Charlotte metropolitan area


The Charlotte metropolitan area is a metropolitan area of North and South Carolina within and surrounding the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont, it is the largest metropolitan area in the Carolinas, and the fifth largest in the Southeastern United States behind the Miami metropolitan area, Atlanta metropolitan area, Tampa Bay Area, and Orlando metropolitan area.
The Charlotte metropolitan area is well known for its auto racing history. The region is headquarters to eight Fortune 500 and seven Fortune 1000 companies including Bank of America, Truist Bank, Duke Energy, Honeywell, Sealed Air Corporation, Nucor Steel, and Lowe's Home Improvement Stores. Additional headquarters include Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Bojangles, Cheerwine and Sundrop. It is home to one of the world's busiest airports, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and is also the Carolinas' largest manufacturing region.
The Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area is defined as seven counties in North Carolina and three counties in South Carolina. The population of the MSA was 2,636,883 according to 2019 Census estimates. Charlotte is the 16th largest city and 22nd largest metro area in the United States. Charlotte is the 2nd largest city in the Southeast.
The Charlotte–Concord Combined Statistical Area is a regional population area including parts of North Carolina and South Carolina with a population of 2,632,249 according to the 2018 Census estimates. The aforementioned MSA is the only metropolitan area included in the CSA, but there are two included micropolitan areas: Albemarle and Shelby.

Nicknames and regional identity

The regional area around the city was at one time called Metrolina, a portmanteau of Metropolis and Carolina. The term has fallen out of widespread general use, though it still maintains a presence and is used by the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The term does retain a marketing value, and is thus also used by many businesses in the area. Metrolina refers to the region that includes the cities of Charlotte, Concord, Gastonia and Rock Hill. The name Metrolina came into fashion when North Carolina's other two large metropolitan areas took on nicknames—the Triangle for Raleigh/Durham/Cary/Chapel Hill and the Triad for Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point.
Charlotte is also sometimes referred to as the Queen City, or the Q.C.
The term "Charlotte USA" refers to the 16-county region, which includes 12 counties in North Carolina and 4 counties in South Carolina. The term is championed by the Charlotte Regional Partnership, a non-profit organization made up of both private- and public-sector members from throughout the Charlotte region. This organization represents one of seven officially designated economic development regions in North Carolina.
Region J of the North Carolina Councils of Government, of which a majority of the Charlotte area municipalities and counties belong, uses the term Centralina in its body's name, Centralina Council of Governments. This term, however, is used only sparingly among locals.

Area

Counties

The official Charlotte metropolitan area includes the Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia MSA. The Charlotte CSA includes all the MSA counties along with the following micropolitan areas in North Carolina: Albemarle and Shelby.
The Charlotte Regional Partnership also identifies four additional counties to the what they refer to as the 'Charlotte Region'-Alexander, Anson and Catawba counties in North Carolina, and Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Catawba and Alexander counties are currently part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area or 'The Unifour', and Anson County was once part of the MSA and CSA, until it was removed in 2011. Factoring in the Unifour, as well as Anson and Chesterfield counties, if one considers these regions to be part of the Charlotte area, as many in the area regard them as such, the population according to 2018 Census estimates, increases to 3,190,390. If this population was officially used, the Charlotte Area would become the 20th largest CSA, overtaking the St. Louis, Missouri area, and placing it behind Portland, Oregon.
County2019 Estimate2010 CensusChange
Mecklenburg County--
York County--
Union County--
Gaston County--
Cabarrus County--
Iredell County--
Rowan County--
Lancaster County--
Cleveland County--
Lincoln County--
Stanly County--
Chester County--
Total--

County2019 Estimate2010 CensusChange
Catawba County--
Chesterfield County--
Alexander County--
Anson County--
Total for Alexander, Anson, Catawba, and Chesterfield counties--
Total for entire Charlotte region--

Largest cities and towns

RankCity / townCounty2019 estimate2010 CensusChange
1CharlotteMecklenburg County--
2ConcordCabarrus County--
3GastoniaGaston County--
4Rock HillYork County--
5HuntersvilleMecklenburg County--
6KannapolisCabarrus County / Rowan County--
7Indian TrailUnion County--
8MooresvilleIredell County--
9MonroeUnion County--
10SalisburyRowan County--
11MatthewsMecklenburg County--
12CorneliusMecklenburg County--
13Mint HillMecklenburg County / Union County--
14StatesvilleIredell County--
15Fort MillYork County--
16ShelbyCleveland County--
17WaxhawUnion County--
18HarrisburgCabarrus County--
19Mount HollyGaston County--
20AlbemarleStanly County--
21StallingsUnion County--
22DavidsonMecklenburg County / Iredell County--
23BelmontGaston County--
24Tega CayYork County--
25LincolntonLincoln County--
26WeddingtonMecklenburg County / Union County--
27Kings MountainCleveland County / Gaston County--

Cities and Towns: 5,000 to 10,000 in Population

RankCity / TownCounty2018 Estimate2010 CensusChange
1Wesley ChapelUnion County--
2LancasterLancaster County--
3PinevilleMecklenburg County--
4YorkYork County--
5UnionvilleUnion County--
6MarvinUnion County--
7CloverYork County--
8CherryvilleGaston County--
9Bessemer CityGaston County--
10ChesterChester County--

Suburban towns and cities under 5,000 in population

Unincorporated communities

Changes in house prices for the area are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also a component of the S&P 20-city composite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market.

Transportation

Mass transit

The Charlotte Area Transit System is the mass transit agency that operates local, express, bus rapid services that serves Charlotte and its immediate suburban communities in both North and South Carolina. CATS also operates light rail and streetcar lines. CATS is also building a commuter, light rail, streetcar network as a supplement to its established bus transit throughout the region. The LYNX Blue Line runs from Interstate 485, through SouthEnd, Uptown Charlotte, to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Plans are for it to stretch initially to Mooresville, Pineville, and Matthews. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport will be connected to the system by light rail.

Roads

The Charlotte region is also served by 2 major interstate highways, and their 2 spurs. I-40 also passes through the center of Iredell County, which is the northern region of the Charlotte metro. Other major freeways include Independence Boulevard, a portion of US 321 between Hickory and Gastonia, and Monroe Connector / Bypass, each projected to cost over $1 billion per project.
Other important US highways in the region include: US 74, US 52, US 321, US 601 and US 70.
Primary state routes include NC/SC 49, NC 16, NC 73, NC 150, NC 18, NC 24, NC 27, SC 9 and SC 5.

Air

is the main airport in the Charlotte area and the 6th busiest in the country. In April 2007, Charlotte was the fastest growing airport in the US. The airport went on to surpass its sister US Airways hub in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as one of the 30 busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic. A new terminal to the northwest of the center of the airport will be built in the near future, possibly as a Caribbean/Latin America international terminal. CLT is also supplemented by regional airports in Concord, Gastonia, Hickory, Monroe, Statesville, in North Carolina, as well as Rock Hill in South Carolina.

Higher education

Nature and geography

The foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains begin along the western edge of the region; the descent to the coastal plain begins along the eastern edge. Amid this varied topography, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and several state parks offer recreational possibilities, along with the Uwharrie National Forest just east and northeast of Albemarle, and the Sumter National Forest at the southwest corner of the area. Kings Mountain National Military Park is partially located in York County and in Cherokee County near Blacksburg, South Carolina.

Cultural attractions

Attractions in Charlotte include the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Cultural, Carowinds theme park, Discovery Place, Spirit Square, NASCAR Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Actor's Theatre of Charlotte, Carolina Actors Studio Theatre, Theatre Charlotte, the Charlotte Museum of History, Levine Museum of the New South, the McGill Rose Garden, and the Wing Haven Gardens. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and the Mint Museum in Uptown Charlotte are expanding the art venues in Charlotte.
Other places of interest in the surrounding area include the Schiele Museum, Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Carolina Raptor Center, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Latta Plantation, Brattonsville Historic District, the North Carolina Transportation Museum, Fort Dobbs historical site, Catawba County Firefighters Museum, the Arts & Science Center of Catawba Valley/Millholland Planetarium the Museum of York County, James K. Polk historical site, the Catawba Cultural Center, the Museum of the Waxhaws, Glencairn Gardens, and the Reed Gold Mine.

Entertainment

The PNC Music Pavilion is located in the University City area of Charlotte. The performing arts amphitheatre has hosted many popular music concerts. The U.S. National Whitewater Center is the world's premier outdoor recreation and environmental education center. Alongside mountain-biking and running trails, a climbing center, and challenge course, the park's unique feature is a multiple-channel, customized whitewater river for rafting and canoe/kayak enthusiasts of all abilities.
The USNWC is only 10 minutes from downtown Charlotte and provides roughly of woodlands along the scenic Catawba River. Olympic-caliber athletes, weekend warriors and casual observers share this world-class sports and training center.
Inspired by the successful Penrith Whitewater Stadium built for the 2000 Olympics and the stadium built for the 2004 Athens Games, the USNWC is the world's largest multi-channel recirculating whitewater river. The USOC has designated the USNWC an official Olympic Training Site.

Shopping

is one of the Southern United States' most upscale malls, including stores such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, Hermès, Neiman Marcus, and American Girl. SouthPark mall is also the largest mall in the Carolinas and one of the most-profitable malls in the United States.
Other large regional-scale Shopping malls include Northlake Mall, Carolina Place Mall, Concord Mills, Charlotte Premium Outlets, Phillips Place, RiverGate, Westfield Eastridge, Rock Hill Galleria, Plaza Fiesta, Carolina Mall, Monroe Crossing Mall, Signal Hill Mall, and Valley Hills Mall.
Concord Mills is unique in that it does not feature the typical anchor stores found at other malls; it focuses more on attracting outlet store tenants. The mall is visited by over 15 million annually.
Alongside enclosed malls and strip centers are several other shopping districts. Several downtowns can claim an abundance of shopping options, along with restaurants and other entertainment, and a few other specific districts have emerged: Central Avenue, especially in the Plaza-Midwood area; the NoDa area of North Charlotte; and the Arboretum in southeast Charlotte, to offer a handful of examples. Several of these areas are at the center of the area's growing immigrant business communities.

Sports

In addition to Charlotte Motor Speedway, there are plenty of other sports venues, including the BB&T Ballpark, Bank of America Stadium, and Spectrum Center. The Charlotte Eagles of the United Soccer Leagues call the area home, and the Kannapolis Intimidators and Hickory Crawdads are Single-A Minor-League Baseball teams located in this region.

Economy

NameIndustryBased inNumber of employees
1. Atrium HealthHealth Care and Social AssistanceCharlotte35,700
2. Wells FargoFinance and InsuranceSan Francisco26,000
3. Charlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolsEducational ServicesMecklenburg County18,495
4. WalmartRetail TradeBentonville, Arkansas16,100
5. Bank of AmericaFinance and InsuranceCharlotte15,000
6. Novant HealthHealth Care and Social AssistanceWinston-Salem, NC12,172
7. American AirlinesTransportation and WarehousingDallas, Texas11,000
8. Lowe'sRetail TradeMooresville, North Carolina9,233
9. Food LionRetail TradeSalisbury, North Carolina8,465
10. Harris TeeterRetail TradeMatthews, North Carolina8,239
11. Duke EnergyUtilitiesCharlotte7,700
12. Government of North CarolinaPublic AdministrationRaleigh, North Carolina7,600
13. Compass GroupManufacturingChertsey, England, UK7,500
14. City of CharlottePublic AdministrationCharlotte6,800
15. Mecklenburg County GovernmentPublic AdministrationMecklenburg County5,512
16. Union County Public SchoolsEducational ServicesUnion County5,427
17. U.S. Federal GovernmentPublic AdministrationWashington, D.C.5,300
18. YMCA of Greater CharlotteArts, Entertainment and RecreationCharlotte4,436
19. CaroMont HealthHealthcareGastonia, North Carolina4,223
20. AT&T Inc.UtilitiesDallas, Texas4,100

Companies with headquarters in the region include Bank of America, Belk, BellSouth Telecommunications, Bojangles', The Compass Group, Carolina Beverage Corporation Inc., Duke Energy, Family Dollar, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Lance, Inc, LendingTree, Lowe's, Meineke Car Care Centers, Muzak, Nucor, Chiquita Brands International Transbotics, Royal & SunAlliance, SPX Corporation, Time Warner Cable, and Wells Fargo.
Charlotte has gained fame as the second largest banking and finance center in the U.S., and the area's orientation towards emerging industries is seen in the success of the University Research Park and the redevelopment of part of the Pillowtex site in Kannapolis as a biotech research facility featuring the participation of University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University and North Carolina State University.
Reflections Studios in Charlotte played an important role in the emergent late-20th-century American musical underground – R.E.M., Pylon, Let's Active, Don Dixon and Charlotte's Fetchin Bones all recorded influential and acclaimed albums there. Charlotte-based Ripete and Surfside Records maintain important catalogs of regional soul and beach music, and the area has also played a role in the history of gospel, bluegrass and country music. The Milestone, one of the first punk clubs in the South, is located in west Charlotte, and in the past hosted legendary appearances from the likes of R.E.M., Black Flag, Nirvana, The Minutemen, D.O.A., Bad Brains, Charlotte's Antiseen, and many others.

Notable residents

A majority of the municipalities and counties in the North Carolina parts of the Charlotte metropolitan area belong to the Centralina Council of Governments. Cleveland County belongs to the Isothermal Planning and Development Commission and Alexander and Catawba counties belong to the Western Piedmont Council of Governments.