University City (sometimes University Area or U-City) is an

edge city An edge city is a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional downtown or central business district, in what had previously been a suburban, residential or rural area. The term was popularized by the 1991 boo ...

mostly within the

city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary (real estate), boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. ...

of Charlotte,

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 ...

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 ...

, surrounding 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 ...

campus. It is found in northeastern Mecklenburg County, southeast of Interstate 85 and predominantly along University City Boulevard ( NC 49) and W.T. Harris Boulevard ( NC 24).

Interstate 485 Interstate 485 (I-485), also known as the Charlotte Outerbelt, is a auxiliary Interstate Highway encircling Charlotte, North Carolina. As a complete Ring road, loop, it is primarily signed with "inner" and "outer" designations, though at ...

and US 29 (N.

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 ...

) also pass through the area. In 2019, the LYNX Blue Line was extended from

Uptown Charlotte Uptown Charlotte, also called Center City, is the central business district of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The area is split into four wards by the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, and bordered by Interstate 277 and Int ...

to University City. It is neighbored by the town of

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

to the east and the city of Concord to the northeast. Attractions along University City's outskirts include

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 ...

and

Concord Mills Mall Concord Mills is a shopping mall located in Concord, North Carolina. The mall is in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, Cabarrus County, just a few hundred feet from the Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County border and Charlott ...

. The area is managed and overseen by the University City Partners, one of the six Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte. University City is home to the University Research Park (located on the other side of I-85), one of the largest

research park The following is a list of science park, technology parks and biomedical parks of the world, organized by continent. Asia China Mainland China * Shanghai Pudong Software Park (Shanghai) * Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park (''aka'' Zhangjiang Drug ...

s in the state, and the

PNC Music Pavilion PNC Music Pavilion (originally Blockbuster Pavilion and formerly Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre) is an outdoor amphitheater in Charlotte, North Carolina, that specializes in hosting large concerts. The venue largely replaced the Paladium at Carow ...

IKEA IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services. IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...

opened a store in University City on February 18, 2009.Charlotte Observer: IKEA vote set for tonight (May 21, 2007)
/ref> This is the first and only IKEA in

the Carolinas The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean ...

. University City is also one of six Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte.City of Charlotte: Municipal Service Districts (June 24, 2020)
/ref> University City has an estimated population of more than 160,000 within its unofficial borders, which includes parts of Charlotte, Concord and Harrisburg. Were it to be separated from the rest of Charlotte as its own city, University City would be North Carolina's seventh largest city. Following the opening of the LYNX Blue Line in 2019, University City has seen an increase in development, similar to that of South End. As of 2020, the corridor following the Blue Line has 338,000 square feet of office space, 200 hotel rooms, 3,200 apartments, and an entertainment district anchored by a Topgolf location. On July 1, 2020, Centene Corporation announced a 130-acre, $1 billion East Coast headquarters campus in University City.

Private schools

* Cannon School, located in nearby Concord, serves University City families * Countryside Montessori, located in University City, serves University City families * Northside Christian Academy, located in University City, serves UniversityCity families

References

External links

* *
University City Partners - Official municipal service district website

{{authority control High-technology business districts in the United States University of North Carolina at Charlotte Annexed places in North Carolina Neighborhoods in Charlotte, North Carolina Science parks in the United States Economy of Charlotte, North Carolina