Mecklenburg County () is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the southwestern region of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 1,115,482,
making it the
second-most populous county in North Carolina (after
Wake County), and the first county in
the Carolinas to surpass one million in population.
Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Charlotte, the state's largest municipality.
Mecklenburg County is the central county of the
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area. On September 12, 2013, it was estimated the county surpassed one million residents.
Like its seat, the county is named after
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her ...
, Queen of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
(1761–1818), whose name is derived from the region of
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...
in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It was named for
Mecklenburg Castle (Mecklenburg meaning "large castle" in
Low German
Low German is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language variety, language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide. "Low" ...
) in the village of
Dorf Mecklenburg.
History
Mecklenburg County was formed by English colonists in 1762 from the western part of
Anson County, both in the Piedmont section of the state. It was named in commemoration of the marriage of
King George III to
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her ...
, for whom the county seat
Charlotte is named. Due to unsure boundaries, a large part of south and western Mecklenburg County extended into areas that would later form part of the state of
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. In 1768, most of this area (the part of Mecklenburg County west of the
Catawba River) was designated
Tryon County, North Carolina.
Determining the final boundaries of these "western" areas between North and South Carolina was a decades-long process. As population increased in the area following the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
, in 1792 the northeastern part of Mecklenburg County was taken by the North Carolina legislature for
Cabarrus County. Finally, in 1842 the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County was combined with the western part of
Anson County to form
Union County.
The
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is a text published in 1819 with the now disputed claim that it was the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. It was supposedly signed on May 20 ...
was allegedly signed on May 20, 1775, and if the document is genuine, Mecklenburg County was the first part of the
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were the British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America which broke away from the British Crown in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and joined to form the United States of America.
The Thirteen C ...
to declare independence from Great Britain. The "Mecklenburg Resolves" were adopted on May 31, 1775. Mecklenburg continues to celebrate the declaration each year in May, the date of which is included on the
flag of North Carolina
The flag of the state of North Carolina, often referred to as the North Carolina flag, N.C. flag, or North Star, is the state flag of the U.S. state of North Carolina.
History First flag (1861–1885)
North Carolina did not have an official s ...
.
The first
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...
in the United States, the
Carolina Gold Rush, began after a 12-year-old boy named
Conrad Reed discovered a gold nugget in a stream in neighboring
Cabarrus County. Many miners and merchants began settling in the county during that time. The first
United States branch mint was established in 1837 in Charlotte and continued operations until 1913.
The original building was moved from its original site and redeveloped as a
museum
A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...
.
In 1917, during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
,
Camp Greene
Camp Greene was a United States Army facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, during the early 20th century. In 1917, both the 3rd Infantry Division (United States), 3rd Infantry Division and the 4th Infantry Division (United States) ...
was established west of Charlotte as an army training camp. In 1919, after the end of WWI, it was decommissioned. Around the 1930s and 1940s, the population began to rapidly increase. During this time,
Carolinas Medical Center and Charlotte College (now the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...
) were built.
Lake Norman
Lake Norman is an man-made lake, artificial fresh water lake in southwest North Carolina. The largest lake in the state, it was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station, Cowans Ford Dam by ...
was also completed in 1964, after a five-year construction period.
In the mid-20th century, the county continued to see rapid growth. Many new government buildings were constructed, and
Charlotte Douglas International Airport was expanded in 1954. By 1960, a quarter million people were living in the county, with the population reaching half a million by 1990.
A proposal to form a
consolidated city-county
In local government in the United States, United States local government, a consolidated city-county (#Terminology, see below for alternative terms) is formed when one or more city, cities and their surrounding County (United States), county (Lis ...
government with Charlotte was considered, but voted down by residents in 1971. The
metropolitan statistical area now includes 11 counties in both North Carolina and
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, and had an estimated combined population of 2,805,115 in 2023.
In mid-2020, the county was the site of the
2020 Colonial Pipeline oil spill, wherein about of gasoline leaked from the
Colonial Pipeline in the Oehler Nature Preserve near
Huntersville. It is one of the largest gasoline spills in U.S. history, and cleanup efforts are expected to last for several years.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.12%) is water.
State and local protected areas/sites
* Carolina Raptor Center
*
Charlotte Museum of History
*
Historic Latta Place
* Historic Rural Hill/Nature Preserve
*
Little Sugar Creek Greenway
*
Mint Museum Randolph, uses the original
Charlotte Mint
The Charlotte Mint was the first United States branch mint. It was located in Charlotte, North Carolina and specialized in gold coinage.
History
Following the first documented discovery of gold in the United States, the country's first gold min ...
building
*
Mint Museum Uptown
* Oehler Nature Preserve
*
President James K. Polk Historic Site
Nature preserves in Charlotte:
* Auten Nature Preserve
*
Big Rock Nature Preserve
* Cowans Ford Wildlife Refuge
* Ferrelltown Nature Preserve
* Latta Nature Preserve
*
McDowell Nature Preserve
* Possum Walk Nature Preserve
*
Reedy Creek Nature Preserve
* Sherman Branch Nature Preserve
* Stevens Creek Nature Preserve
Major water bodies
*
Catawba River
*
Lake Norman
Lake Norman is an man-made lake, artificial fresh water lake in southwest North Carolina. The largest lake in the state, it was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station, Cowans Ford Dam by ...
*
Mountain Island Lake
*
Rocky River
Adjacent counties
*
Iredell County – north
*
Cabarrus County – northeast
*
Union County – southeast
*
Lancaster County, South Carolina
Lancaster County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 96,016, Its county seat is Lancaster, which has an urban population of 23,979. The county was created in 1785. Lancaster Cou ...
– south
*
York County, South Carolina – southwest
*
Gaston County
Gaston County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 227,943. The county seat is Gastonia. Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911.
Gaston County is included in the ...
– west
*
Lincoln County – northwest
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 census, there were 1,115,482 people, 426,313 households, and 254,759 families residing in the county.
2000 census
At the
2000 census,
there were 695,454 people, 273,416 households, and 174,986 families residing in the county. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 292,780 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 64.02%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 27.87%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.35%
American Indian/Alaska Native, 3.15%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 3.01% from
other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 6.45% of the population were
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 273,416 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.00% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county, 25.10% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.70% was from 18 to 24, 36.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,579, and the median income for a family was $60,608. Males had a median income of $40,934 versus $30,100 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $27,352. About 6.60% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
Mecklenburg County is a member of the regional
Centralina Council of Governments.
The county is governed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The BOCC is a nine-member board made up of representatives elected from six
single-member district
A single-member district or constituency is an electoral district represented by a single officeholder. It contrasts with a multi-member district, which is represented by multiple officeholders.
In some countries, such as Australia and India ...
s, and three
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 tha ...
representatives elected by the entire county. This electoral structure favors at-large candidates who appeal to the majority population of the county. Each District has a population of approximately 165,000 individuals. All seats are partisan and are for 2-year terms (elections occur in even years). The current chairman of the Mecklenburg BOCC is George Dunlap (D, District 3). The Current Vice-chair is Elaine Powell (D, District 1).
Members of the Mecklenburg County Commission are required by North Carolina State law to choose a chair and vice-chair once a year (at the first meeting of December). Historically, the individual elected was the 'top-vote-getter', typically one of three at-large members. In 2014 this unofficial rule was changed by the Board to allow any member to serve as Chair or vice-chair as long as they received support from 4 members plus their own vote.
The nine members of the Board of County Commissioners are:
* George Dunlap (D, District 3)
* Elaine Powell (D, District 1)
* Yvette Townsend-Ingram (D, At-Large)
* Leigh Altman (D, At-Large Vice Chair)
* Arthur Griffin (D, At-Large)
* Vilma Leake (D, District 2)
* Mark Jerrell (D, District 4 Chair)
* Laura Meier (D, District 5)
* Susan Rodriguez-McDowell (D, District 6)
Politics
Mecklenburg County was one of the first parts of North Carolina to break away from a
Solid South
The Solid South was the electoral voting bloc for the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the Southern United States between the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the aftermath of the Co ...
voting pattern. It was a Republican-leaning swing county for most of the second half of the 20th century, supporting the GOP all but three times from
1952
Events January–February
* January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses.
* February 6
** Princess Elizabeth, ...
to
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. However, the county has strongly trended Democratic in the 21st century, particularly in federal and statewide elections. The expansion of the financial and business communities since the late 20th century attracted many newcomers from other areas of the country, with more diverse voting patterns. The more ethnically diverse core and northern sections of Charlotte trend Democratic, while wealthier and whiter suburban areas to the south of the city lean more Republican.
In
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
,
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...
became only the fourth Democrat to carry Mecklenburg County since
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
in
1948
Events January
* January 1
** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated.
** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...
, and the third to win it with a majority since
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
's last campaign in
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
. In
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
, the county swung dramatically to support
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, who won 60.8 percent of the county's vote, at the time the strongest showing for a Democrat in the county since Roosevelt's landslides. Obama's 100,100-vote margin in the county helped him become the first Democrat to carry North Carolina since
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
. At the same time,
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
became the first Republican to win less than 40 percent of the county's vote since 1948.
Obama won the county almost as easily in
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
despite losing statewide. The county swung even further in favor of
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
in
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
,
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
in
2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
, and
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
in
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, with all three beating Obama's 2008 total. However, Republicans continue to retain some strength in local races.
Courts and policing
Mecklenburg County is in District 26 of the North Carolina Judicial Branch. Mecklenburg County Courthouse is at 832 East Fourth Street in
Charlotte. Since 2017, the District Attorney has been Spencer B. Merriweather III.
The post of 'High Sheriff' of Mecklenburg County dates back to 1763 and is mandated in the constitution of North Carolina. The county sheriff is elected for a four year term and heads the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office. As of 2018, the sheriff is Garry L. McFadden, who has featured in a number of true crime documentaries.
Economy

The major industries of Mecklenburg County are
banking
A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...
,
manufacturing
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the
secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer ...
, and
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...
services, especially those supporting
banking
A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...
and
medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
. Mecklenburg County is home to ten
Fortune 1000
{{location map+ , United States , float=right , width=400, relief=1 , caption=''Fortune'' 1000 company headquarters locations. Top 20 companies labeled, places=
{{location map~ , United States , lat= 36.365378 , long= -94.217629 , label= Walmart, ...
companies.
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo and Company in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States, based on total asset ...
, a former Fortune 500 company, had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...
for $15.1 billion. Wells Fargo maintains the majority of the former company's operations in Charlotte.
Goodrich Corporation
The Goodrich Corporation, formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, was an American manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Benjamin Goodrich, Dr. Benjamin Franklin Go ...
, a former Fortune 500 company, had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by
United Technologies Corporation
United Technologies Corporation (UTC) was an American multinational corporation, multinational list of conglomerates, conglomerate headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut. It researched, developed, and manufactured products in numerous are ...
for $18.4 billion. Charlotte is now the headquarters for
UTC Aerospace Systems.
Transportation
Air
The county's primary commercial aviation airport is
Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.
Intercity rail
With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the
NS main line between Washington and Atlanta, and the large volumes of freight moving in and out of the county via truck.
Mecklenburg County is served daily by three
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
routes.
The
Crescent
A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself.
In Hindu iconography, Hind ...
train connects Charlotte with
New York,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Washington,
Charlottesville
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...
, and
Greensboro to the north, and
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
and
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
to the southwest.
The
Carolinian train connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,
Richmond,
Raleigh
Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...
,
Durham and Greensboro.
The
Piedmont
Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
train connects Charlotte with Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro.
The
Amtrak station is located at 1914 North
Tryon Street
Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The area is split into four Ward (electoral subdivision), wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordere ...
. A new centralized multimodal train station, Gateway Station, has been planned for the city. It is expected to house the future
LYNX
A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
Purple Line, the new
Greyhound bus station, and the Crescent line that passes through Uptown Charlotte.
Mecklenburg County is the proposed southern terminus for the initial segment of the
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor operating between Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Currently in conceptual design, the SEHSR would eventually run from Washington, D.C. to
Macon, Georgia
Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...
.
Light rail and mass transit
Light rail service in Mecklenburg County is provided by
LYNX Rapid Transit Services. Currently, the
Lynx Blue Line runs from
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...
, through
Uptown Charlotte, to
Pineville; build-out is expected to be complete by 2034. The
CityLynx Gold Line, a streetcar line runs from Sunnyside Avenue, in
Plaza-Midwood, through
Uptown Charlotte, stopping at the
Charlotte Transportation Center and future
Charlotte Gateway Station, before continuing to French Street in
Biddleville (Charlotte neighborhood), near the campus of
Johnson C. Smith University.
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus service serves all of Mecklenburg County, including Charlotte, and the municipalities of Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews, Pineville, and Mint Hill.
The Lynx Silver Line is a proposed east-west
light rail
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
line that would connect the outlying cities and towns of
Belmont,
Matthews,
Stallings and
Indian Trail to
Uptown Charlotte and the
Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Originally setup as two separate projects known as the Southeast Corridor and West Corridor, they were merged in 2019 by the Metropolitan Transit Commission. The tentative opening date in 2037.
Freight
Mecklenburg's manufacturing base, its central location on the Eastern Seaboard, and the intersection of two major interstates in the county have made it a hub for the trucking industry. Also located in the county is the
Inland Port of Charlotte, which is a major rail corridor for
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...
rail lines.
Major highways
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Charlotte Route 4
Education
School system
The
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) serves the entire county; however, the State of North Carolina also has approved a number of charter schools in Mecklenburg County (independently operated schools financed with tax dollars).
Colleges and universities
Current
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Central Piedmont Community College
Central Piedmont Community College (Central Piedmont) is a Public college, public community college in Charlotte, North Carolina. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students annually, Central Piedmont is the second-largest community college ...
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Davidson College
Davidson College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, United States. It was established in 1837 by the Concord Presbytery and named after American Revolutiona ...
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Johnson C. Smith University
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Johnson & Wales University
Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its cam ...
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Pfeiffer University
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Queens University of Charlotte
The Queens University of Charlotte is a private university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It has approximately 1,900 undergraduate and graduate students. Established in 1857, the university offers 50 undergraduate majors, 58 minors, ...
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Union Presbyterian Seminary
Union Presbyterian Seminary is a Presbyterian seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and Charlotte, North Carolina, offering graduate theological education in multiple modalities: in-person, hybrid, and online.
History
As a result of efforts underta ...
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte, or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs thr ...
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Wake Forest University Charlotte Center
Former
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King's College
Libraries
The
Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County serves residents of Mecklenburg County. Library cards from any branch can be used at all 20 locations. The library has an extensive collection (over 1.5 million items) of reference and popular materials including DVDs, books on CD, best sellers, downloadable media, and books.
The
Billy Graham Library contains the papers and memorabilia related to the career of the well-known 20th century evangelist,
Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...
.
Healthcare
Two major healthcare providers exist within Mecklenburg County,
Atrium Health
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (trade name, doing business as Atrium Health, formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) was a hospital network with more than 70,000 employees and, since its merger with Advocate Aurora Health in 2022. It ope ...
, and
Novant Health
Novant Health is a four-state integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals across the Southeast United States. Its network consists of more than 2,000 physicians and 40,000 employees at more than 850 locations, incl ...
. The two healthcare systems combined offer 14
emergency department
An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the Acute (medicine), ...
s throughout Mecklenburg County, including a psychiatric emergency department and two children's emergency departments. Two hospitals in the region offer trauma services with one
level I trauma center
A trauma center, or trauma centre, is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major trauma, major traumatic injuries such as Falling (accident), falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. The term "tra ...
and one
level II.
Atrium Health
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (trade name, doing business as Atrium Health, formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) was a hospital network with more than 70,000 employees and, since its merger with Advocate Aurora Health in 2022. It ope ...
, legally Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, is the
public hospital
A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is predominantly funded by the government and operates predominantly off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In almost al ...
authority of the county.
The residents of Mecklenburg County are provided emergency medical service by MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency. All emergency ambulance service is provided by MEDIC. No other emergency transport companies are allowed to operate within Mecklenburg County. In the fiscal year 2024, MEDIC responded to 157,121 calls for service and transported 113,768 patients. While MEDIC is a division of Mecklenburg County Government, a board guides and directs MEDIC that consists of members affiliated with
Atrium Health
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (trade name, doing business as Atrium Health, formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) was a hospital network with more than 70,000 employees and, since its merger with Advocate Aurora Health in 2022. It ope ...
,
Novant Health
Novant Health is a four-state integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals across the Southeast United States. Its network consists of more than 2,000 physicians and 40,000 employees at more than 850 locations, incl ...
and a swing vote provided by the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. Atrium and Novant are the two major medical institutions in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Arts and culture
Museums and libraries
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Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
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Billy Graham Library
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Carolinas Aviation Museum
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Charlotte Museum of History
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Charlotte Nature Museum
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Discovery Place
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Discovery Place Kids-Huntersville
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Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
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ImaginOn
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Levine Museum of the New South
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McColl Center for Visual Art
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Mint Museum Randolph
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Mint Museum Uptown
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NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame, is a Hall of Fame and Museum located in Charlotte, North Carolina that honors NASCAR and its history. Inductees to the Hall of Fame are drivers who have shown expert skill at NASCAR driving, all-time great crew chiefs ...
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Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
Sports and entertainment
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Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
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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 Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
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Charlotte Hounds
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Charlotte FC
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Charlotte Checkers
The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the ...
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Charlotte Knights
The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field ...
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Charlotte Independence
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Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway (known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009 due to sponsorship reasons) is a quad-oval Oval track racing#Intermediate, intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since it ...
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Bank of America Stadium
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Truist Field
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Knights Stadium
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American Legion Memorial Stadium
Music and performing arts venues
* Actor's Theatre of Charlotte
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Bojangles' Coliseum
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Carolina Actors Studio Theatre
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ImaginOn
* Knight Theater
* Morrison YMCA Amphitheatre
* The Neighborhood Theatre in NoDa
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North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
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Ovens Auditorium
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PNC Music Pavilion
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Spectrum Center
* Spirit Square
* Theatre Charlotte
* Uptown Amphitheatre At the NC Music Factory
Amusement parks
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Carowinds
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Great Wolf Lodge in Cabarrus County
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Ray's Splash Planet
Other attractions
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Carolina Place Mall
* Carolina Raptor Center
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Concord Mills Mall in Cabarrus County
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Lake Norman
Lake Norman is an man-made lake, artificial fresh water lake in southwest North Carolina. The largest lake in the state, it was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station, Cowans Ford Dam by ...
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Lake Wylie
* Latta Plantation Nature Preserve
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Little Sugar Creek Greenway
* Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center
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Northlake Mall
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President James K. Polk Historic Site
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SouthPark Mall
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U.S. National Whitewater Center
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Charlotte Premium Outlets
Communities

Mecklenburg County contains seven municipalities including the City of Charlotte and the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville (north of Charlotte); and the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville (south and southeast of Charlotte). A small portion of
Stallings is also in Mecklenburg County, though most of that town is in
Union County. Extraterritorial jurisdictions within the county are annexed by municipalities as soon as they reach sufficient concentrations. Townships are administrative divisions of unincorporated county land and do not have any government function.
City
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Charlotte (county seat and largest municipality in the county and state)
Towns
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Cornelius
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Davidson (most; small portions extend into
Iredell and
Cabarrus)
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Huntersville
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Matthews
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Mint Hill (most; small portions extend into
Union)
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Pineville
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Stallings (parts; mostly in
Union)
Unincorporated communities
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Caldwell
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Dixie
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Hopewell
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Newell
Townships
By the requirements of the
North Carolina Constitution of 1868, Mecklenburg County was divided into 15
townships. However, one township, Sharon, was later annexed to the Charlotte township and ceased to exist. The townships, which are both numbered and named, are as follows:
* Township 1, Charlotte
* Township 2, Berryhill
*
Township 3, Steele Creek
* Township 4, Sharon (extinct)
* Township 5, Providence
* Township 6, Clear Creek
* Township 7, Crab Orchard
* Township 8, Mallard Creek
* Township 9, Deweese
* Township 10, Lemley
* Township 11, Long Creek
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Township 12, Paw Creek
* Township 13, Morning Star
* Township 14, Pineville
* Township 15, Huntersville
Notable people
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Abraham Alexander (1717–1786), on the commission to establish town of Charlotte, North Carolina, North Carolina state legislator
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Evan Shelby Alexander (1767–1809), born in Mecklenburg County, later
United States Congressman from North Carolina
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Nathaniel Alexander (1756–1808), born in Mecklenburg County,
United States Congressman and
governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
of North Carolina
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Nellie Ashford (born
c. 1943), folk artist born in Mecklenburg County
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Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden (, ) (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York C ...
(1911–1988), 20th century African-American artist
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Sarah Frew Davidson (1804-1889), educator
* Brigadier General
William Lee Davidson (1746–1781), was a North Carolina militia general during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
.
*
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Flair's career spanned 50 years.
He is ...
(born 1949), retired
professional wrestler
*
Anthony Foxx (born 1971), former
United States Secretary of Transportation
The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secre ...
, former mayor of Charlotte.
* Judge
Shirley Fulton (1952–2023), chief resident judge in the
Superior Court of North Carolina
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Billy Graham
William Franklin Graham Jr. (; November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American Evangelism, evangelist, ordained Southern Baptist minister, and Civil rights movement, civil rights advocate, whose broadcasts and world tours featuring liv ...
(1918–2018), world-famous
evangelist
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Eliza Ann Grier (1864–1902), born in Mecklenburg County, first African-American female physician in Georgia
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Anthony Hamilton (born 1971), American R&B/soul singer
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Daniel Harvey Hill (1821–1889), Confederate general during the American Civil War and a Southern scholar.
* Gen.
Robert Irwin (1738–1800), a distinguished commander of
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots (also known as Revolutionaries, Continentals, Rebels, or Whigs) were colonists in the Thirteen Colonies who opposed the Kingdom of Great Britain's control and governance during the colonial era and supported and helped launch the Ame ...
militia forces, who is said to have been a signer of the
Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is a text published in 1819 with the now disputed claim that it was the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. It was supposedly signed on May 20 ...
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Willie Kirkpatrick Lindsay (1875–1954), Dean of Women,
Erskine College; President, North Carolina State
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
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Pat McCrory (born 1956), former
Governor of North Carolina
The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the United States, U.S. state of North Carolina. Seventy-five people have held the office since the first state governor, Richard Caswell, took office in 1777. The governor serves a ...
, former seven-term
Mayor of Charlotte.
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James K. Polk (1795–1849), 11th president of the United States. Polk was born in Mecklenburg County in 1795; his family moved to
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
when he was an adolescent.
*
Colonel William Polk (1758–1834) banker, educational administrator, political leader, renowned
Continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (album), an album by Saint Etienne
* Continen ...
officer in the
War for American Independence, and survivor of the 1777/1778 encampment at
Valley Forge
Valley Forge was the winter encampment of the Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. The Valley Forge encampment lasted six months, from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. It was the t ...
.
*
Shannon Spake (born 1976),
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
correspondent
See also
*
List of counties in North Carolina
The U.S. state of North Carolina is divided into 100 County (United States), counties. North Carolina ranks 28th in size by area, but has the seventh-highest number of counties in the United States, country.
Following the Stuart Restoration, ...
*
*
List of United States cities by population
This is a list of the most populous municipal corporations of the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal rep ...
References
Further reading
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External links
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Mecklenburg County Parks and RecreationCharlotte Mecklenburg SchoolsPublic Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg CountyNCGenWeb Mecklenburg County genealogy resources for the county
Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society
{{Authority control
1762 establishments in North Carolina
Populated places established in 1762
Charlotte metropolitan area
Majority-minority counties in North Carolina