History
Early history through American Revolution
TheLate 18th century through 19th century
Charlotte is traditionally considered the home of SouthernEarly 20th century to present
In 1910, Charlotte surpassed Wilmington to become North Carolina's largest city with 34,014 residents. The population grew again duringGeography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Charlotte is the List of United States cities by area, twenty-sixth-most expansive city in the United States and lies at an elevation of . Charlotte constitutes most of Mecklenburg County in the CarolinaNeighborhoods
Charlotte has 199 neighborhoods radiating in all directions from Uptown Charlotte, Uptown. Biddleville (Charlotte neighborhood), 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 (Charlotte neighborhood), Plaza-Midwood is known for its international population, including Eastern Europeans, Greek Americans, Greeks, Middle Eastern Americans, Middle-Easterners, and Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanics. North Tryon and the Sugar Creek area include several Asian Americans, Asian American communities. NoDa (Charlotte neighborhood), NoDa (North Davidson), north of Uptown, is an emerging center for arts and entertainment. Myers Park (Charlotte neighborhood), Myers Park, Dilworth (Charlotte neighborhood), Dilworth, and Eastover (Charlotte neighborhood), Eastover are home to some of Charlotte's most affluent, oldest and largest houses, on tree-lined boulevards, with Freedom Park (Charlotte, North Carolina), Freedom Park nearby. The SouthPark (Charlotte neighborhood), 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, North Carolina, 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, North Carolina, Weddington and Waxhaw, North Carolina, Waxhaw in Union County. Ballantyne (neighborhood), 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, North Carolina, 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, housingParks & Green space
The 120‑acre Park Road Park (Charlotte, North Carolina), Park Road Park is a prominent landmark near the SouthPark area. 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. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Parks & Recreation Department operates 36 tennis facilities and the 12 lighted tennis courts at the park. 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. 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. 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. McAlpine Creek Park and integrated McAlpine Creek Greenway constructed in 1978 was the first greenway built in the western piedmont of North Carolina.Climate
Like much of the Piedmont region of the southeastern United States, Charlotte has aDemographics
2020 census
''Note: the US 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 can be of any race.'' 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 and 1,093,901 in Mecklenburg County. The Combined Statistical Area, combined statistical area, or trade area, of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia, NC–SC had a population of 2,728,933. Figures from the more comprehensive 2010 census show Charlotte's population density to be 2,457 per square mile (948.7/km). There were 319,918 housing units at an average density of 1,074.6 per square mile (414.9/km).2010 Census
In 1970, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Charlotte's population as 30.2% Black and 68.9% White. 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. 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
Charlotte has historically been a Protestantism, Protestant city. It is the birthplace of Billy Graham, and is also the historic seat of Presbyterian Church in the United States, Southern Presbyterianism, but the changing demographics of the city's increasing population have brought scores of new denominations and faiths. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Wycliffe USA, Wycliffe Bible Translators' JAARS Center, Serving In Mission, SIM Missions Organization, and The Christian Research Institute make their homes in the Charlotte general area. In total, Charlotte proper has over 700 places of worship. 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. 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. The Advent Christian Church is headquartered in Charlotte. The Western North Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is also headquartered in Charlotte. 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. Charlotte's Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Charlotte, 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. St. Matthew Parish, located in the Ballantyne (Charlotte neighborhood), Ballantyne neighborhood, is the largest Catholic parish with over 30,000 parishioners. Charlotte is home to ~28,000 Catholics. The Greek Orthodox Church's cathedral for North Carolina, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Charlotte, North Carolina), Holy Trinity Cathedral, is located in Charlotte. Charlotte has the largest Jewish population in the Carolinas. Shalom Park in south Charlotte is the hub of the Jewish community, featuring two synagogues, Temple Israel (Charlotte, North Carolina), Temple Israel 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''. Most African Americans in Charlotte are Baptists affiliated with the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., 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. , 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, North Carolina, 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 theEconomy
Charlotte is the second-largest banking center in the United States, after New York City. The nation's second largest financial institution by total assets, Bank of America, calls the city home. It is also home to the nation's sixth largest financial institution, Truist Financial, Truist, formed from the merger of BB&T and SunTrust Banks, SunTrust in 2019. 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. 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. 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 of the building. U.S. Bancorp, U.S. Bank leases in Truist Center to house 850 employees MUFG Union Bank, which is being acquired by U.S. Bancorp, U.S. Bank, leases in Regions 615 to house 400 employees. USAA occupies in The Square which is located in South End (Charlotte neighborhood), South End to house 500 employees. Charlotte has also all drawn international attention from banks, in August 2022 UK based The Bank of London announced it will be leasing in 101 Independence Center to house the 350 jobs they're creating in Charlotte by 2026. Charlotte also operates major offices for other large companies Microsoft and Centene Corporation also operate their East Coast headquarters in Charlotte. In November 2018, Honeywell moved its corporate headquarters to Charlotte. 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 (Charlotte neighborhood), South End neighborhood in Charlotte. 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. On May 25, 2021, it was announced that Charlotte would become the East Coast headquarters of Credit Karma. Cedar Fair's corporate office is located in southwest Charlotte. On September 20, 2022, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced it will be relocating its headquarters from nearby Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro to Charlotte in 2023. As of 2019, Charlotte has seven Fortune 500 companies in its metropolitan area. Listed in order of their rank, they are:Arts and culture
Museums
*Performing arts
* Actor's Theatre of Charlotte * Amos' Southend Music Hall * Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte * North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center *Festivals and events
The Charlotte region is home to many annual festivals and special events. Carolina Renaissance Festival, The Carolina Renaissance Festival operates on Saturdays and Sundays each October and November. Located near the intersection of North Carolina Highway 73, 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. The Yiasou Greek Festival is a Greek Festival. It began in 1978 and since then has become one of Charlotte's largest cultural events. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Charlotte Pride is an annual LGBT event held in August. In 2019, the event attracted 200,000 people to Uptown Charlotte. The event's parade became Charlotte's largest annual parade in 2017. Charlotte Turkey Trot is an annual 5k & 8k running marathon hosted every Thanksgiving (United States), Thanksgiving, it is also the largest running event in the state of North Carolina.Zoos and aquariums
Charlotte is "... the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a zoo". The Charlotte Zoo initiative is a proposal to allocate 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 funded." 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. Charlotte is also served by the Sea Life Charlotte-Concord Aquarium in the nearby city of Concord, North Carolina, Concord. The aquarium is 30,000 square feet in size, and is part of the Concord Mills, Concord Mills mall. The aquarium opened on February 20, 2014.Libraries
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, North Carolina, Matthews, Mint Hill, North Carolina, Mint Hill, Huntersville, North Carolina, Huntersville, Cornelius, North Carolina, Cornelius and Davidson, North Carolina, 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. Although the library's roots go back to the ''Charlotte Literary and Library Association,'' founded on January 16, 1891, 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, 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). The Brevard Street Library was the first library for African Americans in the state of North Carolina, and some sources say in the southeast. 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
Charlotte is home to three major professional sports Franchising, franchises: theGovernment
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 power in the United States#Local government, veto local ordinance, ordinances passed by the council; the council can override a mayoral veto by a vote of seven of its ten members. The Council appoints a city manager to serve as chief administrative officer. Unlike some other cities and towns in North Carolina, elections are held on a partisan basis. Vi Lyles, a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat 2017 Charlotte mayoral election, elected in 2017, became the 59th mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. She is in her second term. Patrick Cannon, a Democrat, was sworn in as mayor on December 2, 2013. On March 26, 2014, Cannon was arrested on public corruption charges. Later the same day, he resigned as mayor. Mayor Pro Tem Michael Barnes (North Carolina politician), 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. Former Mecklenburg County Commission chairwoman Jennifer Roberts (politician), 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. 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. 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. 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 Municipal home rule, home rule. While municipal powers have been broadly construed since the 1960s, the General Assembly still retains considerable authority over local matters. Charlotte is split between two congressional districts on the federal level. The southeastern portion is part of the North Carolina's 9th congressional district, 9th District, represented by Republican Dan Bishop. Most of the city is in the North Carolina's 12th congressional district, 12th District, represented by Democrat Alma Adams. Charlotte was selected in 2011 to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which was held at the Spectrum Center (Charlotte), Spectrum Center. It began September 4, 2012, and ended on September 6, 2012. In 2018, Charlotte was chosen to host the 2020 Republican National Convention, Republican National Convention in August 2020.Education
School system
The city's public school system, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, is the second largest in North Carolina and 17th largest in the nation. 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. An estimated 144,000 students are taught in 164 separate elementary, middle, and high schools. Charlotte is also home to many private and independent schools, including British School of Charlotte, Charlotte Catholic High School, Charlotte Christian School, Charlotte Country Day School, Charlotte Islamic Academy, Charlotte Latin School, Grace Academy (North Carolina), Grace Academy, Providence Day School, Hickory Grove Christian School, Northside Christian Academy, Southlake Christian Academy, and United Faith Christian Academy.Colleges and universities
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. Several notable colleges are located in the metropolitan suburbs. Located in nearby Davidson, North Carolina, Davidson, North Carolina is Davidson College. Additional colleges in the area include Belmont Abbey College in the suburb of Belmont, North Carolina, 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, Wingate, North Carolina. 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 metropolitan area, Charlotte area. UNC Charlotte is the city's largest university. It is located in University City, Charlotte, North Carolina, University City, the northeastern portion of Charlotte, which is also home to University Research Park, a research and corporate park. With more than 30,000 students, UNC Charlotte is the second largest university in the state system. 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. 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. Pfeiffer University at Charlotte, Pfeiffer University has a satellite campus in Charlotte. 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. On March 24, 2021, it was announced Wake Forest School of Medicine would expand a 20-acre campus in Charlotte by 2024. The Connecticut School of Broadcasting, DeVry University, and ECPI University all have branches in Charlotte. The Universal Technical Institute has the NASCAR Technical Institute in nearby Mooresville, serving the Charlotte area. 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. 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. 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.Media
Newspaper
Charlotte has one major daily newspaper, ''The Charlotte Observer''. It boasts the largest circulation in North 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. The local NPR, National Public Radio news affiliate is WFAE, WFAE News, which sponsors a number of podcasts and radio shows.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. Major television stations located in Charlotte include CBS affiliate WBTV 3 (the oldest television station in the Carolinas),American Broadcasting Company, ABC affiliate WSOC-TV 9,NBC affiliate WCNC-TV 36, The CW, CW affiliate WCCB 18, and PBS member station WTVI 42. One cable sports network is headquartered in Charlotte: the ESPN-controlled SEC Network. Raycom Sports is also headquartered in Charlotte. Other stations serving the Charlotte market include Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox affiliate WJZY 46 in Belmont, North Carolina, Belmont, UNC-TV/PBS member station WUNG-TV 58 in Concord, North Carolina, Concord, Independent station (North America), independent station WAXN-TV 64 (a sister to WSOC-TV) in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Kannapolis, and two stations in Rock Hill, South Carolina: MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYT-TV 55 (a sister to WJZY) and PBS member station WNSC-TV 30. Additionally, INSP (TV channel), INSP is headquartered in nearby Indian Land, South Carolina. In 2020, CNN established a Charlotte bureau spearheaded by national correspondent Dianne Gallagher. Cable television customers are served by Charter Communications, Spectrum, which offers a localized feed of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh-based Spectrum News North Carolina.Infrastructure
City services
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services for the city of Charlotte are provided by Mecklenburg EMS Agency (MEDIC). MEDIC received over 146,000 calls in 2017 and transported over 112,000 patients in Mecklenburg County. The agency employs over 600 paramedics, EMTs, EMDs and admin staff. In addition to dispatching MEDIC's EMS calls, the agency also dispatches all county fire calls outside of the city of Charlotte.Hospitals
Hospitals in Charlotte include Atrium Health Mercy, Atrium Health Pineville, Atrium Health University City, Carolinas ContinueCare Pineville, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center / Levine Children's, Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital, Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital, and Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority is the public hospital authority of Mecklenburg County.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.Law enforcement and crime
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. An average of 4,939 vehicles are stolen every year in Charlotte. 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. However, the entire Charlotte-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked as 27th most dangerous out of 338 metro areas.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). Charlotte has a biosolids program. Some Chester residents spoke out against the program on February 26, 2013. 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 Charlotte's sludge is of the "CLASS B" variety, which means it still contains detectable levels of pathogens.Transportation
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.Mass transit
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, commuter bus, express buses, transit bus, local buses, and special bus services serving Charlotte and the surrounding area in addition to other programs such as vanpool. 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 (Charlotte neighborhood), South End, Uptown Charlotte, Center City, NoDa, and University City (Charlotte neighborhood), University City. 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. 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, North Carolina, Matthews, Stallings, North Carolina, Stallings, and Indian Trail, North Carolina, Indian Trail withWalkability
A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Charlotte the 49th most walkable of the 50 largest cities in the United States.Roads and highways
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, Interstate 85, I-85 and Interstate 77, I-77, intersecting near the city's center. The latter highway also connects to the population centers of the Rust Belt. Charlotte's beltway, designated Interstate 485, I-485 and simply called "485" by local residents, was under construction for over 20 years, but funding problems slowed its progress. The final segment was finished in mid-2015. I-485 has a total circumference of approximately . Within the city, the Interstate 277 (North Carolina), I-277 loop freeway encircles Charlotte's uptown (usually referred to by its two separate sections, the John M. Belk, 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. Route 74, U.S. 74 and links downtown with the Matthews area, is undergoing an expansion and widening in the eastern part of the city.Air
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). 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. Nonstop flights are available to many destinations across the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and South America. The 145th Airlift Wing of North Carolina Air National Guard is also located east of the airport.Intercity transportation
Charlotte is served daily by three Amtrak routes with ten daily trips from a station on North Tryon Street, just outside downtown. * The ''Crescent (Amtrak), Crescent'' connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore, Washington, D.C.; Charlottesville, Virginia, Charlottesville, and Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro to the north, and Greenville, South Carolina, Greenville, Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta, Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, Meridian, Mississippi, Meridian and New Orleans, Louisiana, New Orleans to the south. It arrives overnight once in each direction. * The ''Carolinian (train), Carolinian'' connects Charlotte with New York; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Virginia, Richmond; Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh; Durham, North Carolina, 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. * The ''Piedmont (train), Piedmont'', a regional companion of the ''Carolinian'', connects Charlotte with Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh with three daily round trips. Charlotte is the southern terminus. Charlotte is also served by both Greyhound Lines, Greyhound and low-cost curbside carrier Megabus (North America), Megabus. Charlotte is a service stop for Greyhound routes running to Atlanta, Detroit, Jacksonville, Florida, 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. The city is planning a new centralized downtown multimodal station called Gateway Station (Charlotte, North Carolina), Gateway Station. It is expected to house Amtrak, Greyhound and the future LYNX Red Line. It is under construction at the former site of the Greyhound station; Greyhound is currently operating from a temporary station nearby.Notable people
Sister cities
Charlotte's Sister city, sister cities are: * Arequipa, Peru (1962) * Krefeld, Germany (1985) * Baoding, China (1987) * Limoges, France (1992) * Wrocław, Poland (1993) * Kumasi, Ghana (1995)See also
* List of municipalities in North Carolina * List of Charlotte neighborhoods * List of tourist attractions in Charlotte, North Carolina * May 1989 tornado outbreak * Urban League of Central CarolinasNotes
References
Further reading
* Graves, William, and Heather A. Smith, eds. ''Charlotte, NC: The Global Evolution of a New South City'' (University of Georgia Press; 2010) 320 pages. Essays that use Charlotte to explore how globalization and local forces combine to transform Southern cities. * Hanchett, Thomas W. ''Sorting Out the New South City: Race, Class, and Urban Development in Charlotte, 1875–1975''. 380 pages. University of North Carolina Press. August 1, 1998. . * Kratt, Mary Norton. ''Charlotte: Spirit of the New South''. 293 pages. John F. Blair, Publisher. September 1, 1992. . * Kratt, Mary Norton and Mary Manning Boyer. ''Remembering Charlotte: Postcards from a New South City, 1905–1950''. 176 pages. University of North Carolina Press. October 1, 2000. . * Kratt, Mary Norton. ''New South Women: Twentieth Century Women of Charlotte, North Carolina''. Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in Association with John F. Blair, Publisher. August 1, 2001. .External links
* {{Authority control Charlotte, North Carolina, 1755 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Charlotte metropolitan area Cities in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Cities in North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Populated places established in 1755 North Carolina populated places on the Catawba River