Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the United States, and the largest city in the Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035. Three major interstate highways ( Interstate 40, Interstate 85, and Interstate 73) in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina were built to intersect at this city. In 1808, Greensborough (the spelling before 1895) was planned around a central courthouse square to succeed

Guilford Court House Guilford Court House, North Carolina, was the county seat of Guilford County before being replaced by Greensboro in 1808. It no longer exists as an identifiable community, having been absorbed by Greensboro. In 1781, it was the site of the Battle ...

as the county seat. The county courts were thus placed closer to the county's geographical center, a location more easily reached at the time by the majority of the county's citizens, who traveled by horse or on foot. In 2003, the previous Greensboro– Winston-Salem– High Point metropolitan statistical area was redefined by the

U.S. Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). OMB's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, but it also examines agency programs, pol ...

. The region was separated into the Greensboro–High Point metropolitan area and the Winston-Salem metropolitan area. The 2010 population of the Greensboro–High Point metropolis was 723,801. The combined statistical area (CSA) of Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, commonly called the Piedmont Triad, had a population of 1,599,477. Among Greensboro's many notable attractions, some of the most popular are the Greensboro Science Center, the

International Civil Rights Museum The International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM) is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Its building formerly housed the Woolworth's, the site of a non-violent protest in the civil rights movement. Four students from North ...

, the Weatherspoon Art Museum, the Greensboro Symphony, the Greensboro Ballet,

Triad Stage Triad Stage is a regional theatre located at 232 South Elm Street, Greensboro, North Carolina. History Triad Stage began as the dream of creating a professional not-for-profit regional theater to serve the communities of the Triad. Co-found ...

, the Wyndham Golf Championship, and the headquarters of the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...

, the

Greensboro Coliseum Complex The Greensboro Coliseum Complex, commonly referred to as Greensboro Coliseum (the first and biggest building on the site), is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight venu ...

, which hosts various sporting events, concerts, and other events. Sports teams in Greensboro include the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the South Atlantic Baseball League, the Carolina Dynamo of USL League Two, the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League, and the Greensboro Roller Derby. Annual events include the North Carolina Folk Festival, First Fridays in Downtown Greensboro, Fun Fourth of July Festival, North Carolina Comedy Festival and Winter Wonderlights. From 2015 to 2017 Greensboro hosted the National Folk Festival.

History

Early history

At the time of European encounter, the inhabitants of the area that became Greensboro were the Saura, a Siouan-speaking people. Other indigenous cultures had occupied this area for thousands of years, typically settling along the waterways, as did the early settlers.

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

migrants from Pennsylvania, by way of Maryland, arrived at Capefair (now Greensboro) in about 1750. The new settlers began organized religious services affiliated with the

Cane Creek Friends Meeting The Cane Creek Friends Meeting, founded in 1751, is considered the first established Quaker community in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. The site was occupied by British troops during the American Revolutionary War. History Simon Dixon ...

Snow Camp Snow Camp is an unincorporated community in southern Alamance County, North Carolina, United States, noted for its rich history and as the site of the Snow Camp Outdoor Theater. The community has a large Quaker population centered on the pre-revo ...

in 1751. Three years later, 40 Quaker families were granted approval to establish New Garden Monthly Meeting. The action is recorded in the minutes of the

Perquimans Perquimans County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

The settlement grew rapidly over the next three years, adding members from as far away as

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

, Massachusetts. It soon became North Carolina's most important Quaker community and the mother of several other Quaker meetings established in the state and west of the Appalachians. After the Revolutionary War, the city of Greensboro was named for Major General Nathanael Greene, commander of the rebel American forces at the

Battle of Guilford Court House The Battle of Guilford Court House was on March 15, 1781, during the American Revolutionary War, at a site that is now in Greensboro, the seat of Guilford County, North Carolina. A 2,100-man British force under the command of Lieutenant General ...

on March 15, 1781. Although the Americans lost the battle, Greene's forces inflicted heavy casualties on the British Army of General Cornwallis. After the battle, Cornwallis withdrew his troops to a British coastal base in Wilmington. Battle of Guilford Courthouse 15 March 1781

Battle of Guilford Courthouse 15 March 1781

Greensboro was established near the geographic center of Guilford County, on land that was "an unbroken forest with thick undergrowth of huckleberry bushes, that bore a finely flavored fruit." Property for the future village was purchased from the Saura for $98. Three north–south streets (Greene, Elm, Davie) were laid out intersecting with three east–west streets (Gaston, Market, Sycamore). The courthouse was built at the center of the intersection of Elm and Market streets. By 1821, the town was home to 369 residents. BlandwoodMansion

In the early 1840s, the state government designated Greensboro as one of the stops on a new railroad line, at the request of Governor

John Motley Morehead John Motley Morehead (July 4, 1796 – August 27, 1866) was an American lawyer and politician who became the 29th governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina (1841 to 1845). He became known as "the Father of Modern North Carolina." Early and ...

, whose house,

Blandwood Blandwood Mansion is a historic house museum at 447 West Washington Street in Greensboro, North Carolina. Originally built as a four-room Federal style farmhouse in 1795, it was home to two-term North Carolina governor John Motley Morehead (1841 ...

, was in Greensboro. Stimulated by rail traffic and improved access to markets, the city grew substantially, soon becoming known as the "Gate City" due to its role as a transportation hub for the Piedmont. The railroads transported goods to and from the cotton textile mills. Many of the manufacturers developed workers' housing in mill villages near their facilities. Textile companies and related businesses continued into the 21st century, when most went bankrupt, reorganized, and/or merged with other companies as textile manufacturing jobs moved offshore. Greensboro is still a major center of the textile industry, with the main offices of Elevate Textiles (Cone, Burlington Industries), Galey & Lord, Unifi, and VF Corporation ( Wrangler,

Lee Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese ...

The North Face The North Face is an American outdoor recreation products company. The North Face produces outdoor clothing, footwear, and related equipment. Founded in 1968 to supply climbers, the company's logo draws inspiration from Half Dome, in Yosemite ...

, and Nautica). ITG Brands, maker of Kool, Winston and Salem brand cigarettes and the nation's third-largest tobacco company is headquartered in Greensboro. Rail traffic continues to be important for the city's economy, as Greensboro is a major regional freight hub. Four Amtrak passenger trains also stop in Greensboro daily on the main Norfolk Southern line between Washington and New Orleans by way of Atlanta. Though the city developed slowly, early wealth generated in the 18th and 19th centuries from cotton trade and merchandising resulted in owners' constructing several notable buildings. The earliest, later named

Blandwood Mansion and Gardens Blandwood Mansion is a historic house museum at 447 West Washington Street in Greensboro, North Carolina. Originally built as a four-room Federal style farmhouse in 1795, it was home to two-term North Carolina governor John Motley Morehead (184 ...

, was built by a farmer in 1795. Additions to this residence in 1846, designed by Alexander Jackson Davis, made the house influential as America's earliest Tuscan-style villa. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Other significant houses and estates were developed, including Dunleith, designed by Samuel Sloan; Bellemeade; and the Bumpass-Troy House. Since the late 20th century, the latter has been adapted and operates as a private inn.

Civil War and last days of the Confederacy

In the mid-19th century, many of the residents of the Piedmont and western areas of the state were Unionist, and Guilford County did not vote for secession. But once North Carolina joined the Confederacy, some citizens joined the Confederate cause, forming infantry units such as the Guilford Grays to fight in the American Civil War. From 1861 to March 1865 the city was relatively untouched by the war, although residents had to deal with regional shortages of clothing, medicine, and other items caused by the US naval blockade of the South. In the war's final weeks, Greensboro played a unique role in the last days of the Confederate government. In April 1865, the commanding officer of the Army of Tennessee, General Joseph E. Johnston, instructed General

P. G. T. Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard (May 28, 1818 - February 20, 1893) was a Confederate general officer of Louisiana Creole descent who started the American Civil War by leading the attack on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Today, he is commonly ...

to prepare to defend the city. During this time,

Confederate President The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and was the commander-in-chief of the Confederate Army and the Confe ...

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

and the remaining members of the Confederate cabinet had evacuated the Confederate Capital in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, and moved south to Danville, Virginia. When Union cavalry threatened Danville, Davis and his cabinet managed to escape by train, and reassembled in Greensboro on April 11, 1865. While in the city, Davis and his cabinet decided to try to escape overseas in order to avoid capture by the victorious Union forces; they left Greensboro and separated. Greensboro is notable as the last place where the entire Confederate government met as a group; some consider it the Confederacy's final capital city. At nearly the same time, Governor

Zebulon B. Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. A prolific writer and noted public speake ...

fled Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, before the forces of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman swept the city. For a brief period beginning April 16, 1865, he and other officials maintained the state capital in Greensboro.Weatherly, A. Earl. ''The First Hundred Years of Historic Guilford County, 1771–1871''. Greensboro: Greensboro Printing Company, 1972 Vance proclaimed the North Carolina Surrender Declaration on April 28, 1865. Later, he surrendered to Union officials in the parlor of Blandwood Mansion. Historian Blackwell Robinson wrote, "Greensboro witnessed not only the demise of the Confederacy but also that of the old civil government of the state." Once surrender negotiations were completed at Bennett Place (in present-day Durham) between General Johnston and General Sherman on April 26, 1865, Confederate soldiers in Greensboro stacked their arms, received their paroles, and headed home.

Industrialization and growth

After the war, investors worked to restore the textile mills and related industry. In the 1890s, the city continued to attract attention from northern industrialists, including Moses and Caesar Cone of

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

. The Cone brothers established large-scale textile plants, changing Greensboro from a village to a city within a decade. By 1900, Greensboro was considered a center of the Southern textile industry, with large-scale factories producing denim, flannel, and overalls. The resulting prosperity was expressed in the construction of notable 20th-century civic architecture, including the

Guilford County Courthouse Guilford County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina. It was designed by architect Harry Barton (architect), Harry Barton and built between 1918 and 1920. I ...

, West Market Street United Methodist Church by S. W. Faulk, several buildings designed by Frank A. Weston, and the

Julius I. Foust Building The Julius I. Foust Building on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Greensboro, North Carolina was built in 1891. Greensboro architects Orlo Epps and partner C. M. Hackett designed the building and contractor Thomas Wo ...

of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, designed by

Orlo Epps Orlo Epps (1864 – June 2, 1926) was an American architect, mathematician, physicist, and socialist writer. Life Epps was born in Elkhart, Indiana, the son of Edward Epps and Helen (Blanchard) Epps. He moved to Oneonta, New York at age 16. He ...

. During the 20th century, Greensboro continued to increase in population and wealth. Grand commercial and civic buildings, many of which still stand today, were designed by local architects Charles Hartmann and Harry Barton. Other notable industries became established in the city, including Vicks Chemical Co. (known for over-the-counter cold remedies such as VapoRub and NyQuil), Carolina Steel Corporation, and Pomona Terra Cotta Works. During the first three decades, Greensboro grew so rapidly that there was an acute worker housing shortage. Builders set a construction goal of 80 to 100 affordable housing units per year to provide homes for workers. Greensboro's real estate was considered "the wonder of the state" in the 1920s. Growth continued even through the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, as Greensboro attracted an estimated 200 new families per year. The city earned a reputation as a well-planned community with a strong emphasis on education, parks, and a profitable employment base. Greensboro has two major public research universities, North Carolina A&T State University, a historically black college established in the late 19th century, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. During the height of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s, students from A&T were the major force in protests to achieve racial justice, desegregation of public facilities, and fair employment, beginning with the

Greensboro Four The Greensboro sit-ins were a series of nonviolent protests in February to July 1960, primarily in the Woolworth store—now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum—in Greensboro, North Carolina, which led to the F. W. Woolworth Comp ...

, who sat in at the segregated lunch counter at

Woolworth's Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...

in 1960 to gain service. The largest civil rights protests in North Carolina history took place in Greensboro in May and June 1963. In the 21st century, the universities are leaders in new areas of research in high tech and science, on which the city hopes to build a new economy. Wartime and postwar prosperity brought development, and designs commissioned from nationally and internationally known architects. Walter Gropius, a leader of the German Bauhaus movement in the United States, designed a factory building in the city in 1944. Greensboro-based Ed Loewenstein designed projects throughout the region. Eduardo Catalano and

George Matsumoto George Matsumoto (July 16, 1922 – June 28, 2016) was a Japanese-American architect and educator who is known for his Modernist designs. Early life and education George Matsumoto was born in 1922 in San Francisco, California. He grew up in San ...

were hired for projects whose designs have challenged North Carolinians with modernist architectural concepts and forms.

Civil rights movement

In 1960, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Greensboro's population as 74.0% white and 25.8% black. As in the rest of the state, most blacks were still disenfranchised under state laws, Jim Crow laws and customs were in effect, and public facilities, including schools, were racially segregated by law. This was after the U.S. Supreme Court's 1954 ruling in '' Brown v. Board of Education'' that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Facilities reserved for blacks were generally underfunded by the state and city governments, which were dominated by conservative white Democrats. In the postwar period, blacks pushed in North Carolina and across the South to regain their constitutional rights. College students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College (A&T), a historically black college, made Greensboro a center of protests and change. On February 1, 1960, four black college students sat down at an "all-white"

lunch counter, and refused to leave after they were denied service. They had already purchased items in other parts of the store and kept their receipts. After being denied lunch service, they brought out the receipts, asking why their money was good everywhere else in the store but not at the lunch counter. Hundreds of supporters soon joined in this sit-in, which lasted several months. Such protests quickly spread across the South, ultimately leading to the desegregation of lunch counters and other facilities at Woolworth's and other chains. Woolworth's went out of business due to changes in 20th-century retail practices, but the original Woolworth's lunch counter and stools are still in their original location. The former Woolworth's building has been adapted as the

International Civil Rights Center and Museum The International Civil Rights Center & Museum (ICRCM) is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Its building formerly housed the F. W. Woolworth Company, Woolworth's, the site of a non-violent protest i ...

, which opened on February 1, 2010, the 50th anniversary of the sit-ins. A section of the counter is on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. to mark the protesters' courage. Former Woolworth store in Greensboro, NC (2008)

Former Woolworth store in Greensboro, NC (2008)

The white business community acceded to the desegregation of Woolworth's and made other minor concessions, but the civil rights movement had additional goals, holding protests in 1962 and 1963. In May and June 1963, the largest civil rights protest in North Carolina history took place in Greensboro. Protesters sought desegregation of public accommodations, and economic and social justice, such as hiring policies based on merit rather than race. They also worked for the overdue integration of public schools. Each night more than 2,000 protesters marched through Greensboro's segregated central business district. William Thomas and A. Knighton Stanley, coordinators of Greensboro's local CORE chapter, invited

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senator ...

, then an activist student at A&T, to join the protests. Jackson quickly rose to prominence as a student leader, becoming the public spokesman of the non-violent protest movement. Seeking to overwhelm city jails, as was done in protests led by Martin Luther King Jr. in Birmingham, Alabama, the protesters invited arrest by violating segregation rules of local businesses; they were charged with trespassing and other nonviolent actions. College and high school students constituted most of the protesters, and at one point approximately 1,400 blacks were jailed in Greensboro. The scale of protests disrupted the business community and challenged the leadership of the mayor and Governor Terry Sanford. Finally, the city and business community responded with further desegregation of public facilities, reformed hiring policies in city government, and commitments to progress by both Sanford and Greensboro's mayor. Sanford declared, "Anyone who hasn't received this message doesn't understand human nature." Significant changes in race relations still came at a painfully slow pace, and the verbal commitments from white leadership in 1963 were not implemented in substantial ways.

Dudley High School/A&T protests

In May 1969, students of

James B. Dudley High School James Benson Dudley High School is located in the southeastern quadrant of Guilford County in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina. Dudley High School was founded in 1929 as the first black high school in Guilford County, in a school system s ...

were outraged when the administration refused to let a popular candidate, Claude Barnes, run for

student union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...

class president, allegedly due to his membership in Youth for the Unity of Black Society. After their appeals to the school were rejected, the students asked activists at North Carolina A&T State University for support in a protest. Protests escalated and after students at A&T had thrown rocks at police, they returned on May 21 armed with tear gas canisters, using them against the crowds. The

uprising Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

grew larger, and the governor ordered the National Guard to back up local police. After there were exchanges of gunfire, the governor ordered the

North Carolina National Guard The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG), commonly known as the North Carolina Guard, is a component of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and the National Guard of the United States. It is composed of Army and Air National Guard unit ...

into the A&T campus, in what was described at the time as "the most massive armed assault ever made against an American university". The North Carolina National Guard swept the college dormitories, taking hundreds of students into "protective custody". The demonstrations were suppressed. The North Carolina State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights investigated the disturbances; its 1970 report concluded that the National Guard invasion was a reckless action disproportionate to the danger posed by student protests. It criticized local community leaders for failing to respond adequately to the Dudley High School students when the issues first arose. They declared it "a sad commentary that the only group in the community who would take the Dudley students seriously were the students at A&T State University".

Greensboro massacre

On November 3, 1979, members of what would become the Communist Workers Party (CWP) held an anti-

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

rally at the black Morningside Homes public housing project. Four local TV news stations covered it. During the protest, two cars containing Klansmen and neo-Nazis arrived. After a confrontation, the KKK and CWP groups exchanged gunfire. Five CWP members were killed. Eleven CWP members and one Klansman were injured. Television footage of the actions was shown worldwide, and the event became known as the Greensboro Massacre. In November 1980, six KKK defendants were acquitted in a state criminal trial by an all-white jury after a week of deliberation. Families of those killed and injured in the attack filed a civil suit against the city and police department for failure to protect the black citizens. In 1985, a jury in this case found five police officers and two other individuals liable for $350,000 in damages; the monies were to be paid to the Greensboro Justice Fund, established to advance civil rights.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and , or 4.01%, is water. The city of Greensboro lies among the rolling hills of North Carolina's Piedmont, midway between the state's Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains to the west and the Atlantic beaches and Outer Banks to the east. The view of the city from its highest building—the Lincoln Financial tower (commonly known as the Jefferson-Pilot Building after its previous owner)—shows an expanse of shade trees in the city. Interstates 40, 85, and 73 intersect at the city. Greensboro is 29 miles (46 km) east of Winston-Salem, 54 miles (86 km) west of Durham, 77 miles (177 km) northwest of Raleigh, and 90 miles (144 km) northeast of Charlotte.

Neighborhoods and districts

Downtown

Downtown Greensboro has attracted development investment in recent years with such new construction as

First National Bank Field First National Bank Field is a Minor League Baseball park located in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. The home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the High-A East, it opened on April 3, 2005. The park is on the block bounded by Bellemeade, Edg ...

, residential construction, and offices. The Southside neighborhood downtown exemplifies central-city reinvestment. The formerly economically depressed neighborhood has been redeveloped as an award-winning neotraditional-style neighborhood featuring walkability, compact blocks and local amenities and services. The redevelopment of the downtown was stimulated by the 2006 opening of the

Elon University School of Law Elon University School of Law is an American law school located in Greensboro, North Carolina, occupying the former downtown public library building. Established in 2006, Elon Law is one of nine graduate programs offered by Elon University. It e ...

. The law school is credited with attracting student dollars to the downtown.

Four Seasons/Coliseum area

Sheraton Four Season - Joseph S Koury Convention Center

The Four Seasons Town Centre, at 410 Four Seasons Town Centre, is a three-story shopping mall with of shopping space developed by the Koury Corporation. It is adjacent to the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center and Sheraton Hotel. With over of flexible meeting space, the Koury Convention Center is the largest convention center in the Southeast between Atlanta and Washington, D.C. The hotel has more than 1,000 rooms. The Greensboro Coliseum is at 1921 W. Gate City Boulevard. This multipurpose complex consists of the 22,000-seat Greensboro Coliseum, the 300-seat Odeon Theatre, and the Special Events Center, which includes three exhibition halls, a 4,500-seat mini-arena, and eight meeting rooms. The Pavilion is adjacent. The complex hosts "a broad range of activities, including athletic events, cultural arts, concerts, theater, educational activities, fairs, exhibits, and public and private events of all kinds including conventions, convocations and trade and consumer shows". The Greensboro Aquatic Center, which hosts national swimming and diving events, is also in this complex.

Triad Airport area

In 1998,

FedEx FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...

built a $300 million mid-Atlantic air-cargo and sorting hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport, after an intensive competition for the hub among other regions of the state, as well as locations in South Carolina. The project was challenged in court based on the quality of planned noise and pollution abatements from neighborhoods near the site. The hub opened in 2009. Originally projected by FedEx to employ 750 people in its first two years of operation and eventually 1,500, local FedEx employment has been nearly the same as before the facility was constructed. In March 2015,

HondaJet The Honda HA-420 HondaJet is a light business jet produced by the Honda Aircraft Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Original concepts of the aircraft started in 1997 and were completed in 1999. It took its maiden flight on D ...

, with a manufacturing facility in Greensboro, announced that it had received provisional type certification (PTC) from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This achievement indicates the FAA's approval of the HondaJet design based on certification testing, design reviews, and analyses completed to date.

Climate

Like much of the southeastern United States, Greensboro has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

( Köppen ''Cfa''), with four distinct seasons. Winters are short and generally cool, with a January daily average of . On average, there are 75 nights per year that drop to or below freezing, and 4.3 days that fail to rise above freezing. Measurable snowfall occurs nearly every winter, and accumulates to on average, usually in January and February and occasionally December and March; the amount varies considerably from winter to winter.

Cold-air damming Cold air damming, or CAD, is a meteorological phenomenon that involves a high-pressure system (anticyclone) accelerating equatorward east of a north-south oriented mountain range due to the formation of a barrier jet behind a cold front associated ...

(CAD) can facilitate freezing rain, often making it a more pressing concern than snow. Summers are hot and humid, with a daily average in July of . On average, 32 days per year have highs at or above , but, as in much of the Piedmont South, + readings are uncommon. Autumn is similar to spring in temperature but has fewer days of rainfall and less total rainfall. Extremes in temperature have ranged from on January 21, 1985, to , on June 12, 1911, June 12, 1914, and July 17, 1914. Thunderstorms are common during the humid spring and summer months, some severe. On April 2, 1936, around 7:00 pm, a large, F-4 tornado cut a seven-mile (11-km) swath of destruction through southern Greensboro. 14 people were killed and 144 injured by the tornado, which moved through part of downtown. The storm was part of the 1936 Cordele-Greensboro tornado outbreak. Strong tornadoes have struck the Greensboro area since then, notably Stoneville on March 20, 1998; Clemmons and Winston-Salem on May 5, 1989; Clemmons and Greensboro on May 7, 2008; High Point on March 28, 2010; and Greensboro on April 15, 2018.

Demographics

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 The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 299,035 people, 118,046 households, and 69,420 families residing in the city. At the 2019 U.S. census estimates, there were 296,710 people living in the city, up from the 2019

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

's 291,303.

2010 Census

At the

2010 U.S. census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

, there were 269,666 people; 111,731 households; and 63,244 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,131.7 people per square mile (822.9/km). There were 124,074 housing units at an average density of 980.8 per square mile (378.6/km). Of the 124,074 households in the city in 2010, 30.1% included children under age 18, 35.5% were headed by married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were classified as non-family. Of the total households, 33.8% were composed of individuals, and 9.0% were someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 3.00. In 2019, the average household size was 2.37. The 2019 American Community Survey determined Greensboro had a median age of 35.1, up from 33.4 in 2010. Approximately 6.0% of the city's inhabitants were under 5; 78.2% of the population was 18 and older, and 13.7% 65 and older. The age distribution in 2010 was 22.7% under 18, 14.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who 65 or older. The median age was 33.4. For every 100 females, there were 88.7 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 84.6 males. In 2011–15, the estimated median annual income for a household was $41,628, and the median income for a family was $53,150. Male full-time workers had a median income of $40,143 versus $34,761 for females. The per capita income was $25,929. About 14.6% of families and 19.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under 18 and 10.5% of those 65 or older. From 2015 to 2019, the median household income increased to $48,964 with a per capita of $29,628. The median earned income for males was $44,974 and $37,937 for females. An estimated 18.5% of Greensboro residents lived at or below the poverty line in 2019.

Race and ethnicity

The racial composition of the city was 48.4% white, 40.6% black or African American, 4.0%

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...

(1.6% Vietnamese, 0.7% Indian), 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 3.8% some other race, and 2.6%

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many culture ...

. Non-Hispanic whites were 45.6% of the population in 2010, compared to 70.9% in 1970. People of Hispanic or Latin American heritage, who may be of any race, in 2010 were 7.5% of the population (4.6% Mexican, 0.7% Puerto Rican). In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of Greensboro was 47.3% non-Hispanic white, 41.4% black or African American, 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 5% Asian alone, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 2.7% from some other race, and 3.0% multiracial. Hispanics and Latin Americans of any race made up 7.9% of the local population. At the 2020 census, 41.42% of the population was black or African American, 38.6% non-Hispanic white, 0.33% Native American, 5.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.4% mixed or some other race, and 10.17% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. This reflected the national demographic shift and growth of nonwhite-identifying Americans.

Religion

In Greensboro, Sperling's BestPlaces determined that 48.33% of the population was religiously affiliated as of 2017. The largest religion in Greensboro is Christianity, with the most affiliates being either Baptist (11.85%) or Methodist (10.25%). The remaining Christian populations are Presbyterian (3.97%), Roman Catholic (3.71%), Pentecostal (2.61%),

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

(1.17%), Latter-Day Saints (1.02%), Lutheran (0.96%), and members of other Christian denominations (11.03%) including Greek Orthodox,

, Moravian,

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * When used in the plural, a New Testament designation for local groups of people following the teachings of Jesus Christ: "...all the churches of Christ greet you", Romans 16:16. * The entire body of Ch ...

, and

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

churches. After Christianity, the largest religion in Greensboro is

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

(0.82%), followed by Judaism (0.60%). Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism were the least common in Greensboro (0.34%). In 2010, the Association of Religious Data Archives reported Protestantism was the largest form of Christianity practiced in the city and metropolitan area.

Evangelical Protestantism Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experi ...

dominated religious society alongside conservative, primarily African American churches. Most of the Baptist community were and continue being dominated by the

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wor ...

, National Baptist Convention (USA), American Baptist Churches USA,

Progressive National Baptist Convention The Progressive National Baptist Convention (PNBC), incorporated as the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., is a mainline predominantly African-American Baptist denomination emphasizing civil rights and social justice. The headquarte ...

, and Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. Methodists have been primarily divided among the United Methodist Church and African Methodist Episcopal Church. In the Presbyterian community, many affiliate with the

Presbyterian Church (USA) The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, and known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and ...

. Pentecostals have been divided among the Assemblies of God USA,

Church of God in Christ The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is a Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi-ethnic religious organization, it has a predominantly Bl ...

, and Oneness Pentecostal denominations including the

United Pentecostal Church International The United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) is a Oneness Pentecostal denomination headquartered in Weldon Spring, Missouri, United States. The United Pentecostal Church International was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal C ...

Economy

Greensboro's economy and the Piedmont Triad area's have traditionally centered around textiles, tobacco, and furniture. Greensboro's central location in the state has made it a popular place for families and businesses, as well as more of a logistics hub, with

having regional operations based in the city. In December 2021, it was announced that Toyota Motor North America, a subsidiary of Japanese automaker Toyota, would operate a $1.3 billion battery plant in Greensboro. Notable companies headquartered in Greensboro include the Honda Aircraft Company, HAECO Americas, ITG Brands,

Kayser-Roth Kayser-Roth Corporation (a subsidiary of ) is an underwear and hosiery manufacturer based in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company currently markets three owned brands in North America, No Nonsense, Hue and Burlington. History Julius Kayser & ...

, VF, Mack Trucks, Volvo Trucks of North America, Qorvo, the

International Textile Group International Textile Group (ITG) is a diversified American fabric maker based in Beverly Hills, California. The company was founded in Greensboro, North Carolina by Wilbur Ross and was sold to Platinum Equity in 2016, leading to its move from Gre ...

, NewBridge Bank, The Fresh Market,

, Cook Out,

Ham's Ham's Restaurant was a restaurant chain based in North Carolina and Virginia. History Ham's was started in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1935. In 1984, Charlie Erwin acquired the original property. The business was expanded into the North Carolin ...

Biscuitville Biscuitville Fresh Southern is a family-owned regional fast-food restaurant chain consisting of 65+ locations in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. The restaurant specializes in the traditional southern breakfast made from scratch and ...

, Fusion3 3D Printers, Tripps, Wrangler, Kontoor Brands and

Columbia Forest Products Columbia Forest Products is the largest manufacturer of hardwood Wood veneer, veneer and hardwood plywood in the United States. Founded in 1957, it is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. It specializes in decorative, interior veneers and ...

. Greensboro is a "center of operations" for the insurance company

Lincoln Financial Group Lincoln National Corporation is a ''Fortune'' 200 American holding company, which operates multiple insurance and investment management businesses through subsidiary companies. Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for LNC and its subsi ...

. City leaders have been working to attract new businesses in the nanotech, high-tech, aviation and transportation/logistics sectors. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University opened a joint research park, Gateway University Research Park.

Largest employers

According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

Top industries

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Arts

Greensboro is home to an active and diverse arts community. *The

Carolina Theatre of Greensboro The Carolina Theatre of Greensboro is Greensboro, North Carolina's only remaining historic theatre. It was billed as “The Showplace of the Carolinas” when it opened on Halloween night, 1927. The 2,200 seat structure was built for the Saenge ...

is a performing arts facility that has been a part of downtown Greensboro since 1927. Since the facility's renovation in the 1990s, the theater has served as the home of the Greensboro Ballet, the Community Theatre of Greensboro, the Livestock Players Musical Theatre, the Greensboro Youth Symphony, and a variety of other local performing arts groups. *City Arts showcases a variety of musical and theatrical productions by the Livestock Players, the Drama Center, the Greensboro Children's Theatre, the Music Center, the Greensboro Concert Band, Philharmonia of Greensboro, the Choral Society of Greensboro, and the Greensboro Youth Chorus. Most of these groups participate in the city's annual OPUS Concert Series and the summer "Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park" series. *Weaver Academy is a high school for advanced artists and performers. Plays, musicals, art shows, and concerts can be regularly seen on its downtown campus. The school has many accomplished alumni, notably

Isaac Cole Powell Isaac Cole Powell (born December 30, 1994) is an American actor and singer. He played the role of Daniel in the Broadway revival of the musical ''Once on This Island'' and was cast as Tony in the 2020 Broadway revival of ''West Side Story''. Ea ...

. *The Greensboro Mural Project engages the community in a participatory arts process around social issues, allowing people throughout the community to help paint the city together. *The Community Theatre of Greensboro has presented Broadway and off-Broadway plays and musicals for more than 45 years. Its Studio Theatre is in the Greensboro Cultural Center. *The Eastern Music Festival brings more than 100 summer performances, from symphonic works to chamber music to recitals by professional and talented students from around the world. The event also hosts the Fringe Festival, showcasing avant-garde and nontraditional music and performances. *Elsewhere Collaborative is a living museum set inside a former thrift store on South Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. Elsewhere is an interactive, evolving environment of objects, creatives, and creations. The living museum hosts events, performances, projects, and productions that activate the 58-year collection and foster communications between creatives and participants. * Greensboro Ballet and School of Greensboro Ballet: A traditional December production of '' The Nutcracker'' is just one of the many artistic and educational activities offered by the ballet company. The School of Greensboro Ballet is one of a relative few nonprofit ballet schools in the nation. *The

Greensboro Cultural Center The Greensboro Cultural Center is a City of Greensboro Office of arts & culture facility, and is home to many arts-related programs in Greensboro, North Carolina. Facilities The Cultural Center is a four story building plus a basement and is lo ...

houses more than 25 visual and performing arts organizations, five art galleries, rehearsal halls, a sculpture garden, a privately operated restaurant with outdoor cafe-style seating, and an outdoor amphitheater. Art galleries include the African American Atelier, the Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art, the Greensboro Artists' League Gallery and Gift Shop, the Guilford Native American Art Gallery and the Mattye Reed African Heritage Center Satellite Gallery. *The Greensboro Opera Company is a highly regarded regional opera company founded in October 1981 that has experienced much growth and expansion. Beginning with the production of Verdi's ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'' featuring

June Anderson June Anderson (born December 30, 1952) is a Grammy Award-winning American coloratura soprano. She is known for ''bel canto'' performances of Rossini, Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini. Subsequently, she has extended her repertoire to include a wid ...

(then a rising young New York City Opera soprano), the company expanded from a single fall production of a major opera in the years 1981–89 to the addition of Sunday matinee performances in the 1998–99 season when, in response to successive sold-out productions of '' Madame Butterfly'' and ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' in 1997 and 1998, a second spring opera with two performances was added, beginning in 1999–2000. The company has blended outside and local singers with a full orchestra, manned by members of the Greensboro Symphony, in the pit at its home at Greensboro's War Memorial Auditorium. *The

Greensboro Symphony Orchestra Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

, led by conductor

Dmitry Sitkovetsky Dmitry Yulianovich Sitkovetsky (russian: Дмитрий Юлианович Ситковецкий; born September 27, 1954) is a Soviet-Russian born classical violinist, conductor and arranger, most notably of an arrangement for strings of J. S. ...

, has developed a strong reputation among national musical organizations, including continued exposure on National Public Radio's '' Performance Today''. Sitkovetsky began his career as a violin soloist. He focused on the chamber orchestra repertoire when starting out with the European String Orchestra, a group of musicians he assembled. The orchestra performs classical and pops concerts and holds educational programs for young listeners throughout the year. *The Mattye Reed African American Heritage Collection at North Carolina A&T State University hosts one of the nation's most acclaimed collections of African culture. It houses more than 3,500 art and craft pieces from more than 30 African nations, New Guinea and

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

. *

is a not-for-profit regional theatre company based in the downtown historic district. All productions are created in Greensboro using a combination of local and national talent. The theater company was recognized as "One of the 50 Best Regional Theatres in America!" by New York's Drama League, "Best Live Theatre" in Go Triad/News & Record The Rhino Times, and was voted "2003 Professional Theater of the Year" by the North Carolina Theatre Conference. *

The Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro houses one of the Southeast's foremost collections of modern and contemporary art. Comprising six galleries, it is nationally recognized for its collection of 20th-century American art. The permanent collection also includes lithographs and bronzes by Henri Matisse, and art by Willem de Kooning, Henry Ossawa Tanner, John Graham, Pablo Picasso,

Robert Rauschenberg Milton Ernest "Robert" Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works anticipated the Pop art movement. Rauschenberg is well known for his Combines (1954–1964), a group of artwor ...

, and Andy Warhol. *The Greater Triad Shag Club is a nonprofit club dedicated to the music and dance associated with Carolina shag. The Shag is recognized as the "North Carolina Popular Dance". The Greater Triad Shag Club meets monthly at Thirsty's 2 in Greensboro. *Stagelights Theater Company is a youth performing arts program dedicated to helping children experience the joy of theatre, dance, and music. Pamela Kinter founded it in 2010. Students learn to express themselves in front of an audience, as well as the importance of teamwork and cooperation in creating a work of art. Stagelights holds many full-length musical theatre productions throughout the year, and also offers classes in the dramatic arts, dance, musical theatre, vocal education, and private instrument instruction. *The

Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina is an $88 million 3,023-seat performing arts facility. Its first public performance was a September 2021 concert which was followed by an official opening in Novem ...

is a 3,023-seat performing arts facility that opened in November 2021. It is scheduled to host multiple Broadway productions in 2022, including ''Wicked'', ''Hamilton'','' The Lion King,'' and '' Mean Girls''.

Attractions

The Bog Garden The Bog Garden is a nature preserve, botanical garden, and city park located at 1101 Hobbs Road, Greensboro, North Carolina. It is open daily; admission is free. Originally part of Starmount Farms, the land that comprises the park was donated to ...

is accessed by an elevated boardwalk that comprises a half-mile of the of trails that wind through a garden of plants and wildlife that thrive in a wetland ecosystem. It is off Hobbs Road. * Bicentennial Garden was developed in 1976 to commemorate the U.S. bicentennial. The garden contains of paved trails, along with outdoor sculptures and a pavilion. The park is across the street from The Bog Garden and also on Hobbs Road. *The

, opened in 2010, is in the former F. W. Woolworth building in which the Greensboro sit-ins occurred. The museum was founded by the Sit-in Movement, Inc. to commemorate the sit-ins and persons involved, as well as other events in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. *Greensboro Center City Park occupies half a city block adjacent to the Greensboro Cultural Center. Sponsored by Action Greensboro, the park features a fountain as well as works by several North Carolina artists. *

Carolyn & Maurice LeBauer Park Carolyn & Maurice LeBauer Park, also known as LeBauer City Park, is a 4-acre $10 million park in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina which opened August 8, 2016. Dr. Maurice LeBauer, who practiced medicine in the Jefferson Standard Building and be ...

opened downtown in 2016 next to the library and the

Greensboro Historical Museum The Greensboro History Museum, consisting of the former First Presbyterian Church of Greensboro and Smith Memorial Building, is a historic museum building located at 130 Summit Ave. in Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina. The former Presbyt ...

. *The

Greensboro Arboretum Greensboro Arboretum (17 acres) is an arboretum located in Lindley Park at 401 Ashland Drive, Greensboro, North Carolina. It is open to the public daily without charge. The arboretum features landscaped grounds with labeled plant collections, an ...

was completed as a partnership between Greensboro Beautiful and the City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department. It offers an extensive selection of flora for study and enjoyment. The site features 12 permanent plant collections as well as special display gardens with a fountain, overlook, arbor, gazebo, bridges, and viewing benches. *

is the historic home of former North Carolina Governor John Motley Morehead. Today it serves as a museum of national architectural and historical significance. It is the earliest example of Tuscan Italianate architecture in the nation, designed by New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis. * Green Hill Cemetery, Greensboro's oldest public cemetery, occupies 51 acres adjacent to downtown. Green Hill remains an active cemetery for burials, but visitors may walk or drive through it. * World War Memorial Stadium was one of the nation's oldest continuously used professional baseball facilities before it was replaced by the city's First Horizon Stadium in 2005. The stadium was constructed in 1926 to honor the lives lost during World War I. It anchors the Aycock Historic District and remains in use by collegiate baseball teams, amateur leagues, and other special events throughout the year. The stadium was home to the Greensboro Bats professional minor-league club until the First Horizon Park opened and the team became the Greensboro Grasshoppers. *

Hagan Stone Park Hagan-Stone Park is a wildlife refuge and family campground owned and operated by Guilford County, North Carolina located on Hagan Stone Park Road off U.S. Highway 421 U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest� ...

is a scenic wildlife refuge and family campground owned and operated by the city of Greensboro, on Hagan Stone Park Road off U.S. Highway 421. It is open daily 8 am to sunset, weather permitting. The park has several lakes, camp shelters with charcoal grills, and playgrounds. The park is the home of the Greensboro Invitational Cross Country Meet hosted annually in September by the Greensboro Pacesetters for high school and college athletes. *The

was conceived, and continues to operate, as a multibuilding facility to serve citizens of Greensboro and the surrounding region by hosting a broad range of activities including athletic and cultural events; concerts, theater and other entertainment; educational activities, fairs and exhibits; and other public and private events such as conventions, convocations and trade/consumer shows. The coliseum complex has hosted prestigious events such as the collegiate Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) basketball tournament, East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and American Hockey League (AHL) professional hockey, the

NCAA men's basketball championship The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...

and Starrcade (1983). The Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League also called the Greensboro Coliseum their temporary home while their permanent venue was being constructed in Raleigh. Since 1959, the coliseum has featured superstars ranging from Elvis Presley to

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

. The facility again hosted ACC basketball tournaments (men's and women's) in 2010 and the 2011 and 2015

U.S. Figure Skating Championships The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is ofte ...

. The complex has undergone several major renovations, most recently in 1994, enlarging the maximum arena capacity to 23,500 seats. The ACC Hall of Champions and Museum opened adjacent to the coliseum complex in March 2011, as the ACC was founded in Greensboro in 1953 and is headquartered at the Grandover Office Park in south Greensboro. *

is the home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball club. Completed in 2005, it hosts additional outdoor events and concerts during the summer months. * Guilford Courthouse National Military Park commemorates the

, which occurred there on March 15, 1781. The battle opened the campaign that led to America's victory in the Revolutionary War. The British lost a substantial number of troops in the battle, which factored in their surrender at Yorktown seven months later. The battle site remains largely undeveloped, with large stone memorials erected early in the 20th century to memorialize the event. *The Greensboro Science Center is a family-oriented, hands-on science museum and planetarium. The zoo reopened in summer 2007 after extensive renovations. * The Greensboro Children's Museum (GCM) offers hands-on and interactive exhibits, educational programming, and special events all year long for children newborn through age ten. *The revitalized downtown Elm Street area is known for its collection of antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants and clubs. Many people attend the First Friday events held each month at participating merchants. *

Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe (often simply referred to as Wet 'n Wild or Emerald Pointe) is a water park located in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, and part of the Wet 'n Wild chain. There are 40 rides and attractions, including 5 pools, ...

has 36 rides, including Daredevil Drop, one of the nation's tallest

water slide A water slide (also referred to as a flume, or water chute) is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size. Some slides require riders to si ...

s, and family rides such as Tropical Drop. The park features two heavily themed family sections: Splash Island and Happy Harbor. Emerald Pointe is the Carolinas' largest water park. According to ''Amusement Business'' magazine, Emerald Pointe has the tenth-highest annual attendance among American water parks, at nearly 500,000. * Greensboro offers and is well known for over 70 miles of hiking trails, including around the lakes, Guilford Military Park, and downtown. Many allow biking also, including Owl's Roost Trail, one of North Carolina's best biking trails. * Woods of Terror is a haunted theme park near Greensboro.

Shopping

Greensboro is home to a variety of retail shopping, from well-known national chains to local boutiques and galleries. Four Seasons Town Centre, on the city's southwest side off I-40, is a three-level regional mall. Friendly Center, off Friendly Avenue, is an open-air shopping complex featuring the nation's largest Harris Teeter supermarket and a multiplex cinema. The Shoppes at Friendly Center, adjacent to Friendly Center, is home to many upscale retailers and restaurants, such as Brooks Brothers and The Cheesecake Factory. Around the corner on Market street is Fanta City International Mall, a mini-mall dedicated to foreign exchange, containing a Super G Market. This is a broad international supercenter combined with a flea market, offering European and East Asian specialties. Traditional shopping centers are primarily found on the West Wendover corridor near I-40 and on Battleground Avenue on the city's northwest side. Big-box retailers have clustered at the site of the former Carolina Circle Mall on the city's northeast side and far south along the newly completed urban loop (I-85, I-73). On New Garden Road, a large shopping area has popped up.

Sports

Greensboro is not home to any top-level professional sports teams. The National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes moved to Raleigh from

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

in 1997, but the team played its first two seasons at the

while its home arena, Raleigh's Entertainment & Sports Arena, was under construction. During the late 1990s, the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

almost relocated to the city, even receiving league approval, but the deal collapsed after local voters refused to fund the proposed ballpark. The Greensboro Grasshoppers (formerly the Greensboro Bats and the Greensboro Hornets) are a minor league baseball team in Greensboro. They are a Class High-A team in the High-A East and a farm team for the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

. The Grasshoppers play at

. Greensboro's

North Carolina Fusion U23 North Carolina Fusion U-23, formerly known as Carolina Dynamo, is an American soccer team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The t ...

play in the USL League Two, the nation's top level men's amateur

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

competition. It has 63 teams competing in four conferences, split into ten regional divisions. It is considered the fourth tier of competition, behind the United Soccer League. The team plays its home games at Macpherson Stadium in nearby Browns Summit, where it has played since 2003. PDL seasons take place during the summer, with the player pool drawn mainly from elite NCAA college soccer players seeking to continue playing high level soccer during their summer break, which they can do while still maintaining their college eligibility. On October 27, 2015, the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

officially announced that Greensboro would host an affiliate

NBA Development League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

team, beating out other considered cities like

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

, Asheville, Fayetteville, and

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

. The Greensboro Swarm began playing in fall 2016 at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse. Greensboro is home to the headquarters of the

, despite having no school in the league. The

has hosted the ACC men's basketball tournament 23 times since 1967 and the

ACC women's basketball tournament The ACC women's basketball tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The tournament has been held every year since 1978, several years before the first NCAA championships for women. ...

12 times since 2000. Greensboro has also hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Regionals three times, and the Final Four once. The PGA Tour holds a tournament annually in Greensboro. The Wyndham Championship is held at Sedgefield Country Club and is the last PGA Tour event before the Playoffs for the FedEx Cup. The tournament was founded in 1938 as the Greater Greensboro Open and one of the oldest events on the PGA Tour. Greensboro nicknames itself "Tournament Town" due to the many sports tournaments it hosts. In addition to the ACC basketball tournament and NCAA basketball games, the city has hosted the ACC baseball tournament, the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and a number of national competitions at the new Greensboro Aquatic Center. In 1974 Greensboro hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four championship game. It was the first time the Final Four was held in North Carolina. Greensboro Roller Derby was founded in 2010 and has been a member of the WFTDA, Women's Flat Track Derby Association, since 2013. The league comprises three intraleague teams, named after prominent streets in the city, as well as interleague all-star and b-level teams, each featuring skaters from the three intraleague teams. The league is run by the skaters, who all have ties to the community, and is a not-for-profit organization. Roller derby bouts are held at the Greensboro Coliseum from March to November.

Government

Greensboro has a council-manager government with nine members; all seats, including the mayor's, are up for election every four years. Five of the council seats are district representatives and three are citywide representatives elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

. As of July 2022, Nancy B. Vaughan is the mayor.

City council

*Nancy Vaughn, Mayor *Yvonne Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem *Marikay Abuzuaiter, At Large *Michelle Kennedy, At Large *Sharon Hightower, District 1 *Dr. Goldie Wells, District 2 *Justin Outling, District 3 *Nancy Hoffmann, District 4 *Tammi Thurm, District 5 *Kacey Rould, District 6

Participatory budgeting

Greensboro is the first city in the South to run a

participatory budgeting Participatory budgeting (PB) is a type of citizen sourcing in which ordinary people decide how to allocate part of a municipal or public budget through a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making. Participatory budgeting allows ci ...

(PB) process, whereby the city's residents decide how a portion of the city budget is spent. The first cycle was for $500,000, ran through April 2016, and was incorporated into the 2016–17 budget, with projects like murals, bridge improvements, and a citywide bus tracking app voted on by residents.

Education

Higher education

Greensboro has many major institutions of higher education. Universities and colleges are Bennett College (liberal arts, four year, 650 students);

; Greensboro College (private, liberal arts, four year, 1300 students);

Guilford College Guilford College is a private liberal arts college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Guilford has both traditional students and students who attend its Center for Continuing Education (CCE). Founded in 1837 by members of the Religious Society of ...

(private, liberal arts, four year, 2100 students); North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (public, four year, 12,500 students); and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (public, four year, 20,000 students). Greensboro and Guilford County are served by the two year

Guilford Technical Community College Guilford Technical Community College (Guilford Tech, "G-Tech", or GTCC) is a public community college in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina. It is the fourth largest institution in the North Carolina Community College System and the largest in ...

(15,000 students), which is between Greensboro and High Point. The Greater Greensboro Consortium was established to allow college students enrolled in one Greensboro-area institution to cross-register at other institutions in the same area. Students are also allowed to join certain student organizations at other institutions in the consortium not present at their home institution.

Public education

Greensboro's public schools are operated by Guilford County Schools, the state's third-largest school system, with about 71,000 students. Greensboro has one of the oldest public high schools in the state, Grimsley High School, established in 1899 as Greensboro High School. It is also home to Weaver Academy for the Performing and Visual Arts & Advanced Technology, an arts high school. Greensboro has the state's first early college, The Early College at Guilford, ranked by ''U.S. News & World Report'' in 2021 as North Carolina's best public school and the #2 STEM school in the country. The state-operated Central North Carolina School for the Deaf was formerly in Greensboro.

Private education

Greensboro is home to many private day schools, including

Greensboro Day School Greensboro Day School is a private, non-sectarian school located in Greensboro, North Carolina. It enrolls students from age 2 through grade 12. History The school was established in 1970. The school initially leased space from the Temple Emanue ...

, Our Lady of Grace Catholic School,

New Garden Friends School Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, the 69th-most populous city in the Un ...

, Caldwell Academy, B'nai Shalom Day School, Canterbury School, Triad Math and Science Academy, Noble Academy,

Vandalia Christian School Vandalia Christian Academy ''(VCS)'' is a private school, private K–12 Christian school located in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. It is a member of the NCCSA and was founded by Pastor David Oates in the 1970s. The school has approximate ...

, Shining Light Christian Academy, Saint Pius X Catholic School, and Covenant Christian Day School. The area has two boarding schools: the

American Hebrew Academy AHA International School (formerly American Hebrew Academy until 2020) was intended to be an international college-preparatory school located in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was to be open to students of all faiths but was originally founded a ...

and the Oak Ridge Military Academy, in nearby Oak Ridge.

Media

Newspapers

The '' Greensboro News & Record'', part of the newspaper group owned by Lee Enterprises, is the daily newspaper. The '' Triad Business Journal'', part of the American City Business Journals chain of business weeklies owned by Advance Communications, is based in Greensboro and covers business across the Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. The '' Carolina Peacemaker'' is a newsweekly that covers the African-American community. '' Yes! Weekly'', ''

Triad City Beat ''Triad City Beat'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper with distribution in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point in North Carolina. It was founded in 2014 by Brian Clarey, Jordan Green and Eric Ginsburg, who were former editors and repor ...

'', and Qué Pasa are free weekly alternative newspapers that cover local news and events.

Broadcast television

Greensboro is a part of the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point television designated market area and includes the following commercial broadcast stations (listed by call letters, channel number, network and city of license): *

WFMY-TV WFMY-TV (channel 2) is a television station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Piedmont Triad region. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on Phillips Avenue in Greensboro, an ...

, 2, CBS, Greensboro * WGHP, 8,

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

, High Point * WXII-TV, 12, NBC, Winston-Salem * WGPX, 16, Ion, Burlington *

WCWG WCWG (channel 20) is a television station licensed to Lexington, North Carolina, United States, serving the Piedmont Triad region as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem� ...

, 20, The CW, Lexington * WUNL-TV, 26, PBS/ UNC-TV, Winston-Salem * WXLV-TV, 45,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, Winston-Salem * WGSR-TV, 47, Independent, Reidsville * WMYV-TV, 48, MyNetworkTV, Greensboro * WLXI-TV, 61, TCT, Greensboro Greensboro is home to the Triad bureau of News 14 Carolina. BNT 20.2 is North Carolina's only black-owned TV station.

Radio

FM stations

* WQMG-FM (97.1, Urban adult contemporary) * WDFC-LP-FM (101.7, Classical/smooth Jazz) *WLJF-LP-FM (100.7, Urban Gospel) * WQFS-FM (90.9, Variety), operated by

* WJMH-FM (102.1, Rhythmic contemporary) * WSMW-FM (98.7, Adult Hits) *WSSY-LP-FM (107.9, R&B/Urban Gospel) * WUAG-FM (103.1, Variety), operated by University of North Carolina at Greensboro * WNAA-FM (90.1, Variety), operated by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University * WKZL-FM (107.5, Pop/Top 40) * WPAW-FM (93,1, The Wolf/Country)

AM stations

* WCOG-AM (1320, Sports) * WEAL-AM (1510, Gospel) * WKEW-AM (1400, Gospel) *

WPET WPET (950 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a religious format. Licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, it serves Piedmont North Carolina. The station is owned by Stuart Epperson's Truth Broadcasting. History Wayne Nelson put W ...

-AM (950, Religious) * WWBG-AM (1470, Spanish contemporary)

Documentaries

*''February One'', California newsreel documentary on 1960

sit-in A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...

by the

*''88 Seconds in Greensboro'', PBS ''

Frontline Front line refers to the forward-most forces on a battlefield. Front line, front lines or variants may also refer to: Books and publications * ''Front Lines'' (novel), young adult historical novel by American author Michael Grant * ''Frontlines ...

'' transcript. Reported by James Reston, Jr. Directed by William Cran. Original airdate: January 24, 1983. *''Greensboro's Child'', documentary about the 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the shadow it cast on the survivors *Elvis Presley's concert in Greensboro in April 1972 was professionally recorded and became part of the ''

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

'' award-winning musical documentary '' Elvis On Tour'' featuring Elvis in three different concerts, including the one in Greensboro. *''Greensboro: Closer to the Truth'', award-winning documentary about Greensboro.

Transportation

Greensboro is served by Piedmont Triad International Airport, which also serves the nearby cities of High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. Piedmont Triad International is North Carolina's third-busiest airport, averaging 280 takeoffs and landings a day. PTI was a hub for the now defunct

Skybus Airlines Skybus Airlines Inc. was a privately held airline based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It operated as an ultra low-cost carrier modeled after the European airline Ryanair, and aimed to be the least expensive airline in the United States. ...

. Amtrak's daily ''Crescent'', ''Carolinian'' and ''Piedmont'' trains connect Greensboro with

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Philadelphia,

, Washington, D.C.,

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. Amtrak trains, taxis, local and long-distance buses arrive and depart from the J. Douglas Galyon Depot, also known as Greensboro station, at 236-C East Washington Street. Originally constructed in the early 1920s, the station and depot were renovated in 2004. The Greensboro Transit Authority offers public bus service throughout the city, including Higher Education Area Transit, or HEAT, which links downtown attractions to area colleges and universities. Regional public transportation throughout the metropolitan area is coordinated by PART,

Piedmont Area Regional Transportation Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) provides inter-city and regional public transportation for the Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point, NC combined statistical area, known as the Piedmont Triad area. In , the system had a r ...

. The Greensboro Greenway is a bike trail that is being constructed to encircle downtown Greensboro. It will connect to other trails and lead out to the Bur-Mil Park area and further.

Interstate highways

Interstate 40 * I-85

Interstate 85 * Business Loop 85

Interstate 85 Business * I-73

Interstate 73 * I-785

Interstate 785 * I-840

Interstate 840 (North Carolina), Interstate 840 Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 Business share the same freeway facility for several miles in south/southeastern Greensboro. The consolidated highway, which is now the Interstate 40/Interstate 85 Business (North Carolina), Business 85 junction, is just south of downtown and forms the western end of a stretch of freeway known throughout the region as "Death Valley (North Carolina), Death Valley", a congested and accident-prone stretch of roadway where six major federal and Interstate routes combine into a single freeway facility. Construction is underway on the Greensboro Urban Loop, a freeway that, when complete, will encircle the city. Sections of this beltway may form the future alignment of Interstate 73. U.S. Highway 29—which travels through the southern, eastern and northern sections of the city before heading northeast toward suburban Reidsville, North Carolina, Reidsville—is a major route in Greensboro and offers freeway access to its more urban and central areas.

Notable inhabitants

Animals

*Susie's Law, Susie is a part-pit bull rescued in 2009 from abuse as a puppy in Greensboro. She has been trained as a certified therapy dog, and is taken to schools, churches, and hospitals to promote kindness and respect. She is owned by Donna Smith Lawrence and her husband, Roy, now of High Point. Coverage of her story inspired passage of a 2010 state law making animal abuse a low-level felony. The dog's story is told in the 2013 film ''Susie's Hope'', by Uplifting Entertainment. In 2014 Susie was nominated for the Therapy Dog category of the American Humane Association Hero Dog awards.

Sister cities

Greensboro has a sister city relationship with three cities to foster international friendship and cooperation: * Montbéliard, Doubs, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France * Sectorul Buiucani, Buiucani sector, Chişinău, Moldova * Yingkou, Liaoning, China

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

City of Greensboro official websiteGreensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
{{Authority control Greensboro, North Carolina, Cities in North Carolina Cities in Guilford County, North Carolina County seats in North Carolina Populated places established in 1808 1808 establishments in North Carolina