towns are in Union County. Extraterritorial jurisdictions within the county are annexed by municipalities as soon as they reach sufficient concentrations. City Charlotte (county seat and largest city in the county and state) Towns Cornelius Davidson Huntersville Matthews Mint Hill Pineville Stallings Weddington Unincorporated communities Caldwell Hopewell Mountain Island Newell Prosperity Village Area Sterling[38] Townships Berryhill Charlotte Clear Creek Crab Orchard Deweese Huntersville Lemley Long Creek Mallard Creek Morning Star Paw Creek Pineville Providence Sharon (extinct) Steele Creek Notable people Abraham Alexander (1717–1786), on the commission to establish town of Charlotte, North Carolina, North Carolina state legislator[39] Evan Shelby Alexander (1767–1809), born in Mecklenburg County, later United States Congressman from North Carolina[39] Nathaniel Alexander (1756–1808), born in Mecklenburg County, United States Congressman and governor of North Carolina[39] Nellie Ashford (born c. 1943), folk artist born in Mecklenburg County[40] Romare Bearden (1911–1988), 20th century African-American artist[41] Brigadier General William Lee Davidson (1746–1781), was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War. Ric Flair (born 1949), retired professional wrestler Anthony Foxx (born 1971), former United States Secretary of Transportation, former mayor of Charlotte. Judge Shirley Fulton (1952–2023), chief resident judge in the Superior Court of North Carolina[42] Billy Graham (1918–2018), world-famous evangelist Eliza Ann Grier (1864–1902), born in Mecklenburg County, first African-American female physician in Georgia Anthony Hamilton (born 1971), American R&B/soul singer Daniel Harvey Hill (1821–1889), Confederate general during the American Civil War and a Southern scholar. Gen. Robert Irwin (North Carolina State Senator) (1738–1800), a distinguished commander of Patriot (American Revolution) militia forces, who is said to have been a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence Pat McCrory (born 1956), former Governor of North Carolina, former seven-term Mayor of Charlotte. James K. Polk (1795–1849), 11th president of the United States. Polk was born in Mecklenburg County in 1795; his family moved to Tennessee when he was an adolescent. Colonel William Polk (1758–1834) banker, educational administrator, political leader, renowned Continental officer in the War for American Independence, and survivor of the 1777/1778 encampment at Valley Forge. Shannon Spake (born 1976), ESPN NASCAR correspondent North Carolina (/ˌkærəˈlaɪnə/ i KARR-ə-LY-nə) is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee to the west. Along with South Carolina, it makes up the Carolinas region of the East Coast. In the 2020 census, the state had a population of 10,439,388.[7] Raleigh is the state's capital and Charlotte is its largest city. The Charlotte metropolitan area, with a population of 2,595,027 in 2020,[8] is the most-populous metropolitan area in North Carolina, the 21st-most populous in the United States, and the largest banking center in the nation after New York City.[9] The Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC Combined Statistical Area is the second-largest metropolitan area in the state and 32nd-most populous in the United States, with a population of 2,043,867 in 2020,[10] and is home to the largest research park in the United States, Research Triangle Park. The earliest evidence of human occupation in North Carolina dates back 10,000 years, found at the Hardaway Site. North Carolina was inhabited by Carolina Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan speaking tribes of Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans. King Charles II granted eight lord proprietors a colony they named Carolina after the king and which was established in 1670 with the first permanent settlement at Charles Town (Charleston). Because of the difficulty of governing the entire colony from Charles Town, the colony was eventually divided and North Carolina was established as a royal colony in 1729 and was one of the Thirteen Colonies. In 1755, colonial North Carolina received its first postmaster, James Davis, appointed by Benjamin Franklin.[11] The Halifax Resolves resolution adopted by North Carolina on April 12, 1776, was the first formal call for independence from Great Britain among the American Colonies during the American Revolution.[12] On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the United States Constitution. In the run-up to the American Civil War, North Carolina declared its secession from the Union on May 20, 1861, becoming the tenth of eleven states to join the Confederate States of America. Following the Civil War, the state was restored to the Union on July 4, 1868.[13] On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully piloted the world's first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina's Outer Banks. North Carolina often uses the slogan "First in Flight" on state license plates to commemorate this achievement, alongside a newer alternative design bearing the slogan "First in Freedom" in reference to the Mecklenburg Declaration and Halifax Resolves. North Carolina is defined by a wide range of elevations and landscapes. From west to east, North Carolina's elevation descends from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont and Atlantic coastal plain. North Carolina's Mount Mitchell at 6,684 ft (2,037 m) is the highest point in North America east of the Mississippi River.[14] Most of the state falls in the humid subtropical climate zone; however, the western, mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate.[15] History Main article: History of North Carolina Native Americans, lost colony, and permanent settlement See also: Native Americans in the United States, Joara, Roanoke Island, and Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Ceremony of Secotan warriors in North Carolina. Watercolour painted by English colonist John White in 1585. North Carolina was inhabited for at least 10,000 years by succeeding prehistoric indigenous cultures. The Hardaway Site saw major periods of occupation dating to 10,000 years BCE. Before 200 AD, the people were building earthwork platform mounds, which were used for ceremonial and religious purposes. Succeeding peoples, including those of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture, established by 1000 AD in the Piedmont and mountain region, continued to build this style of mounds. In contrast to some of the larger centers of the classic Mississippian culture (as noted below), in what became known as the western Carolinas, northeastern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee, most of the larger towns had only one central platform mound. The smaller settlements had none but developed close to the more prominent towns. This area became known as the homelands of the historic Cherokee people, who are believed to have migrated over time from the Great Lakes area. In the 500–700 years preceding European contact, the Mississippian culture built elaborate cities and maintained far-flung regional trading networks. Its largest city was Cahokia, which had numerous mounds for different purposes, a highly stratified society, and was located in present-day southwestern Illinois near the Mississippi River. The Native polities of the Mississippian culture fell apart and reformed as new groups, such as the Catawba, due to a series of destabilizing events known as the "Mississippian shatter zone". Introduction of colonial trading arrangements and hostile native groups from the north such as the Westo Indians hastened changes in an already tenuous regional hierarchy.[16] As described by anthropologist Robbie Ethridge, the Mississippian shatter zone was an area of great instability, in what is now the American South, caused by the instability of Mississippian chiefdoms, high mortality from new Eurasian diseases, conversion to an agricultural society and the accompanying population increase, and the emergence of Native "militaristic slaving societies".[17] Historically documented tribes in the North Carolina region include the Carolina Algonquian-speaking tribes of the coastal areas, such as the Chowanoke, Roanoke, Pamlico, Machapunga, and Coree, who were the first encountered by the English; the Iroquoian-speaking Meherrin, Cherokee, and Tuscarora of the interior; and Southeastern Siouan tribes, such as the Cheraw, Waxhaw, Saponi, Waccamaw, Cape Fear Indians, and Catawba of the Piedmont. In the late 16th century, the first Spanish explorers traveling inland recorded meeting Mississippian culture people at Joara, a regional chiefdom near what later developed as Morganton. Records of Hernando de Soto attested to his meeting with them in 1540. In 1567, Captain Juan Pardo led an expedition to claim the area for the Spanish colony and to establish another route to reach silver mines in Mexico. Pardo made a winter base at Joara, which he renamed Cuenca. His expedition built Fort San Juan and left a contingent of 30 Spaniards there, while Pardo traveled further. His forces built and garrisoned five other forts. He returned by a different route to Santa Elena on Parris Island, South Carolina, then a center of Spanish Florida. In the spring of 1568, natives killed all but one of the Spaniards and burned the six forts in the interior, including the one at Fort San Juan. Although the Spanish never returned to the interior, this effort marked the first European attempt at colonization of the interior of what became the United States. A 16th-century journal by Pardo's scribe Bandera, and archaeological findings since 1986 at Joara, have confirmed the settlement.[18][19] Anglo-European settlement Sir Walter Raleigh, namesake of the state capital of North Carolina, Raleigh In 1584, Elizabeth I granted a charter to Sir Walter Raleigh, for whom the state capital is named, for land in present-day North Carolina (then part of the territory of Virginia).[20] It was the second American territory which the English attempted to colonize. Raleigh established two colonies on the coast in the late 1580s, but both failed. The one begot in 1587 saw 118 colonists 'disappear' when John White was unable to return from a supply run during battles with the Spanish Armada. The fate of the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island remains one of the most widely debated mysteries of American history. Two native Chieftains, Manteo and Wanchese, of which the former helped the colonists and the latter was distrustful, had involvement in the colony and even accompanied Raleigh to England on a previous voyage in 1585. Manteo was also the first indigenous North American to be baptized by English settlers. Upon White's return in 1590, neither native nor Englishman were to be found. Popular theory holds that the colonists either traveled away with or assimilated into local native culture.[21] Virginia Dare, the first English person to be born in North America, was born on Roanoke Island on August 18, 1587; the surrounding Dare County is named for her. As early as 1650, settlers from the Virginia colony had moved into the Albemarle Sound region. By 1663, King Charles II of England granted a charter to start a new colony on the North American continent; this would generally establish North Carolina's borders. He named it Carolina in honor of his father, Charles I.[22] By 1665, a second charter was issued to attempt to resolve territorial questions. This charter rewarded the Lord's Proprietors; eight Englishmen to whom King Charles II granted joint ownership of a tract of land in the state. All of these men either had remained loyal to the Crown or aided Charles's restoration to the English throne after Cromwell. In 1712 owing to disputes over governance, the Carolina colony split into North Carolina and South Carolina. North Carolina would become a crown colony in 1729.[23] Most of the English colonists had arrived as indentured servants, hiring themselves out as laborers for a fixed period to pay for their passage. In the early years the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid. Some Africans were allowed to earn their freedom before slavery became a lifelong status. Most of the free colored families formed in North Carolina before the Revolution were descended from unions or marriages between free whites and enslaved or free African or African-Americans. If the mothers were free, their children were born free. Many had migrated or were descendants of migrants from colonial Virginia.[24] As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in Great Britain, planters imported more slaves, and the state's legal delineations between free and slave status tightened, effectively hardening the latter into a racial caste. Conditions for both slaves and workers worsened as the ranks of the former eclipsed the latter and expansion of farming operations into former indigenous territories lowered prices. Unable to establish deep water ports such as at Charles Town and Norfolk, the economy's growth and prosperity was thus based on cheap labor and slave plantation systems, devoted primarily to the production of tobacco, then later cotton and textiles.[25] In 1738–1739, smallpox would cause high fatalities among the Native Americans, who had no immunity to the new disease (it had become endemic over centuries in Europe).[26] According to the historian Russell Thornton, "The 1738 epidemic was said to have killed one-half of the Cherokee, with other tribes of the area suffering equally."[27] Colonial period Main articles: Province of Carolina, Province of North-Carolina, French and Indian War, Treaty of Paris (1763), American Revolutionary War, United States Declaration of Independence, and Articles of Confederation § Ratification John White returns to find the colony abandoned John White returns to find the colony abandoned   Map of the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, drawn 1585–1586 by Theodor de Bry, based on map by John White of the Roanoke Colony Map of the coast of Virginia and North Carolina, drawn 1585–1586 by Theodor de Bry, based on map by John White of the Roanoke Colony   Reconstructed royal governor's mansion Tryon Palace in New Bern Reconstructed royal governor's mansion Tryon Palace in New Bern After the Spanish in the 16th century, the first permanent European settlers of North Carolina were English colonists who migrated south from Virginia. The latter had grown rapidly and land was less available. Nathaniel Batts was documented as one of the first of these Virginian migrants. He settled south of the Chowan River and east of the Great Dismal Swamp in 1655.[28] By 1663, this northeastern area of the Province of Carolina, known as the Albemarle Settlements, was undergoing full-scale English settlement.[29] During the same period, the English monarch Charles II gave provincial land grants to the Lords Proprietors, the group of noblemen who had helped restore him to the throne in 1660. These grants were predicated on an agreement that the Lords would use their influence to bring in colonists and establish ports of trade. This new Province of Carolina was named in honor and memory of his father, Charles I (Latin: Carolus). Lacking a viable coastal port city due to geography, towns grew smaller and at a slower pace. By the late 17th century, Carolina was essentially two colonies, one centered in the Albemarle region in the north and the other located in the south around Charleston.[25] In 1705 South Carolinian John Lawson purchased land on the Pamlico River and laid out Bath, North Carolina's first town. After returning to England, he published the book A New Voyage to Carolina, which became a travelogue and a marketing piece to encourage new colonists to Carolina. Lawson encouraged Baron Christoph Von Graffenried, the leader of a group of Swiss and German Protestants, to immigrate to Carolina. Von Graffenried purchased land between the Neuse and the Trent Rivers and established the town of New Bern. After an attack on New Bern in which hundreds were killed or injured, Lawson was caught then executed by Tuscarora Indians. A large revolt happened in the state in 1711, known as Cary's Rebellion. In 1712, North Carolina became a separate colony. Except for the Earl Granville holdings, it became a royal colony seventeen years later.[30] In June 1718, the pirate Blackbeard ran his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, aground at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in present-day Carteret County. After the grounding her crew and supplies were transferred to smaller ships. In November 1718, after appealing to the governor of North Carolina, who promised safe-haven and a pardon, Blackbeard was killed in an ambush by troops from Virginia.[31] In 1996, Intersal, Inc., a private firm, discovered the remains of a vessel likely to be the Queen Anne's Revenge, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.[32] North Carolina became one of the Thirteen Colonies and with the territory of South Carolina was originally known as the Province of North Carolina. The northern and southern parts of the original province separated in 1712, with North Carolina becoming a royal colony in 1729. Originally settled by small farmers, sometimes having a few slaves, who were oriented toward subsistence agriculture, the colony lacked large cities or towns. Pirates menaced the coastal settlements, but by 1718 piracy in the Carolinas was on the decline. Growth was strong in the middle of the 18th century, as the economy attracted Scots-Irish, Quaker, English and German immigrants. A majority of the North Carolina colonists generally supported the American Revolution, although there were some Loyalists. Loyalists in North Carolina were smaller in number than in some other colonies such as Georgia, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York.[33][34][35] During colonial times, Edenton served as the state capital beginning in 1722, followed by New Bern becoming the capital in 1766. Construction of Tryon Palace, which served as the residence and offices of the provincial governor William Tryon, began in 1767 and was completed in 1771. In 1788, Raleigh was chosen as the site of the new capital, as its central location protected it from coastal attacks. Officially established in 1792 as both county seat and state capital, the city was named after Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the "lost colony" on Roanoke Island.[36] The population of the colony more than quadrupled from 52,000 in 1740 to 270,000 in 1780 from high immigration from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, plus immigrants from abroad.[37] North Carolina did not have any printer or print shops until 1749, when the North Carolina Assembly commissioned James Davis from Williamsburg Virginia to act as their official printer. Before this time the laws and legal journals of North Carolina were handwritten and were largely kept in a disorganized manner, prompting them to hire Davis. Davis settled in New Bern, became married and in 1755 was appointed by Benjamin Franklin as North Carolina's first postmaster. In October of that year the North Carolina Assembly awarded Davis the contract to carry the mail between Wilmington, North Carolina and Suffolk, Virginia. He was also active in North Carolina's politics, as a member of the Assembly and later as the Sheriff. Davis also founded and printed the North-Carolina Gazette, North Carolina's first newspaper, printed in his printing house in New Bern.[11][38] Differences in the settlement patterns of eastern and western North Carolina, or the Atlantic coastal plain and uplands, affected the political, economic, and social life of the state from the 18th until the 20th century. Eastern North Carolina was settled chiefly by immigrants from rural England and Gaelic speakers from the Scottish Highlands. The Piedmont upcountry and western mountain region of North Carolina was settled chiefly by Scots-Irish, English, and German Protestants, the so-called "cohee". Arriving during the mid-to-late 18th century, the Scots-Irish, people of Scottish descent who migrated to and then emigrated from what is today Northern Ireland, were the largest non-English immigrant group before the Revolution; English indentured servants were overwhelmingly the largest immigrant group before the Revolution.[39][40][41][42] Revolutionary War Halifax Resolves plaque During the American Revolutionary War, the English and Gaelic speaking Highland Scots of eastern North Carolina tended to remain loyal to the British Crown, because of longstanding business and personal connections with Great Britain. The English, Welsh, Scots-Irish, and German settlers of western North Carolina tended to favor American independence from Britain. British loyalists dubbed the Mecklenburg County area to be 'a hornet's nest' of radicals, birthing the name of the future Charlotte NBA team. On April 12, 1776, the colony became the first to instruct its delegates to the Continental Congress to vote for independence from the British Crown, through the Halifax Resolves passed by the North Carolina Provincial Congress. The date of this event is memorialized on the state flag and state seal. Throughout the Revolutionary War, fierce guerrilla warfare erupted between bands of pro-independence and pro-British colonists. In some cases the war was also an excuse to settle private grudges and rivalries.[43][44] North Carolina had around 7,800 Patriots join the Continental Army under General George Washington; and an additional 10,000 served in local militia units under such leaders as General Nathanael Greene.[45] There was some military action, especially in 1780–81. Many Carolinian frontiersmen had moved west over the mountains, into the Washington District (later known as Tennessee), but in 1789, following the Revolution, the state was persuaded to relinquish its claim to the western lands. It ceded them to the national government so the Northwest Territory could be organized and managed nationally.[46] A major American victory in the war took place at King's Mountain along the North Carolina–South Carolina border; on October 7, 1780, a force of 1,000 Patriots from western North Carolina (including what is today the state of Tennessee) and southwest Virginia overwhelmed a force of some 1,000 British troops led by Major Patrick Ferguson. Most of the soldiers fighting for the British side in this battle were Carolinians who had remained loyal to the Crown (they were called "Tories" or Loyalists). The American victory at King's Mountain gave the advantage to colonists who favored American independence, and it prevented the British Army from recruiting new soldiers from the Tories.[47] 1st Maryland Regiment holding the line at the Battle of Guilford Court House, 1781 The road to Yorktown and America's independence from Great Britain led through North Carolina. As the British Army moved north from victories in Charleston and Camden, South Carolina, the Southern Division of the Continental Army and local militia prepared to meet them. Following General Daniel Morgan's victory over the British Cavalry Commander Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens on January 17, 1781, southern commander Nathanael Greene led British Lord Charles Cornwallis across the heartland of North Carolina, and away from the latter's base of supply in Charleston, South Carolina. This campaign is known as "The Race to the Dan" or "The Race for the River".[30] In the Battle of Cowan's Ford, Cornwallis met resistance along the banks of the Catawba River at Cowan's Ford on February 1, 1781, in an attempt to engage General Morgan's forces during a tactical withdrawal.[48] Morgan had moved to the northern part of the state to combine with General Greene's newly recruited forces. Generals Greene and Cornwallis finally met at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in present-day Greensboro on March 15, 1781. Although the British troops held the field at the end of the battle, their casualties at the hands of the numerically superior Continental Army were crippling. Following this "Pyrrhic victory", Cornwallis chose to move to the Virginia coastline to get reinforcements, and to allow the Royal Navy to protect his battered army. This decision would result in Cornwallis' eventual defeat at Yorktown, Virginia, later in 1781. The Patriots' victory there guaranteed American independence. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the twelfth state to ratify the U.S. constitution. Antebellum period Main articles: Constitutional Convention (United States), Admission to the Union, and List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union After 1800, cotton and tobacco became important export crops. The eastern half of the state, especially the Coastal Plain region, developed a slave society based on a plantation system and slave labor. Planters owning large estates wielded significant political and socio-economic power in antebellum North Carolina. They placed their interests above those of the generally non-slave-holding "yeoman" farmers of North Carolina. While slaveholding was slightly less concentrated compared to some other Southern states, according to the 1860 census, more than 330,000 people, or 33% of the population out of 992,622 people in total, were enslaved African Americans.[49] They lived and worked chiefly on plantations in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the state. In addition, 30,463 free people of color lived in the state.[49] They were also mainly concentrated in the eastern coastal plain, especially at port cities such as Wilmington and New Bern, where a variety of jobs were available. Most were descendants from free African Americans who had migrated along with neighbors from Virginia during the 18th century. The majority were the descendants of unions in the working classes between white women, indentured servants or free, and African men, indentured, slave or free.[50] Map of the roads and railroads of North Carolina, 1854 After the American Revolution, Quakers and Mennonites worked to persuade slaveholders to free their slaves. Some were inspired by their efforts and the language of the Revolution to arrange for manumission of their slaves. The number of free people of color rose markedly in the first couple of decades after the Revolution.[51] Many free people of color migrated to the frontier, along with their European-American neighbors, where the social system was looser. By 1810, nearly three percent of the free population consisted of free people of color, who numbered slightly more than 10,000. The western areas of North Carolina were mainly white families of European descent, especially Scotch-Irish, who operated small subsistence farms. In the early national period, the state became a center of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, with a strong Whig presence, especially in the western part of the state. After Nat Turner's slave uprising in 1831, North Carolina and other southern states reduced the rights of free blacks. In 1835, the legislature withdrew their right to vote. In mid-century, the state's rural and commercial areas were connected by the construction of a 129 mi (208 km) wooden plank road, known as a "farmer's railroad", from Fayetteville in the east to Bethania (northwest of Winston-Salem).[30] On October 25, 1836, construction began on the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad[52] to connect the port city of Wilmington with the state capital of Raleigh. In 1840, the state capitol building in Raleigh was completed, and still stands today. In 1849, the North Carolina Railroad was created by act of the legislature to extend that railroad west to Greensboro, High Point, and Charlotte. During the Civil War, the Wilmington-to-Raleigh stretch of the railroad would be vital to the Confederate war effort; supplies shipped into Wilmington would be moved by rail through Raleigh to the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.[53] American Civil War Main articles: Ordinance of Secession, Confederate States of America, and North Carolina in the American Civil War See also: American Civil War Union troops capture Fort Fisher, 1865 In 1860, North Carolina was a slave state, in which one-third of the state's total population were African-American slaves. The state did not vote to join the Confederacy until President Abraham Lincoln called on it to invade its sister state,[54] South Carolina, becoming the last or penultimate state to officially join the Confederacy. The title of "last to join the Confederacy" has been disputed; although Tennessee's informal secession on May 7, 1861, preceded North Carolina's official secession on May 20,[55][56] the Tennessee legislature did not formally vote to secede until June 8, 1861.[57] Around 125,000 troops from North Carolina served in the Confederate Army, and about 15,000 North Carolina troops (both black and white) served in Union Army regiments, including those who left the state to join Union regiments elsewhere.[58] Over 30,000 North Carolina troops died from combat or disease during the war.[59] Elected in 1862, Governor Zebulon Baird Vance tried to maintain state autonomy against Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. The state government was reluctant to support the demands of the national government in Richmond, and the state was the scene of only small battles. In 1865, Durham County saw the largest single surrender of Confederate soldiers at Bennett Place, when Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee and all remaining Confederate forces still active in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, totalling 89,270 soldiers.[60] Bennett Place historic site in Durham Confederate troops from all parts of North Carolina served in virtually all the major battles of the Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederacy's most famous army. The largest battle fought in North Carolina was at Bentonville, which was a futile attempt by Confederate General Joseph Johnston to slow Union General William Tecumseh Sherman's advance through the Carolinas in the spring of 1865.[30] In April 1865, after losing the Battle of Morrisville, Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place, in what is today Durham. North Carolina's port city of Wilmington, was the last Confederate port to fall to the Union, in February 1865, after the Union won the nearby Second Battle of Fort Fisher, its major defense downriver. The first Confederate soldier to be killed in the Civil War was Private Henry Wyatt from North Carolina, in the Battle of Big Bethel in June 1861. At the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, the 26th North Carolina Regiment participated in Pickett/Pettigrew's Charge and advanced the farthest into Union lines of any Confederate regiment. During the Battle of Chickamauga, the 58th North Carolina Regiment advanced farther than any other regiment on Snodgrass Hill to push back the remaining Union forces from the battlefield. At Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865, the 75th North Carolina Regiment, a cavalry unit, fired the last shots of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. The phrase "First at Bethel, Farthest at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, and Last at Appomattox", later became used through much of the early 20th century.[61] After secession, some North Carolinians refused to support the Confederacy. Some of the yeoman farmers chiefly in the state's mountains and western Piedmont region remained neutral during the Civil War, with others covertly supporting the Union cause during the conflict.[62] Approximately 15,000 North Carolinians (both black and white) from across the state would enlist in the Union Army. Numerous slaves would also escape to Union lines, where they became essentially free. Reconstruction era through late 19th century Main article: Reconstruction era William Woods Holden, a Unionist who served as the 38th and 40th Governor of North Carolina, and during the Reconstruction era Following the collapse of the Confederacy in 1865, North Carolina, along with other former Confederate States (except Tennessee), was put under direct control by the U.S. military and was relieved of its constitutional government and representation within the United States Congress in what is now referred to as the Reconstruction era. To earn back its rights, the state had to make concessions to Washington, one of which was ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment. Congressional Republicans during Reconstruction, commonly referred to as "radical Republicans", constantly pushed for new constitutions for each of the Southern states that emphasized equal rights for African-Americans. In 1868, a constitutional convention restored the state government of North Carolina. Though the Fifteenth Amendment was also adopted that same year, it remained in most cases ineffective for almost a century, not to mention paramilitary groups and their lynching with impunity.[63] The elections in April 1868 following the constitutional convention led to a narrow victory for a Republican-dominated government, with 19 African-Americans holding positions in the North Carolina State Legislature. In attempt to put the reforms into effect, the new Republican Governor William W. Holden declared martial law on any county allegedly not complying with law and order using the passage of the Shoffner Act. A Republican Party coalition of black freedmen, northern carpetbaggers and local scalawags controlled state government for three years. The white conservative Democrats regained control of the state legislature in 1870, in part by Ku Klux Klan violence and terrorism at the polls, to suppress black voting. Republicans were elected to the governorship until 1876, when the Red Shirts, a paramilitary organization that arose in 1874 and was allied with the Democratic Party, helped suppress black voting. More than 150 black Americans were murdered in electoral violence in 1876.[64][65] Post civil war-debt cycles pushed people to switch from subsistence agriculture to commodity agriculture. Among this time the notorious Crop-Lien system developed and was financially difficult on landless whites and blacks, due to high amounts of usury. Also due to the push for commodity agriculture, the free range was ended. Prior to this time people fenced in their crops and had their livestock feeding on the free range areas. After the ending of the free range people now fenced their animals and had their crops in the open.[66][67] Segregated drinking fountain during the Jim Crow era in Halifax Democrats were elected to the legislature and governor's office, but the Populists attracted voters displeased with them. In 1896 a biracial, Populist-Republican Fusionist coalition gained the governor's office and passed laws that would extend the voting franchise to blacks and poor whites. The Democrats regained control of the legislature in 1896 and passed laws to impose Jim Crow and racial segregation of public facilities. Voters of North Carolina's 2nd congressional district elected a total of four African-American congressmen through these years of the late 19th century. Political tensions ran so high a small group of white Democrats in 1898 planned to take over the Wilmington government if their candidates were not elected. In the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898, white Democrats led around 2,000 of their supporters that attacked the black newspaper and neighborhood, killed an estimated 60 to 300 people, and ran off the white Republican mayor and aldermen. They installed their own people and elected Alfred M. Waddell as mayor, in the only successful coup d'état in United States history.[68] In 1899, the state legislature passed a new constitution, with requirements for poll taxes and literacy tests for voter registration which disenfranchised most black Americans in the state.[69] Exclusion from voting had wide effects: it meant black Americans could not serve on juries or in any local office. After a decade of white supremacy, many people forgot North Carolina had ever had thriving middle-class black Americans.[70] Black citizens had no political voice in the state until after the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed to enforce their constitutional rights. It was not until 1992 that another African American was elected as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina. Early through mid-20th century First successful flight of the Wright Flyer, near Kitty Hawk, 1903 After the reconstruction era, North Carolina had become a one-party state, dominated by the Democratic Party. The state mainly continued with an economy based on tobacco, cotton textiles and commodity agriculture. Large towns and cities remained in few numbers. However, a major industrial base emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century, in the counties of the Piedmont Triad, based on cotton mills established at the fall line. Railroads were built to connect the new industrializing cities.[71] The state was the site of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight, by the Wright brothers, near Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. Map of Research Triangle, with points representing NC State University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In the first half of the 20th century, many African Americans left the state to go North for better opportunities, in the Great Migration. Their departure changed the demographic characteristics of many areas. North Carolina was hard hit by the Great Depression, but the New Deal programs of Franklin D. Roosevelt for cotton and tobacco significantly helped the farmers. After World War II, the state's economy grew rapidly, highlighted by the growth of such cities as Charlotte, Raleigh, and Durham in the Piedmont region. Research Triangle Park, established in 1959, serves as the largest research park in the United States. Formed near Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, the Research Triangle metro is a major area of universities and advanced scientific and technical research. The Greensboro sit-ins in 1960 played a crucial role in the Civil Rights Movement to bring full equality to American blacks. By the late 1960s, spurred in part by the increasingly leftward tilt of national Democrats, conservative whites began to vote for Republican national candidates and gradually for more Republicans locally.[72][73] Late 20th century to present North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, 2008 Since the 1970s, North Carolina has seen steady increases in population growth. This growth has largely occurred in metropolitan areas located within the Piedmont Crescent, in places such as Charlotte, Concord, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham and Raleigh.[74] The Charlotte metropolitan area has experienced large growth mainly due to its finance, banking, and tech industries.[75] By the 1990s, Charlotte had become a major regional and national banking center. Towards Raleigh, North Carolina State, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have helped the Research Triangle area attract an educated workforce and develop more jobs.[76] In 1988, North Carolina gained its first professional sports franchise, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The hornets team name stems from the American Revolutionary War, when British General Cornwallis described Charlotte as a "hornet's nest of rebellion."[77] The Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL) became based in Charlotte as well, with their first season being in 1995. The Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL) moved to Raleigh in 1997, with their colors being the same as the NC State Wolfpack, who are also located in Raleigh. By the late 20th century and into the early 21st century, economic industries such as technology, pharmaceuticals, banking, food processing, vehicle parts, and tourism started to emerge as North Carolina's main economic drivers. This marked a shift from the state's former main industries of tobacco, textiles, and furniture. Factors that played a role in this shift were globalization, the state's higher education system, national banking, the transformation of agriculture, and new companies moving to the state.[78] Geography Main article: Geography of North Carolina MapWikimedia | © OpenStreetMap Interactive map of North Carolina 3D Topographical Map of North Carolina Deer in the Eno River as it flows through the Piedmont region of North Carolina Köppen climate types of North Carolina North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on the west, Virginia on the north, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. The United States Census Bureau places North Carolina in the South Atlantic division of the southern region.[79] North Carolina consists of three main geographic regions: the Atlantic coastal plain, occupying the eastern portion of the state; the central Piedmont region, and the mountain region in the west, which is part of the Appalachian Mountains. The coastal plain consists of more specifically-defined areas known as the Outer Banks, a string of sandy, narrow barrier islands separated from the mainland by sounds or inlets, including Albemarle Sound and Pamlico Sound, the native home of the venus flytrap, and the inner coastal plain, where longleaf pine trees are native. So many ships have been lost off Cape Hatteras that the area is known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic"; more than a thousand ships have sunk in these waters since records began in 1526. The most famous of these is the Queen Anne's Revenge (flagship of the pirate Blackbeard), which went aground in Beaufort Inlet in 1718.[80] The coastal plain transitions to the Piedmont region along the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, the elevation at which waterfalls first appear on streams and rivers. The Piedmont region of central North Carolina is the state's most populous region, containing the six largest cities in the state by population.[81] It consists of gently rolling countryside frequently broken by hills or low mountain ridges. Small, isolated, and deeply eroded mountain ranges and peaks are located in the Piedmont, including the Sauratown Mountains, Pilot Mountain, the Uwharrie Mountains, Crowder's Mountain, King's Pinnacle, the Brushy Mountains, and the South Mountains. The Piedmont ranges from about 300 feet (91 m) in elevation in the east to about 1,500 feet (460 m) in the west. The western section of the state is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the larger Appalachian Mountain range. Among the subranges of the Blue Ridge Mountains located in the state are the Great Smoky Mountains and the Black Mountains.[82][83] The Black Mountains are the highest in the eastern United States, and culminate in Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m), the highest point east of the Mississippi River.[83][84] Cullasaja Falls in Macon County North Carolina has 17 major river basins. The five basins west of the Blue Ridge Mountains flow to the Gulf of Mexico, while the remainder flow to the Atlantic Ocean.[85] Of the 17 basins, 11 originate within the state of North Carolina, but only four are contained entirely within the state's border—the Cape Fear, the Neuse, the White Oak, and the Tar–Pamlico basin.[86] Flora and fauna Further information: Wildlife of North Carolina Major rivers Further information: List of rivers of North Carolina Climate Main article: Climate of North Carolina See also: Climate change in North Carolina Graveyard Fields in the fall Elevation above sea level is most responsible for temperature change across the state, with the mountainous regions being coolest year-round. The climate is also influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, especially in the coastal plain. These influences tend to cause warmer winter temperatures along the coast, where temperatures only occasionally drop below the freezing point at night. The coastal plain averages around 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow or ice annually, and in many years, there may be no snow or ice at all.[87] The Atlantic Ocean exerts less influence on the climate of the Piedmont region, which has hotter summers and colder winters than along the coast, though winters are still mild.[87] North Carolina experiences severe weather both in summer and in winter, with summer bringing threat of hurricanes, tropical storms, heavy rain, and flooding.[88] Destructive hurricanes that have hit North Carolina include Hurricane Fran, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Floyd, Hurricane Hugo, and Hurricane Hazel, the latter being the strongest storm ever to make landfall in the state, as a Category 4 in 1954. Hurricane Isabel ranks as the most destructive of the 21st century.[89][90] North Carolina averages fewer than 20 tornadoes per year, many of them produced by hurricanes or tropical storms along the coastal plain. Tornadoes from thunderstorms are a risk, especially in the eastern part of the state. The western Piedmont is often protected by the mountains, which tend to break up storms as they try to cross over; the storms will often re-form farther east. A phenomenon known as "cold-air damming" often occurs in the northwestern part of the state, which can weaken storms but can also lead to major ice events in winter.[91] In April 2011, the worst tornado outbreak in North Carolina's history occurred. Thirty confirmed tornadoes touched down, mainly in the Eastern Piedmont and Sandhills, killing at least 24 people.[92][93] In September 2019 Hurricane Dorian hit the area. Monthly normal high and low temperatures (Fahrenheit) for various North Carolina cities. City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Asheville[94] 47/27 51/30 59/35 68/43 75/51 81/60 84/64 83/63 77/56 68/45 59/36 49/29 Boone[95] 42/21 45/23 52/29 61/37 69/46 76/54 79/58 78/57 72/50 63/39 54/31 45/24 Cape Hatteras[96] 52/39 54/40 59/45 66/53 74/61 81/69 85/74 84/73 80/69 72/60 64/51 56/43 Charlotte[94] 51/30 55/33 63/39 72/47 79/56 86/64 89/68 88/67 81/60 72/49 62/39 53/32 Fayetteville[97] 54/33 59/35 66/42 75/50 82/59 89/68 91/72 90/70 84/64 75/52 67/43 56/35 Greensboro[97] 48/30 53/32 61/39 70/47 78/56 85/65 88/69 86/68 80/61 70/49 61/40 51/32 Raleigh[97] 51/31 55/34 63/40 72/48 80/57 87/66 90/70 88/69 82/62 73/50 64/41 54/33 Wilmington[98] 56/36 60/38 66/44 74/52 81/60 87/69 90/73 88/71 84/66 76/55 68/45 59/38 Climate data for North Carolina Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °F (°C) 86 (30) 90 (32) 100 (38) 102 (39) 107 (42) 108 (42) 109 (43) 110 (43) 109 (43) 102 (39) 90 (32) 87 (31) 110 (43) Average high °F (°C) 49.9 (9.9) 53.7 (12.1) 61.8 (16.6) 71.0 (21.7) 78.1 (25.6) 85.2 (29.6) 88.1 (31.2) 86.8 (30.4) 80.8 (27.1) 71.6 (22.0) 62.5 (16.9) 52.5 (11.4) 70.2 (21.2) Daily mean °F (°C) 39.2 (4.0) 42.3 (5.7) 49.5 (9.7) 58.1 (14.5) 66.1 (18.9) 74.1 (23.4) 77.5 (25.3) 76.3 (24.6) 69.9 (21.1) 59.4 (15.2) 50.4 (10.2) 41.7 (5.4) 58.7 (14.8) Average low °F (°C) 28.4 (−2.0) 30.9 (−0.6) 37.2 (2.9) 45.2 (7.3) 54.0 (12.2) 63.0 (17.2) 66.8 (19.3) 65.8 (18.8) 58.9 (14.9) 47.2 (8.4) 38.3 (3.5) 30.8 (−0.7) 47.2 (8.4) Record low °F (°C) −34 (−37) −31 (−35) −29 (−34) 0 (−18) 13 (−11) 22 (−6) 30 (−1) 29 (−2) 23 (−5) 5 (−15) −22 (−30) −33 (−36) −34 (−37) Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.7 (94) 3.5 (89) 4.2 (110) 3.5 (89) 3.8 (97) 4.3 (110) 4.8 (120) 4.7 (120) 4.3 (110) 3.3 (84) 3.3 (84) 3.5 (89) 46.9 (1,196) Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.0 (5.1) 1.4 (3.6) 0.6 (1.5) 0.1 (0.25) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.0 (0.0) 0.1 (0.25) 0.8 (2.0) 5 (12.7) Source 1: USA.com (averages)[99] Source 2: North Carolina State Climate Office (extremes)[100] Parks and recreation The Blue Ridge Mountains of the Shining Rock Wilderness Area North Carolina provides a large range of recreational activities, from swimming at the beach to skiing in the mountains. North Carolina offers fall colors, freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting, birdwatching, agritourism, ATV trails, ballooning, rock climbing, biking, hiking, skiing, boating and sailing, camping, canoeing, caving (spelunking), gardens, and arboretums. North Carolina has theme parks, aquariums, museums, historic sites, lighthouses, elegant theaters, concert halls, and fine dining.[101][102] North Carolinians enjoy outdoor recreation using numerous local bike paths, 34 state parks, and 14 national parks. National Park Service units include the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site at Flat Rock, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at Manteo, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, Moores Creek National Battlefield near Currie in Pender County, the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, Old Salem National Historic Site in Winston-Salem, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, and Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. National Forests include Uwharrie National Forest in central North Carolina, Croatan National Forest in Eastern North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest in the western mountains, and Nantahala National Forest in the southwestern part of the state. Most populous counties See also: List of counties in North Carolina In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual population estimate counts for North Carolina's counties. Wake County has the largest population, while Mecklenburg County has the second largest population in North Carolina.[103] Largest combined statistical areas Main article: North Carolina statistical areas See also: List of metropolitan areas of North Carolina North Carolina has three major combined statistical areas with populations of more than 1.6 million (U.S. Census Bureau 2018 estimates):[104] Charlotte Metro: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC–SC, population 2,728,933[104] Research Triangle: Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, population 2,238,315[104] Piedmont Triad: Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, North Carolina, population 1,677,551[104] Major cities See also: List of municipalities in North Carolina In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau released 2018 population estimate counts for North Carolina's cities with populations above 70,000. Charlotte has the largest population in the state, while Raleigh has the highest population density of North Carolina's largest cities.[105]    Largest cities or towns in North Carolina (2023 estimate)[106] Rank Name County Pop. Rank Name County Pop. Charlotte Charlotte Raleigh Raleigh 1 Charlotte Mecklenburg 885,663 11 Asheville Buncombe 93,392 Greensboro Greensboro Durham Durham 2 Raleigh Wake 472,540 12 Greenville Pitt 90,002 3 Greensboro Guilford 299,175 13 Gastonia Gaston 82,721 4 Durham Durham 287,794 14 Jacksonville Onslow 72,266 5 Winston-Salem Forsyth 252,274 15 Apex Wake 69,291 6 Fayetteville Cumberland 209,182 16 Huntersville Mecklenburg 62,372 7 Cary Wake 180,227 17 Burlington Alamance 61,347 8 Wilmington New Hanover 120,695 18 Chapel Hill Orange 60,841 9 High Point Guilford 114,475 19 Kannapolis Cabarrus 56,534 10 Concord Cabarrus 111,659 20 Mooresville Iredell 53,956 Demographics Main article: Demographics of North Carolina Historical population Census Pop. Note %± 1790 393,751 — 1800 478,103 21.4% 1810 556,526 16.4% 1820 638,829 14.8% 1830 737,987 15.5% 1840 753,419 2.1% 1850 869,039 15.3% 1860 992,622 14.2% 1870 1,071,361 7.9% 1880 1,399,750 30.7% 1890 1,617,949 15.6% 1900 1,893,810 17.1% 1910 2,206,287 16.5% 1920 2,559,123 16.0% 1930 3,170,276 23.9% 1940 3,571,623 12.7% 1950 4,061,929 13.7% 1960 4,556,155 12.2% 1970 5,082,059 11.5% 1980 5,881,766 15.7% 1990 6,628,637 12.7% 2000 8,049,313 21.4% 2010 9,535,483 18.5% 2020 10,439,388 9.5% 2022 (est.) 10,698,973 [107] 2.5% Source: 1910–2020[108] The United States Census Bureau determined the population of North Carolina was 10,439,388 at the 2020 U.S. census.[109][110][111] Based on numbers in 2012 of the people residing in North Carolina 58.5% were born there; 33.1% were born in another state; 1.0% were born in Puerto Rico, U.S. island areas, or born abroad to American parent(s); and 7.4% were foreign-born.[112] According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 9,382 homeless people in North Carolina.[113][114] The top countries of origin for North Carolina’s immigrants were Mexico, India, Honduras, China and El Salvador, as of 2018.[115] Race and ethnicity See also: African Americans in North Carolina Ethnic origins in North Carolina Ethnic composition as of the 2020 census Race and Ethnicity[116] Alone Total White (non-Hispanic) 60.5%   63.9%   African American (non-Hispanic) 20.2%   21.8%   Hispanic or Latino[c] — 10.7%   Asian 3.3%   4.0%   Native American 1.0%   2.5%   Pacific Islander 0.1%   0.2%   Other 0.4%   1.1%   Historical racial demographics  Racial composition 1990[117] 2000[118] 2010[119] White 75.6% 72.1% 68.5% Black 22.0% 21.6% 21.4% Asian 0.8% 1.4% 2.2% Native 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander – 0.1% 0.1% Other race 0.5% 2.3% 4.3% Two or more races – 1.3% 2.3% Map of counties in North Carolina by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census Legend At the 2010 U.S. census,[120] the racial composition of North Carolina was: White: 68.5% (65.3% non-Hispanic white, 3.2% White Hispanic), Black or African American: 21.5%, Latin and Hispanic American of any race: 8.4%, some other race: 4.3%, Multiracial American: 2.2%, Asian American: 2.2%, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1%. In 2020, North Carolina like much of the U.S. experienced a decline in its non-Hispanic white population; at the 2020 census, non-Hispanic whites were 62.2%, Blacks or African Americans 20.5%, American Indian and Alaska Natives 1.2%, Asians 3.3%, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders 0.1%, people from other race 5.9%, and multiracial Americans 6.8%.[121] Languages Most common languages other than English spoken in North Carolina Language Percentage of population (in 2010)[122] Spanish 6.93% French 0.32% German 0.27% Chinese (including Mandarin) 0.27% Vietnamese 0.24% Arabic 0.17% Korean 0.16% Tagalog 0.13% Hindi 0.12% Gujarati, Russian, and Hmong (tied) 0.11% Italian and Japanese (tied) 0.08% Cherokee 0.01%[123] North Carolina is home to a spectrum of different dialects of Southern American English and Appalachian English. In 2010, 89.66% (7,750,904) of North Carolina residents age five and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 6.93% (598,756) spoke Spanish, 0.32% (27,310) French, 0.27% (23,204) German, and Chinese (which includes Mandarin) was spoken as a main language by 0.27% (23,072) of the population five and older. In total, 10.34% (893,735) of North Carolina's population age five and older spoke a mother language other than English.[122] In 2019, 87.7% of the population aged 5 and older spoke English and 12.3% spoke another language. The most common non-English language was Spanish at the 2019 American Community Survey.[124] Religion Religion in North Carolina (2014)[125] Religion Percent Evangelical Protestant 35% Unaffilated 20% Mainline Protestant 19% Historically Black Protestant 12% Catholic 9% Mormon 1% Eastern Orthodox 1% Jehovah's Witness 1% Jewish 1% Other faith 1% North Carolina residents since the colonial era have historically been overwhelmingly Protestant—first Anglican, then Baptist and Methodist. In 2010, the Southern Baptist Convention was the single largest Christian denomination, with 4,241 churches and 1,513,000 members. The second largest was the United Methodist Church, with 660,000 members and 1,923 churches. The third was the Roman Catholic Church, with 428,000 members in 190 parishes. The fourth largest was the Presbyterian Church (USA), with 186,000 members and 710 congregations; this denomination was brought by Scots-Irish immigrants who settled the backcountry in the colonial era.[126] In 2020, the Southern Baptists remained the largest with 1,324,747 adherents, though Methodists and others were collectively overtaken by non/interdenominational Protestants numbering 1,053,564.[127] In 1845, the Baptists split into regional associations of the Northern United States and Southern U.S., over the issue of slavery. These new associations were the Northern Baptist Convention (today the American Baptist Churches USA) and Southern Baptist Convention. By the late 19th century, the largest Protestant denomination in North Carolina were Baptists. After emancipation, black Baptists quickly set up their own independent congregations in North Carolina and other states of the South, as they wanted to be free of white supervision.[128][129][130] Black Baptists developed their own state and national associations, such as the National Baptist Convention.[129] Other primarily African American Baptist conventions which grew in the state since the 20th century were the Progressive National Baptist Convention and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. Methodists (the second largest group among North Carolinian Protestants) were divided along racial lines in the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Methodist tradition tends to be strong in the northern Piedmont, especially in populous Guilford County. Other prominent Protestant groups in North Carolina as of the Pew Research Center's 2014 study were non/interdenominational Protestants and Pentecostalism. The Assemblies of God and Church of God in Christ are the largest Pentecostal denominations operating in the state, while notable minorities include Oneness Pentecostals primarily affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International. The state also has a special history with the Moravian Church, as settlers of this faith (largely of German origin) settled in the Winston-Salem area in the 18th and 19th centuries. Historically Scots-Irish have had a strong presence in Charlotte and in Scotland County.[131] A wide variety of non-Christian faiths are practiced by other residents in the state, including: Judaism, Islam, Baháʼí, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The rapid influx of Northerners and immigrants from Latin America is steadily increasing ethnic and religious diversity within the state. The number of Roman Catholics and Jews in the state has increased, along with general religious diversity as a whole. There are also a substantial number of Quakers in Guilford County and northeastern North Carolina. Many universities and colleges in the state have been founded on religious traditions, and some currently maintain that affiliation, including:[132] Barton College (Disciples of Christ) Belmont Abbey College (Catholic) Bennett College for Women (United Methodist Church) Brevard College (United Methodist Church) Campbell University (Baptist) Catawba College (United Church of Christ) Chowan University (Baptist) Davidson College (Presbyterian) Duke University (Historically Methodist) Elon University (United Church of Christ) Gardner–Webb University (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship) Greensboro College (Methodist) Guilford College (Religious Society of Friends/Quakers) High Point University (United Methodist Church) Lees-McRae College (Presbyterian) Lenoir-Rhyne University (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) Livingstone College (African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church) Louisburg College (United Methodist Church) Mars Hill University (Christian) Methodist University (United Methodist Church) Montreat College (Christian) University of Mount Olive (Baptist) North Carolina Wesleyan College (United Methodist Church) William Peace University (Presbyterian) Pfeiffer University (Methodist) Queens University of Charlotte (Presbyterian) St. Andrews Presbyterian College (Presbyterian) Saint Augustine's College (Episcopal) Salem College (Moravian Church) Shaw University (Baptist) Wake Forest University (Historically Baptist) Warren Wilson College (Historically Presbyterian) Wingate University (Historically Baptist) The state also has several major seminaries, including the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, and the Hood Theological Seminary (AME Zion) in Salisbury. Economy Main article: Economy of North Carolina See also: North Carolina locations by per capita income and Economic Development in Rural Western North Carolina North Carolina's 2018 total gross state product was $496 billion.[133] Based on American Community Survey 2010–2014 data, North Carolina's median household income was $46,693. It ranked forty-first out of fifty states plus the District of Columbia for median household income. North Carolina had the fourteenth highest poverty rate in the nation at 17.6%, with 13% of families that were below the poverty line.[134] The state has a very diverse economy because of its great availability of hydroelectric power,[135] its pleasant climate, and its wide variety of soils. The state ranks third among the South Atlantic states in population, but leads the region in industry and agriculture.[136][137] North Carolina leads the nation in the production of tobacco.[138] Charlotte, the state's largest city, is a major textile and trade center. According to a Forbes article written in 2013, employment in the "Old North State" has gained many different industry sectors. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industries in the area surrounding North Carolina's capital have grown 17.9 percent since 2001. Raleigh ranked the third best city for technology in 2020 due to the state's growing technology sector.[139] In 2010, North Carolina's total gross state product was $424.9 billion,[140] while the state debt in November 2012, according to one source, totalled $2.4 billion,[141] while according to another, was in 2012 $57.8 billion.[142] In 2011, the civilian labor force was at around 4.5 million with employment near 4.1 million. North Carolina is the leading U.S. state in production of flue-cured tobacco and sweet potatoes, and comes second in the farming of pigs and hogs, trout, and turkeys.[143][144] In the three most recent USDA surveys (2002, 2007, 2012), North Carolina also ranked second in the production of Christmas trees.[143][145][146] North Carolina has 15 metropolitan areas,[147] and in 2010 was chosen as the third-best state for business by Forbes Magazine, and the second-best state by chief executive officer Magazine.[148] Since 2000, there has been a clear division in the economic growth of North Carolina's urban and rural areas. While North Carolina's urban areas have enjoyed a prosperous economy with steady job growth, low unemployment, and rising wages, many of the state's rural counties have suffered from job loss, rising levels of poverty, and population loss as their manufacturing base has declined. According to one estimate, one-half of North Carolina's 100 counties have lost population since 2010, primarily due to the poor economy in many of North Carolina's rural areas. However, the population of the state's urban areas is steadily increasing.[149] Arts and culture Main articles: Culture of North Carolina and List of museums in North Carolina North Carolina has traditions in art, music, and cuisine. The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.2 billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina, supporting more than 43,600 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $119 million in revenue for local governments and the state of North Carolina.[150] North Carolina established the North Carolina Museum of Art as the first major museum collection in the country to be formed by state legislation and funding[151] and continues to bring millions into the NC economy.[152] One of the more famous arts communities in the state is Seagrove, the handmade-pottery capital of the U.S., where artisans create handcrafted pottery inspired by the same traditions that began in this community more than two hundred years ago. TV and Film Further information: Category:Films shot in North Carolina; Category:Television shows filmed in North Carolina; and Films and television shows produced in Wilmington, North Carolina Music Main articles: Music of North Carolina and North Carolina Music Hall of Fame North Carolina boasts a large number of noteworthy jazz musicians, some among the most important in the history of the genre. These include: John Coltrane, (Hamlet, High Point); Thelonious Monk (Rocky Mount); Billy Taylor (Greenville); Woody Shaw (Laurinburg); Lou Donaldson (Durham); Max Roach (Newland); Tal Farlow (Greensboro); Albert, Jimmy and Percy Heath (Wilmington); Nina Simone (Tryon); and Billy Strayhorn (Hillsborough). Fiddlin' Bill Hensley, mountain fiddler, Asheville, 1937 North Carolina is also famous for its tradition of old-time music, and many recordings were made in the early 20th century by folk-song collector Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Musicians such as the North Carolina Ramblers helped solidify the sound of country music in the late 1920s, while the influential bluegrass musician Doc Watson also hailed from North Carolina. Both North and South Carolina are hotbeds for traditional rural blues, especially the style known as the Piedmont blues. Ben Folds Five originated in Winston-Salem, and Ben Folds still records and resides in Chapel Hill. The British band Pink Floyd is named, in part, after Chapel Hill bluesman Floyd Council. The Research Triangle area has long been a well-known center for folk, rock, metal, jazz and punk.[153] James Taylor grew up around Chapel Hill, and his 1968 song "Carolina in My Mind" has been called an unofficial anthem for the state.[154][155][156] Other famous musicians from North Carolina include J. Cole, DaBaby, 9th Wonder, Shirley Caesar, Roberta Flack, Clyde McPhatter, Nnenna Freelon, Link Wray, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, Michael Houser, Eric Church, Future Islands, Randy Travis, Ryan Adams, Ronnie Milsap, Anthony Hamilton, The Avett Brothers, Charlie Daniels, and Luke Combs. Metal and punk acts such as Corrosion of Conformity, Between the Buried and Me, and Nightmare Sonata are native to North Carolina. EDM producer Porter Robinson hails from Chapel Hill. North Carolina is the home of more American Idol finalists than any other state: Clay Aiken (season two), Fantasia Barrino (season three), Chris Daughtry (season five), Kellie Pickler (season five), Bucky Covington (season five), Anoop Desai (season eight), Scotty McCreery (season ten), and Caleb Johnson (season thirteen). North Carolina also has the most American Idol winners with Barrino, McCreery, and Johnson. In the mountains, the Brevard Music Center hosts choral, operatic, orchestral, and solo performances during its annual summer schedule. North Carolina has five professional opera companies: Opera Carolina in Charlotte, NC Opera in Raleigh, Greensboro Opera in Greensboro, Piedmont Opera in Winston-Salem, and Asheville Lyric Opera in Asheville. Academic conservatories and universities also produce fully staged operas, such as the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, the Department of Music of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and UNC Greensboro. Among others, there are three high-level symphonic orchestras: NC Symphony in Raleigh, Charlotte Symphony, and Winston-Salem Symphony. The NC Symphony holds the North Carolina Master Chorale. The Carolina Ballet is headquartered in Raleigh, and there is also the Charlotte Ballet. The state boasts three performing arts centers: DPAC in Durham, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, and the Blumenthal Performing Art Centers in Charlotte. They feature concerts, operas, recitals, and traveling Broadway musicals.[157][158][159] Shopping North Carolina has a variety of shopping choices. SouthPark Mall in Charlotte is the largest and most upscale mall in the Carolinas, featuring multiple luxury tenants with their sole location in the state. Other major malls in Charlotte include Northlake Mall and Carolina Place Mall in nearby suburb Pineville. Other major malls throughout the state include Hanes Mall in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, The Thruway Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Crabtree Valley Mall, North Hills Mall, and Triangle Town Center in Raleigh; Friendly Center and Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro; Oak Hollow Mall in High Point; Concord Mills in Concord; Valley Hills Mall in Hickory; Cross Creek Mall in Fayetteville; and The Streets at Southpoint in Durham and Independence Mall in Wilmington, North Carolina, and Tanger Outlets in Charlotte, Nags Head, Blowing Rock, and Mebane, North Carolina. Cuisine and agriculture 2008 Lexington Barbecue Festival A culinary staple of North Carolina is pork barbecue. There are strong regional differences and rivalries over the sauces and methods used in making the barbecue. The common trend across Western North Carolina is the use of premium grade Boston butt. Western North Carolina pork barbecue uses a tomato-based sauce, and only the pork shoulder (dark meat) is used. Western North Carolina barbecue is commonly referred to as Lexington barbecue after the Piedmont Triad town of Lexington, home of the Lexington Barbecue Festival, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each October.[160][161] Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue uses a vinegar-and-red-pepper-based sauce and the "whole hog" is cooked, thus integrating both white and dark meat.[162] Krispy Kreme, an international chain of doughnut stores, was started in North Carolina; the company's headquarters are in Winston-Salem. Pepsi-Cola was first produced in 1898 in New Bern. A regional soft drink, Cheerwine, was created and is still based in the city of Salisbury. Despite its name, the hot sauce Texas Pete was created in North Carolina; its headquarters are also in Winston-Salem. The Hardee's fast-food chain was started in Rocky Mount. Another fast-food chain, Bojangles', was started in Charlotte, and has its corporate headquarters there. A popular North Carolina restaurant chain is Golden Corral. Started in 1973, the chain was founded in Fayetteville, with headquarters located in Raleigh. Popular pickle brand Mount Olive Pickle Company was founded in Mount Olive in 1926. Fast casual burger chain Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries also makes its home in Mount Olive. Cook Out, a popular fast-food chain featuring burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes in a wide variety of flavors, was founded in Greensboro in 1989 and has begun expanding outside North Carolina. In 2013, Southern Living named Durham–Chapel Hill the South's "Tastiest City". Over the last decade, North Carolina has become a cultural epicenter and haven for internationally prize-winning wine (Noni Bacca Winery), internationally prized cheeses (Ashe County), "L'institut International aux Arts Gastronomiques: Conquerront Les Yanks les Truffes, January 15, 2010" international hub for truffles (Garland Truffles), and beer making, as tobacco land has been converted to grape orchards while state laws regulating alcohol by volume (ABV) in beer allowed a jump from six to fifteen percent. The Yadkin Valley in particular has become a strengthening market for grape production, while Asheville recently won the recognition of being named "Beer City USA". Asheville boasts the largest number of breweries per capita of any city in the United States. Recognized and marketed brands of beer in North Carolina include Highland Brewing, Duck Rabbit Brewery, Mother Earth Brewery, Weeping Radish Brewery, Big Boss Brewing, Foothills Brewing, Carolina Brewing Company, Lonerider Brewing, and White Rabbit Brewing Company. North Carolina has large grazing areas for beef and dairy cattle. Truck farms can be found in North Carolina. A truck farm is a small farm where fruits and vegetables are grown to be sold at local markets. The state's shipping, commercial fishing, and lumber industries are important to its economy. Service industries, including education, health care, private research, and retail trade, are also important. Research Triangle Park, a large industrial complex located in the Raleigh-Durham area, is one of the major centers in the country for electronics and medical research.[163] Tobacco was one of the first major industries to develop after the Civil War. Many farmers grew some tobacco, and the invention of the cigarette made the product especially popular. Winston-Salem is the birthplace of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR), founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1874 as one of sixteen tobacco companies in the town. By 1914 it was selling 425 million packs of Camels a year. Today it is the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S. (behind Altria Group). RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc., which in turn is 42% owned by British American Tobacco.[164] Ships named for the state Further information: USS North Carolina USS North Carolina on permanent display in Wilmington Several ships have been named after the state, most famously USS North Carolina in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. Now decommissioned, she is part of the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial in Wilmington. Another USS North Carolina, a nuclear attack submarine, was commissioned in Wilmington on May 3, 2008.[165] State parks The state maintains a group of protected areas known as the North Carolina State Park System, which is managed by the North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation (NCDPR), an agency of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR).[166] Armed forces installations Troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division training on Fort Liberty, March 2011 Fort Liberty, near Fayetteville and Southern Pines, is a large and comprehensive military base and is the headquarters of the XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Serving as the air wing for Fort Liberty is Pope Field, also located near Fayetteville. Located in Jacksonville, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, combined with nearby bases Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, MCAS New River, Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson, Stone Bay and Courthouse Bay, makes up the largest concentration of Marines and sailors in the world. MCAS Cherry Point is home of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Located in Goldsboro, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base is home of the 4th Fighter Wing and 916th Air Refueling Wing. One of the busiest air stations in the United States Coast Guard is located at the Coast Guard Air Station in Elizabeth City. Also stationed in North Carolina is the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in Southport. On January 24, 1961, a B-52G broke up in midair and crashed after suffering a severe fuel loss, near Goldsboro, dropping two nuclear bombs in the process without detonation.[167] In 2013, it was revealed that three safety mechanisms on one bomb had failed, leaving just one low-voltage switch preventing detonation.[168] Tourism Biltmore Estate, Asheville Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, located in North Carolina's Outer Banks Charlotte is the most-visited city in the state, attracting 28.3 million visitors in 2018.[169] Area attractions include Carolina Panthers NFL football team and Charlotte Hornets basketball team, Carowinds amusement park, Catawba Two Kings Casino (in nearby Kings Mountain), Charlotte Motor Speedway, U.S. National Whitewater Center, Discovery Place, Great Wolf Lodge, Sea Life Aquarium,[170] Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Billy Graham Library, Carolinas Aviation Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Mint Museum, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Every year the Appalachian Mountains attract several million tourists to the western part of the state,[171] including the historic Biltmore Estate. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are the two most visited national park and unit in the United States with more than 25 million visitors in 2013.[172] The City of Asheville is consistently voted as one of the top places to visit and live in the United States, known for its rich art deco architecture, mountain scenery and outdoor activities.[173][174] In Raleigh, many tourists visit the capital, African American Cultural Complex,[175] Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, Gregg Museum of Art & Design at NCSU, Haywood Hall House & Gardens, Marbles Kids Museum, North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum of History, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, Raleigh City Museum, J. C. Raulston Arboretum, Joel Lane House, Mordecai House, Montfort Hall, and the Pope House Museum. The Carolina Hurricanes NHL hockey team is also located in the city. In the Conover–Hickory area, attractions include Hickory Motor Speedway, RockBarn Golf and Spa,[176] home of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn; Catawba County Firefighters Museum,[177] the SALT Block,[178] and Valley Hills Mall. The Piedmont Triad, or center of the state, is home to Krispy Kreme, Mayberry, Texas Pete, the Lexington Barbecue Festival, and Moravian cookies. The internationally acclaimed North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro attracts visitors to its animals, plants, and a 57-piece art collection along five miles (8 km) of shaded pathways in the world's largest-land-area natural-habitat park. Seagrove, in the central portion of the state, attracts many tourists along Pottery Highway (NC Hwy 705). MerleFest in Wilkesboro attracts more than 80,000 people to its four-day music festival; and Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe water park in Greensboro is another attraction.[179] The Outer Banks and surrounding beaches attract millions of people to the Atlantic beaches every year.[180] The mainland northeastern part of the state, having recently adopted the name the Inner Banks, is also known as the Albemarle Region, for the Albemarle Settlements, some of the first settlements on North Carolina's portion of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The region's historic sites are connected by the Historic Albemarle Tour. Transportation Main article: Transportation in North Carolina See also: Vehicle registration plates of North Carolina Most common license plate design in the state; includes the Wright Flyer in the background LYNX light rail car in Charlotte State-owned Piedmont train in High Point Transportation systems in North Carolina consist of air, water, road, rail, and public transportation including intercity rail via Amtrak and light rail in Charlotte. North Carolina has the second-largest state highway system in the country as well as the largest ferry system on the East Coast.[181] North Carolina's airports serve destinations throughout the United States and international destinations in Canada, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. In July 2022, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which serves as the second busiest hub for American Airlines, ranked as the 11th busiest airport in the United States with Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a focus-city for Delta Air Lines and formerly a hub for American Airlines and Midway Airlines, ranked as the 37th busiest airport in the United States.[182] North Carolina has a growing passenger rail system with Amtrak serving most major cities. Charlotte is also home to North Carolina's only light rail system known as LYNX.[183] Interstates Main article: Interstate Highways in North Carolina Primary  I-26  I-40  Future I-42  I-73  I-74  I-77  I-85  I-87  I-95 Auxiliary (three-digit)  I-140  I-240  Future I-274  I-277  I-285  I-295  I-440  I-485  I-495  I-540  I-587  Future I-685  I-785  I-795  I-840  I-885 Business routes  I-85 BL  I-95 BL US highways Further information: List of U.S. Highways in North Carolina State routes Further information: List of state highways in North Carolina Secondary roads Further information: North Carolina Highway System § Secondary roads Education Primary and secondary education See also: List of school districts in North Carolina and List of high schools in North Carolina A lesson at New Kituwah Academy on the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina. This bilingual language immersion school, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, teaches the same curriculum as other state elementary schools Elementary and secondary public schools are overseen by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is the secretary of the North Carolina State Board of Education, but the board, rather than the superintendent, holds most of the legal authority for making public education policy. In 2009, the board's chairman also became the "chief executive officer" for the state's school system.[184] North Carolina has 115 public school systems, each of which is overseen by a local school board.[185][186] A county may have one or more systems within it. The largest school systems in North Carolina are the Wake County Public School System, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Guilford County Schools, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and Cumberland County Schools.[187] In total there are 2,425 public schools in the state, including over 200 charter schools.[188] North Carolina Schools were segregated until the Brown v. Board of Education trial and the release of the Pearsall Plan. Previously the SAT was the dominant university entrance examination students took. In 2004 76% of NC high school students took the SAT. In 2012 state law changed which required 11th grade students to take the ACT. The SAT testing rate fell to 46% in 2019. Because students now can take that test for free, the ACT became the dominant university entrance examination. This also caused SAT average scores to rise, as in 1996 North Carolina was 48th nationally in SAT scores, but the profile of students taking the SAT has gotten smaller.[189] Colleges and universities Further information: List of colleges and universities in North Carolina and List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment In 1795, North Carolina opened the first public university in the United States—the University of North Carolina (now named the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).[190] More than 200 years later, the University of North Carolina system encompasses 16 public universities including North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, East Carolina University, Western Carolina University, Winston-Salem State University, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Elizabeth City State University, Appalachian State University, Fayetteville State University, and UNC School of the Arts, and 1 public, boarding high school, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.[191] Along with its public universities, North Carolina has 58 public community colleges in its community college system. The largest university in North Carolina is currently North Carolina State University, with more than 34,000 students.[192] Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill Duke Chapel at Duke University Memorial Bell Tower at NC State Wait Chapel at Wake Forest University The Joyner Library clock tower at East Carolina University The New Quad at UNC Charlotte North Carolina is also home to many well-known private colleges and universities, including Duke University,[193] Wake Forest University,[194] Pfeiffer University, Lees-McRae College, Davidson College, Barton College, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Elon University, Guilford College, Livingstone College, Salem College, Shaw University (the first historically black college or university in the South), Laurel University, William Peace University, Meredith College, Methodist University, Belmont Abbey College (the only Catholic college in the Carolinas), Campbell University, University of Mount Olive, Montreat College, High Point University, Lenoir-Rhyne University (the only Lutheran university in North Carolina) and Wingate University. Health The residents of North Carolina have a lower life expectancy than the U.S. national average of life expectancy. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, in 2014, males in North Carolina lived an average of 75.4 years compared to the national average of 76.7 years. Females in North Carolina lived an average of 80.2 years compared to the national average of 81.5 years. Male life expectancy in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by an average of 6.9 years, slightly higher than the male national average of a 6.7-year increase. Life expectancy for females in North Carolina between 1980 and 2014 increased by 3.2 years, lower than the female national average of a 3.9-year increase.[195] Using 2017–2019 data, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation calculated that life expectancy for North Carolina counties ranged from 71.4 years for Swain County to 82.3 years for Orange County. Life expectancy for the state was 78.1 years.[196] The Foundation estimated that life expectancy for the United States as a whole in 2021 was 79.2 years.[197] Media See also: Category:Mass media in North Carolina, List of newspapers in North Carolina, List of defunct newspapers of North Carolina, List of radio stations in North Carolina, and List of television stations in North Carolina Early newspapers were established in the eastern part of North Carolina in the mid-18th century. The Fayetteville Observer, established in 1816, is the oldest newspaper still in publication in North Carolina. The Wilmington Star-News, established 1867, is the oldest continuously running newspaper. As of January 1, 2020, there were approximately 240 North Carolina newspapers in publication in the state of North Carolina.[198] The News and Observer was founded in 1871 and is the largest in circulation in the state. In 2006, The Charlotte Observer was acquired by the company, it is the second largest circulating news paper in the state.[199] Government and politics Main articles: Government of North Carolina, Politics of North Carolina, and Political party strength in North Carolina North Carolina registered voters as of August 26, 2023[200] Party Number of Voters Percentage Unaffiliated 2,647,996 36.19% Democratic 2,413,667 32.99% Republican 2,204,338 30.13% Libertarian 49,492 0.68% Green 1,369 0.02% No Labels 163 <0.01% Total 7,317,025 100.00% North Carolina State Legislative Building The government of North Carolina is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. These consist of the Council of State (led by the Governor), the bicameral legislature (called the General Assembly), and the state court system (headed by the North Carolina Supreme Court). The state constitution delineates the structure and function of the state government. Most municipalities in North Carolina operate under council-manager governments.[201] North Carolina's party loyalties have undergone a series of important shifts in the last few years: While the 2010 midterms saw Tarheel voters elect a bicameral Republican majority legislature for the first time in more than a century, North Carolina has also become a Southern swing state in presidential races. Since Southern Democrat Jimmy Carter's comfortable victory in the state in 1976, the state had consistently leaned Republican in presidential elections until Democrat Barack Obama narrowly won the state in 2008. In the 1990s, Democrat Bill Clinton came within a point of winning the state in 1992 and also only narrowly lost the state in 1996. In 2000, Republican George W. Bush easily won the state by more than 13 points. By 2008, demographic shifts, population growth, and increased liberalization in densely populated areas such as the Research Triangle, Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Fayetteville, and Asheville, propelled Barack Obama to victory in North Carolina, the first Democrat to win the state since 1976. In 2012, North Carolina was again considered a competitive swing state, with the Democrats even holding their 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. However, Republican Mitt Romney ultimately eked out a two-point win in North Carolina, the only 2012 swing state Obama lost, and one of only two states (along with Indiana) to flip from Obama in 2008 to the GOP in 2012. Furthermore, Republican Donald Trump carried the state in 2016 and 2020. In 2012, the state elected a Republican governor (Pat McCrory) and lieutenant governor (Dan Forest) for the first time in more than two decades, while also giving the Republicans veto-proof majorities in both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate. Several U.S. House of Representatives seats flipped control in 2012, with the Republicans holding nine seats to the Democrats' four. In the 2014 mid-term elections, Republican David Rouzer won the state's seventh congressional district seat, increasing the congressional delegation party split to 10–3 in favor of the GOP. North Carolina Republicans won 10 of the 13 seats in 2016, when Democrats got 47 percent of the statewide vote. In 2018 Republicans took nine, with one seat undecided, even though Democrats got 48 percent of the overall vote. As a result of the 2020 census, North Carolina gained another seat in the 118th United States Congress, for a total of 14.[202] In a 2020 study, North Carolina was ranked as the 23rd easiest state for citizens to vote in.[203] Gerrymandering See also: Gerrymandering in the United States The state has been sued for racially gerrymandering the districts, which resulted in minority voting power being diluted in some areas, resulting in skewed representation. In 2000, the District Court ruled that the 12th District was an illegal racial gerrymander.[204] This was again appealed, now as Easley v. Cromartie. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the District Court in 2001 and ruled that the 12th district boundaries were not racially based but was a partisan gerrymander. They said this was a political question that the courts should not rule upon.[205] In 2015, federal courts again ordered redistricting.[206] Two suits challenging the state congressional district map were led by "two dozen voters, the state Democratic Party, the state chapter of the League of Women Voters, and the interest group Common Cause".[206] They contend that the redistricting resulted in deliberate under-representation of a substantial portion of voters. This case reached the United States Supreme Court in March 2019, which also heard a related partisan gerrymandering case from Maryland.[206] Sports Main article: Sports in North Carolina Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC   Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup awards ceremony at the RBC Center in Raleigh Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup awards ceremony at the RBC Center in Raleigh   The Spectrum Center, home arena of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets The Spectrum Center, home arena of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets North Carolina is home to four major league sports franchises: the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League, the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association, and Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer are based in Charlotte, while the Raleigh-based Carolina Hurricanes play in the National Hockey League. The Panthers and Hurricanes are the only two major professional sports teams that have the same geographical designation while playing in different metropolitan areas. The Hurricanes are the only major professional team from North Carolina to have won a league championship, having captured the Stanley Cup in 2006. North Carolina is also home to two other top-level professional teams — the Charlotte Hounds of Major League Lacrosse and the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League. While North Carolina has no Major League Baseball team, it does have numerous Minor League Baseball teams, with the highest level of play coming from the Triple-A Charlotte Knights and Durham Bulls. Additionally, North Carolina has minor league teams in other team sports including soccer and ice hockey, most notably North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Checkers, both of which play in the second tier of their respective sports. In addition to professional team sports, North Carolina has a strong affiliation with NASCAR and stock-car racing, with Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord hosting two Cup Series races every year. Charlotte also hosts the NASCAR Hall of Fame, while Concord is the home of several top-flight racing teams, including Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, GMS Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Chip Ganassi Racing. Numerous other tracks around North Carolina host races from low-tier NASCAR circuits as well. Golf is a popular summertime leisure activity, and North Carolina has hosted several important professional golf tournaments. Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst has hosted a PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, two U.S. Opens, and one U.S. Women's Open. The Wells Fargo Championship is a regular stop on the PGA Tour and is held at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, and Quail Hollow has also played host to the PGA Championship. The Wyndham Championship is played annually in Greensboro at Sedgefield Country Club. College sports are also popular in North Carolina, with 18 schools competing at the Division I level. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is headquartered in Greensboro, and both the ACC Football Championship Game (Charlotte) and the ACC men's basketball tournament (Greensboro) were most recently held in North Carolina. Additionally, the city of Charlotte is home to the National Junior College Athletics Association's (NJCAA) headquarters.[207] College basketball is very popular in North Carolina, buoyed by the Tobacco Road rivalries between ACC members North Carolina, Duke, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. The ACC Championship Game and the Duke's Mayo Bowl are held annually in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, featuring teams from the ACC and the Southeastern Conference. Additionally, the state has hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four on two occasions, in Greensboro in 1974 and in Charlotte in 1994. See also flag United States portal flag North Carolina portal Index of North Carolina–related articles Outline of North Carolina List of people from North Carolina Notes  In 1893 the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the Latin words "Esse Quam Videri" as the state motto and directed that these words be placed with the state's coat of arms and the date "20 May 1775" upon the great seal.  Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.  Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.
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