About Charlotte
Charlotte Fast Facts
- Population: Charlotte is the
largest city in North Carolina with a 2006 population of 648,139. The
city is one of the most rapidly growing metropolitan areas in the
nation, with an influx of over
80,000 in 2005.
- County Seat: Charlotte is the county seat of Mecklenburg County .
- Queen City: Charlotte was named in honor of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III of Britain and is often referred to as 'The Queen City'.
- Tree City: Charlotte is also known as 'The Tree City' because of its lush vegetation and tree canopies.
- Boomtown: Booming with economic and commercial activity, Charlotte is designated one of the '10 best places to live' by Money Magazine.
- Ranked 1st: The city was ranked first in economic strength ranking and one of America's 'Most Livable Communities'.
- Local Folks in Charlotte are referred to as 'Charlotteans'.
Why Choose Charlotte?
- Most popular: Charlotte is the 1st most popular move destination in the US.
- Cost of living in Charlotte is below the national average.
- Housing Market: U.S. News & World Report ranks Charlotte's housing market one of the hottest and most affordable.
- Average commute time in Charlotte is only 24.8 minutes.
- Average sales price of a 2005 single-family home in Charlotte was $219,069.
- Down to Earth: Analysts say Charlotte is not a hyper-inflated real estate market. Homeowners are protected from the 'real-estate bubble' seen in other parts of the country.
- Variety of Neighborhoods: Charlotte offers a variety of neighborhoods from the hustle and bustle of urban living to the peaceful charm of the suburbs.
- Amenities: Neighborhoods offer a strong school system, top-notch city services, and moderate household operating costs.
- Healthy & Strong: Charlotte boasts a vibrant, balanced economy that is considered one of the healthiest and strongest in the nation.
- Almost Tops: Charlotte is the 2nd largest banking center in the US after New
York.
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Fortune 500: Charlotte ranks 6th nationally in number of Fortune 500 headquartered companies.
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Manufacturing Leader: Charlotte is a leader in US manufacturing, with over 1,000 firms.
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Distribution Centers: The city ranks 5th nationally in the number of distribution centers.
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#1 for Foreign Investment: Site Selection magazine's list of ‘Top 10 U.S. Cities for Foreign Investment’ ranks Charlotte # 1.
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Small Business Nirvana: Entrepreneur magazine designates Charlotte one of the nation's best large cities to start and run a small business.
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Low Employers' Costs: Benefits, worker's compensation and health insurance are significantly lower in Charlotte than in other regions.
- Moderation: Charlotte's moderate weather is one of the city's strongest assets. The city boasts a large number of clear, sunny, and warm days.
- Temperatures average 71.3°F year round.
- Winters in Charlotte are pleasantly mild. A typical January day will start with a morning low of 32 °F and top out at 51 °F in the afternoon.
- Snowfall averages less than six inches per year.
- Summer temperatures average only 76 °F, although July and August can be hot, with 90 °F not uncommon. However, the city boasts less humidity and less than half the number of 90 °F days than other southern cities Jacksonville and Houston.
- Precipitation in Charlotte averages 44 inches a year.
EARLY PERIOD
Charlotte was founded in the mid-1700's in a region populated by native Catawba Indians.
The region's first inhabitants were from overseas and the northern
states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Many were German or
Scots-Irish in origin, who founded several of the Presbyterian churches
still in existence today. Charlotte and its county are named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,
the German-born wife of British King George III.
Kew Gardens .
Queen Charlotte bore
15 children (of which 13 survived), and is the great-great-great-great
grandmother of today's Queen Elizabeth of England. She was a patroness
of the arts in Europe, notably to composers Johann Christian Bach and
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. She also helped establish the Royal Botanical
Gardens in England, also known as
In 1755, settler Thomas Polk built a dwelling at the crossroads of a Native American trading path and the Great Wagon road. This crossroads became the hub for the village of ‘Charlotte Town,’ incorporated in 1768. This hub, now known as 'The Square' or 'Trade & Tryon', comprises the heart of modern Uptown Charlotte. (The trading path became Trade St; the Great Wagon road became Tryon St, after William Tryon, former NC royal governor).
Charlotte was a site of encampment for both American and British
armies during the Revolutionary War. During a series of skirmishes
between British troops and Charlotteans, the town earned the nickname 'Hornet's Nest'
from a frustrated Lord Cornwallis. (The name has endured over time,
with many local teams, businesses and even schools claiming the
moniker...)
In 1799, a 17 pound gold-colored rock was found in the Charlotte
area by 12 year-old Conrad Reed, whose family used it as a doorstop.
Three years later, the rock was declared by an expert to be near solid
gold, sparking the nation's first Gold Rush. The Charlotte Mint
was created on March 3, 1835 during the Carolina Gold Rush,
establishing the city as a financial center. All gold coinage
originating from the Charlotte Mint has a 'C' mint mark. The mint
issued over $5 million in gold coins during its operation. During the
Civil War, the Confederacy seized control of the Mint, turning it into
a hospital and military office space. During the post-Civil War period,
Charlotte became a cotton processing center and a railroad hub.
MODERN DAY CHARLOTTE
Modern day Charlotte is home to the 2nd largest banking industry in the US (after New York), and the headquarters of Bank of America, Wachovia, and other financial giants. It is also a pivotal business, distribution, transportation, and wholesale
center for the region, as well as for the greater USA (almost
two-thirds of the US population live within 650 miles of Charlotte,
making it a natural trade hub). Charlotte is also the headquarters of
many foreign companies (431 in 2005) which benefit from the Foreign Trade Zone established
in 1980. The demographic of modern day Charlotte has evolved as well,
with the establishment of many ethnic communities. Greek, Asian,
Indian, German, British, Vietnamese, Russian, African and Latino
MID-PERIOD
populations are all represented, lending Charlotte an increasingly
international flavor.
