Most populous city in North Carolina, United States
City in North Carolina, United States
Charlotte
Logo
Nicknames: The Queen City, The QC, CLT, The Hornet's Nest
[ 1] [ 2] Motto(s): "
Regina Civitatem "
(Latin ) (Queen City)
"Charlotte's Got a Lot"
[ 3] Interactive map of Charlotte
Location within North Carolina
Show map of North Carolina Location within the United States
Show map of the United States Coordinates: 35°13′38″N 80°50′35″W / 35.22722°N 80.84306°W / 35.22722; -80.84306 [ 4] Country United States State North Carolina County Mecklenburg Settled 1755[ 5] Incorporated December 3, 1768[ 6] Named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz • Type Council–manager • Body Charlotte City Council • Mayor Vi Lyles (D ) • Total
312.00 sq mi (808.08 km2 ) • Land 310.02 sq mi (802.94 km2 ) • Water 1.98 sq mi (5.14 km2 ) 0.63% Elevation 673 ft (205 m) • Total
874,579 911,311 • Rank 40th in North America15th in the United States1st in North Carolina • Density 2,821.06/sq mi (1,089.22/km2 ) • Urban
1,379,873 (US: 37th ) • Urban density 2,098.3/sq mi (810.2/km2 ) • Metro 2,805,115 (US: 22nd ) Demonym Charlottean • Charlotte (MSA) $228.9 billion (2022) Time zone UTC−5 (EST ) • Summer (DST ) UTC−4 (EDT )ZIP Codes
28201–28237, 28240–28247, 28250, 28253–28256, 28258, 28260–28262, 28265–28266, 28269–28275, 28277–28278, 28280–28290, 28296–28297, 28299
Area codes 704, 980 FIPS code 37-12000[ 4] GNIS feature ID2404032[ 4] Primary Airport Charlotte Douglas International Airport Website www .charlottenc .gov
Charlotte ( SHAR -lət ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County . The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census ,[ 10] making Charlotte the 15th-most populous city in the United States, the seventh-most populous city in the South , and the second-most populous city in the Southeast behind Jacksonville, Florida . Charlotte is the cultural, economic, and transportation center of the Charlotte metropolitan area , whose estimated 2023 population of 2,805,115 ranked 22nd in the United States .[ 8] The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of an 18-county market region and combined statistical area with an estimated population of 3,387,115 as of 2023.[ 11] [ 8]
Between 2004 and 2014, Charlotte was among the country's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, with 888,000 new residents.[ 12] [ 13] [ 14] [ 15] [ 16] Based on U.S. census data from 2005 to 2015, Charlotte tops the U.S. in millennial population growth.[ 17] [ 18] [ 19] [ 20] Throughout the 2020s, it has remained one of the fastest-growing major cities in the United States.[ 21] [ 22] [ 23] [ 24] Residents of Charlotte are referred to as "Charlotteans ".[ 25] [ 26]
Charlotte is home to the corporate headquarters of Bank of America , Honeywell , Truist Financial , and the East Coast headquarters of Wells Fargo , which, when combined with other Charlotte-based financial institutions, makes the city the second-largest banking center in the nation.[ 27] [ 28] [ 29] [ 30]
Charlotte's notable attractions include three professional sports teams, the Carolina Panthers of the NFL , the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA , and Charlotte FC of MLS . The city is also home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame , Opera Carolina , Charlotte Symphony , Charlotte Ballet , Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Mint Museum , Harvey B. Gantt Center , Bechtler Museum of Modern Art , the Billy Graham Library , Levine Museum of the New South , Charlotte Museum of History , Carowinds amusement park, and U.S. National Whitewater Center .[ 31] [ 32] [ 33] [ 34] [ 35] [ 36]
Charlotte has a humid subtropical climate . It is located several miles east of the Catawba River and southeast of Lake Norman , the largest human-made lake in North Carolina.[ 37] [ 38] Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake are two smaller human-made lakes located near the city.[ 39] [ 40] As of 2024, 66% of the city's area is occupied by green spaces.[ 41] The city ranks 1st in the United States and 29th in the world in the ranking of the greenest cities on the planet.[ 42]
^ Wilson, Jen (October 13, 2014). "So is Charlotte the real Queen City?" . Bizjournals.com . Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved June 6, 2022 .
^ "The Mecklenburg Historical Association, Charlotte, NC" . meckdec.org . Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020 .
^ Washburn, Mark (March 30, 2018). "Charlotte's got a lot, but it needs a new slogan" . The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved June 7, 2023 .
^ a b c d U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Charlotte, North Carolina
^ Dixon, Chris (August 27, 2014). "36 Hours in Charlotte, N.C." The New York Times . Retrieved November 11, 2022 .
^ Toussaint, Katie (October 13, 2019). "How to join Charlotte's year-long birthday celebration" . The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved October 1, 2022 .
^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory" . United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 20, 2022 .
^ a b c "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals: 2020-2023" . United States Census Bureau , Population Division. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024 .
^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC (MSA)" . fred.stlouisfed.org .
^ "QuickFacts: Charlotte city, North Carolina" . United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2024 .
^ "OMB Bulletin No. 23-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF) . United States Office of Management and Budget . July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023 .
^ "Here's Why Charlotte Became The Fastest Growing City in The Country Over The Past Decade" . Charlotte Stories . May 2017.
^ "Carolinas well represented on list of fastest growing U.S. Cities" . WCNC.com . July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021 .
^ Ramsey, Mary (December 15, 2022). "Charlotte metro area's population among the fastest growing in the U.S., new study finds" . The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ Martin, Jenna (May 18, 2023). "Charlotte post nation's fifth-largest population increase in 2022, Census Bureau estimates show" . BizJournals.com . Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ "Number of people moving to Charlotte region climbs to highest level in more than a decade" . Charlotte Regional Business Alliance . July 11, 2023. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ "Millennial mecca: Which Charlotte neighborhoods, suburbs rank tops for young professionals" . Bizjournals.com . Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2021 .
^ "Where are millennials moving? This North Carolina city ranks top 10 study finds" . The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved June 15, 2020 .
^ Blackmon, Chyna (April 14, 2023). "Home purchases among millennials have surged in Charlotte, This chart tracks growth" . The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved August 26, 2023 .
^ Marshall, Kendrick (August 22, 2023). "Charlotte is a vibe for young transplants, Why is it so popular among millennials" . The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved August 26, 2023 .
^ "Study: Charlotte among fastest-growing cities, New Yorkers top list of new residents coming in" . Fox46.com . Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2021 .
^ Lee, Hank (October 18, 2022). "Report: Charlotte is the 8th fastest-growing city in U.S." WCNC.com . Retrieved November 24, 2022 .
^ Hill, Jalon (May 19, 2023). "Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. What's leading the growth?" . QCityMetro.com . Retrieved August 9, 2023 .
^ "Large Southern Cities Lead Nation in Population Growth" . census.gov . May 18, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023 .
^ "31 signs you're a native Charlottean" . The Charlotte Observer . March 21, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2020 .
^ Mulvihill, Carolyn (November 14, 2017). "15 Phrases That Will Make You Swear Charlotteans Have Their Own Language" . Only In Your State . Retrieved December 7, 2022 .
^ Solt, Katy (April 5, 2021). "Changing Face of NC: The Wall Street of the South" . spectrumlocalnews.com . Spectrum News . Retrieved April 5, 2021 .
^ "Charlotte, NC – Forbes" . Forbes . Retrieved June 17, 2022 .
^ Cheung, Brian (June 12, 2019). "The battle of U.S. banking giants could be won in Charlotte" . Yahoo! Finance . Retrieved August 11, 2023 .
^ "Charlotte is a hot spot in the financial services industry" . Charlotte Regional Business Alliance . July 11, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2023 .[permanent dead link ]
^ "Welcome to Carowinds, The Carolinas Premier Entertainment Destination" . Carowinds.com . Retrieved June 4, 2022 .
^ "Welcome to the Billy Graham Library" . billygrahamlibrary.org . Retrieved June 7, 2022 .
^ "NASCAR Hall of Fame Official website" . nascarhall.com . Retrieved June 7, 2022 .
^ "The Mint Museum: North Carolina's First Art Museum" . Mintmuseum.org . Retrieved June 7, 2022 .
^ "Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture at Levine Center for the Arts homepage" . ganttcenter.org . Retrieved June 7, 2022 .
^ "The Charlotte Museum of History: Saving and Sharing Charlotte's History" . charlottemuseum.org . Retrieved June 7, 2022 .
^ Levans, Katie (May 29, 2019). "The ultimate guide to beaches, water activities and lakeside restaurants on Lake Norman and Lake Wylie" . charlotte.axios.com . Retrieved June 4, 2022 .
^ "Developer plans big residential project on Lake Norman" . WSOCTV.com . May 14, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022 .
^ Formato, Brian (August 17, 2021). "Mountain Island Lake: The Hidden Gem in Charlotte's Crown" . Charlottestories.com . Retrieved June 5, 2022 .
^ "Measuring the impacts of major development on Lake Wylie" . Spectrum News 1 . April 5, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023 .
^ "How green is Vilnius? Find out at HUGSI.green" .
^ "Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index. Quantifying the greenness of global cities" . www.hugsi.green . Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023 .