Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Charlotte | |
|---|---|
City | |
Uptown Charlotte skyline UNC Charlotte NASCAR Hall of Fame Bechtler Museum of Modern Art U.S. National Whitewater Center Bank of America Stadium | |
| Coordinates: 35°13′38″N 80°50′35″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Mecklenburg |
| Settled | 1755 |
| Incorporated | December 3, 1768 |
| Named for | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Body | Charlotte City Council |
| • Mayor | Vi Lyles (D) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 312.00 sq mi (808.08 km2) |
| • Land | 310.02 sq mi (802.94 km2) |
| • Water | 1.98 sq mi (5.14 km2) 0.63% |
| Elevation | 673 ft (205 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 874,579 |
| • Estimate (2022) | 897,720 |
| • Rank | 40th in North America 15th in the United States 1st in North Carolina |
| • Density | 2,821.06/sq mi (1,089.22/km2) |
| • Urban | 1,379,873 (US: 37th) |
| • Urban density | 2,098.3/sq mi (810.2/km2) |
| • Metro | 2,805,115 (US: 22nd) |
| Demonym | Charlottean |
| GDP | |
| • Charlotte (MSA) | $228.9 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 282XX |
| Area codes | 704, 980 |
| FIPS code | 37-12000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404032 |
| Website | charlottenc |
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Charlotte (/ˈʃɑːrlət/ SHAR-lət) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 15th-most populous city in the United States, 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 estimated 2023 population of 2,805,115 ranked 22nd in the United States. The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of an eighteen-county market region or combined statistical area with an estimated 2023 population of 3,387,115.
Between 2004 and 2014, Charlotte was among the country's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, with 888,000 new residents. Based on U.S. census data from 2005 to 2015, Charlotte tops the U.S. in millennial population growth. It is the third-fastest-growing major city in the United States. Residents of Charlotte are referred to as "Charlotteans".
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.
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, Opera Carolina, the Charlotte Symphony, 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.
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. Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake are two smaller human-made lakes located near the city.
Neighborhoods
Charlotte has 199 neighborhoods radiating in all directions from Uptown.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. 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. North Tryon and the Sugar Creek area include several Asian American communities. NoDa (North Davidson), north of Uptown, is an emerging center for arts and entertainment. 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.
The SouthPark area offers shopping, dining, and multifamily housing. Far South Boulevard is home to a large Hispanic community. Many students, researchers, and affiliated professionals live near UNC Charlotte in the northeast area known as University City.
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. Ballantyne, in the south of Charlotte, and nearly every area on the I‑485 perimeter, has experienced rapid growth over the past ten years. The Steele Creek neighborhood which is primarily in Mecklenburg county is located within minutes near Uptown Charlotte.
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.
