Charlotte metropolitan area



The Charlotte metropolitan area (also Metrolina, Charlotte Metro, or Charlotte USA) is a metropolitan area/region of North and South Carolina within and surrounding the city of Charlotte. Located in the Piedmont of the Southeastern United States, the Charlotte metropolitan area is well-known for its auto racing history (especially NASCAR) and is the United States' second largest banking and financial hub, behind New York City. It is also the Carolinas' largest manufacturing region. The Charlotte MSA is the largest in the Carolinas and the sixth largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern region of the United States, behind Miami, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Tampa, and Orlando.

The Charlotte-Concord-Rock Hill Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is defined as five counties in North Carolina and one county in South Carolina. The population of the MSA was 1,330,448 at the 2000 Census; 2009 estimates place the population at 1,745,524. Charlotte is the 18th largest city and 33rd largest metro area in the United States.

The Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury Combined Statistical Area (CSA) is a regional population area including parts of North Carolina and South Carolina with a 2008 population of 2,574,787. The aforementioned MSA is the only metropolitan area (as defined since 2003) included in the CSA, but there are six included micropolitan areas: Albemarle, Lincolnton, Shelby and Statesville-Mooresville in North Carolina and Lancaster and Chester in South Carolina. Additionally, Catawba and Alexander counties in North Carolina are sometimes counted in larger estimates of the region's true size due to their close proximity to the Charlotte Metro. They are technically a part of the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area (also known as The Unifour). Adding these two counties along with Chesterfield County, S.C., to the aforementioned Charlotte CSA would yield a Regional 2006 estimated population of 2,424,333.

Nicknames and regional identity
The regional area around the city was at one time called Metrolina, a term which has fallen out of widespread general use, though it is 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/Chapel Hill and the Triad for Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point. (The Triad now goes by the name Piedmont Triad to distinguish it from other tri-cities.)

The term Charlotte USA is sometimes also used as the metro's name, though again in more official and professional circles than in general public usage. 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 metropolitan area.

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.

Counties
Official metropolitan area ''The Charlotte metropolitan area components include the Charlotte-Concord-Rock Hill MSA (Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Union and York counties), along with the following micropolitan areas: Albemarle, Chester, Lancaster, Lincolnton, Salisbury, Shelby, and Statesville-Mooresville. The Combined Statistical Area includes all of those entities. Charlotte USA includes all the CSA counties along with Alexander and Catawba counties of North Carolina. (Census Bureau definition for CSA)

2010 Population (Census)

Anchor city

 * Charlotte, Mecklenburg 731,424

Principal cities

 * Concord, Cabarrus 79,006
 * Gastonia, Gaston 71,059
 * Hickory, Catawba 41,469
 * Rock Hill, York 71,154

Suburban towns and cities over 10,000 in population
(including county and 2005 census bureau population estimates)
 * Albemarle, Stanly 21,525
 * Cornelius, Mecklenburg 17,875
 * Huntersville, Mecklenburg 34,332
 * Indian Trail, Union 15,610
 * Kannapolis, Cabarrus & Rowan 38,547
 * Kings Mountain, Cleveland & Gaston 10,634
 * Lincolnton, Lincoln 10,194
 * Matthews, Mecklenburg 23,897
 * Mint Hill, Mecklenburg & Union 17,480
 * Monroe, Union 33,437
 * Mooresville, Iredell 20,122
 * Newton, Catawba 13,229
 * Salisbury, Rowan 27,808
 * Shelby, Cleveland 21,275
 * Statesville, Iredell 24,489

Suburban towns and cities under 10,000 in population
(Including county and 2004 Census Bureau population estimates)


 * Ansonville, Anson 626
 * Badin, Stanly 1,127
 * Belmont, Gaston 8,786
 * Belwood, Cleveland 996
 * Bessemer City, Gaston 5,120
 * Boiling Springs, Cleveland 3,851
 * Chester, Chester 6,273
 * China Grove, Rowan 3,694
 * Cherryville, Gaston 5,430
 * Cleveland, Rowan 819
 * Clover, York 4,054
 * Conover, Catawba 6,604
 * Cramerton, Gaston 2,990
 * Dallas, Gaston 3,403
 * Davidson, ''Mecklenburg & Iredell8,343
 * Earl, Cleveland 236
 * East Spencer, Rowan 1,759
 * Fairview, Union 4,122
 * Faith, Rowan 699
 * Fallston, Cleveland 612
 * Fort Lawn, Chester 844
 * Fort Mill, York 8,041
 * Granite Quarry, Rowan 2,224
 * Great Falls, Chester 2,121
 * Grover, Cleveland 696
 * Harmony, Iredell 570
 * Harrisburg, Cabarrus 4,925
 * Heath Springs, Lancaster 863
 * Hemby Bridge, Union 1,594
 * Hickory Grove, York 362
 * High Shoals, Gaston 744
 * Kershaw, Lancaster 1,638
 * Kingstown, Cleveland 850
 * Lake Park, Union 2,444
 * Lake Wylie, York 3,061
 * Lancaster, Lancaster 8,472
 * Landis, Rowan 3,047
 * Lattimore, Cleveland 419
 * Lawndale, Cleveland 640
 * Lilesville, Anson 445
 * Locust, Stanly & Cabarrus 2,525
 * Love Valley, Iredell 33
 * Lowell, Gaston 2,663
 * Lowrys, Chester 203


 * Marshville, Union 2,690
 * Marvin, Union 1,273
 * McAdenville, Gaston 627
 * McConnells, York 312
 * McFarlan, Anson 87
 * Midland, Cabarrus 2,729
 * Mineral Springs, Union 1,728
 * Misenheimer, Stanly 617
 * Mooresboro, Cleveland 318
 * Morven, Anson 570
 * Mount Holly, Gaston 9,639
 * Mount Pleasant, Cabarrus 1,336
 * New London, Stanly 322
 * Norwood, Stanly 2,174
 * Oakboro, Stanly 1,187
 * Patterson Springs, Cleveland 624
 * Peachland, Anson 544
 * Pineville, Mecklenburg 3,643
 * Polkton, Anson 1,897
 * Polkville, Cleveland 537
 * Ranlo, Gaston 2,191
 * Richburg, Chester 325
 * Richfield, Stanly 515
 * Rockwell, Rowan 1,976
 * Sharon, York 434
 * Smyrna, York 63
 * Spencer, Rowan 3,344
 * Spencer Mountain, Gaston 58
 * Stallings, Union 3,666
 * Stanfield, Stanly 1,113
 * Stanley, Gaston 3,085
 * Tega Cay, York 4,264
 * Troutman, Iredell 1,677
 * Unionville, Union 6,053
 * Waco, Cleveland 329
 * Wadesboro, Anson 5,328
 * Waxhaw, Union 3,046
 * Weddington, Union 7,982
 * Wesley Chapel, Union 3,175
 * Wingate, Union 2,728
 * York, York 7,028

Unincorporated communities
(2000 census figures)


 * Boger City, Lincoln 554
 * Denver, Lincoln 13,030
 * Elgin, Lancaster 2,426
 * Enochville, Rowan 2,851
 * Eureka Mill, Chester 1,737
 * Frog Pond, Stanly, 650
 * Gayle Mill, Chester 1,094
 * India Hook, York 1,614
 * Indian Land, Lancaster [Undetermined]
 * Irwin, Lancaster 1,343
 * JAARS Union 360


 * Lancaster Mill, Lancaster 2,109
 * Lesslie, York 2,268
 * Light Oak, Cleveland 779
 * Lowesville, Lincoln 1,440
 * Newport, York 4,033
 * Riverview, York 708
 * South Gastonia, Gaston 5,433
 * Westport, Lincoln 2,006

Mass transit
The Charlotte Area Transit System, or CATS, is the local public transit agency that operates bus service that serves Charlotte and its immediate suburban communities in both North and South Carolina. CATS also operates a light rail line and is also building a commuter rail network as a supplement to its established bus transit throughout the region. Plans are for it to stretch initially to Mooresville, Pineville, Matthews, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport will be connected to the system by streetcar.

Roads
The Charlotte region is also served by 3 major interstate highways, and their 2 spurs: I-85, I-77, I-40, I-277, and I-485. I-85 and I-77 intersect in North Charlotte, with the transcontinental I-40 passing across the northern portion of the region (linked to Charlotte and Gastonia via I-77 and the US 321 freeway). Other major freeways include Independence Boulevard (east Charlotte to I-277), a portion of US 321 between Hickory and Gastonia, the proposed Garden Parkway loop around Gastonia, and the proposed Monroe Connector and Monroe Bypass, each projected to cost over $1 billion per project.

Other important US highways in the region include: US 74 (east to Wilmington, west to Asheville and Chattanooga), US 52 (through the eastern part of the region), US 321 (through Chester, York, Gastonia, Dallas, Lincolnton and Hickory), US 601 (passing east of Charlotte) and US 70 (through Salisbury, Statesville and Hickory).

Primary state routes include NC/SC 49, NC 16 (which extends north to West Virginia), NC 73, NC 150, NC 18, NC 24, NC 27, SC 9 and SC 5.

Air
Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the 11th busiest in the country. In April 2007, Charlotte was the fastest growing airport in the US. CLT went on to surpass its sister US Airways hub in Philadelphia 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

 * Barber-Scotia College
 * Belmont Abbey College
 * Brookstone College of Business
 * Carolinas College of Health Sciences
 * Catawba College
 * Catawba Valley Community College
 * Charlotte School of Law
 * Central Piedmont Community College
 * Cleveland Community College
 * Clinton Junior College
 * Davidson College
 * Gardner-Webb University
 * Gaston College
 * HMHEC - Hickory Metro Higher Education Center- now known as Appalachian State University Center at Hickory
 * Johnson & Wales University
 * Johnson C. Smith University
 * Kings College


 * Lenoir-Rhyne College now Lenoir-Rhyne University
 * Livingstone College
 * Mitchell Community College
 * N.C. Center for Engineering Technologies-Hickory
 * Pfeiffer University
 * Queens University of Charlotte
 * Rowan Cabarrus Community College
 * Southern Piedmont Community College
 * Stanly Community College
 * University of North Carolina at Charlotte
 * University of South Carolina at Lancaster
 * Wingate University
 * Winthrop University
 * York Tech College

Nature and geography
The foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains begin along the western edge of the region; the descent (the fall line) to the coastal plain begins along the eastern edge. Amid this varied topography, the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden and several state parks (Morrow Mountain, Crowders Mountain, South Mountains, Duke Power, Landsford Canal, Andrew Jackson) 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, Discovery Place, Spirit Square, NASCAR Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, The Mint Museums, the Charlotte Museum Of History, Levine Museum of the New South, and the Wing Haven Gardens. The Betchler Art Museum and Knight Theater in Uptown Charlotte are expanding the art venues in Charlotte.

Other places of interest in the Charlotte suburbs include the Schiele Museum (in Gastonia), Carowinds Theme Park (in Mecklenburg County, NC and York County, SC), Charlotte Motor Speedway (in Concord), the Carolina Raptor Center (in Huntersville), Latta Plantation (in Huntersville), Brattonsville Historic District (in McConnells), the North Carolina Transportation Museum (in Spencer), Fort Dobbs historical site (in Statesville), the Arts & Science Center of Catawba Valley/Millholland Planetarium (in Hickory) the Museum Of York County (in Rock Hill), James K. Polk historical site (in Pineville),, the Catawba Cultural Center (in York County), the Museum Of The Waxhaws (in Waxhaw), Glencairn Gardens (in Rock Hill), and the Reed Gold Mine (in Locust).

Entertainment
The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte 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 (USNWC) 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 400 acre 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
Regional-scale Shopping malls include SouthPark Mall, Northlake Mall, and Overstreet Mall (all in Charlotte), Carolina Place Mall (Pineville), Westfield Shoppingtown Eastridge (Gastonia), Rock Hill Galleria (Rock Hill), Concord Mills (Concord) and Valley Hills Mall (Hickory).

Other important shopping malls in the area include Plaza Fiesta (Fort Mill), Carolina Mall (Concord), Westfield Eastridge (Gastonia), Monroe Mall (Monroe), and Signal Hill Mall (Statesville).

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. As of 2006, the mall is the state's largest tourist attraction, 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 (geographically, south), 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 the Lowes Motor Speedway, there are plenty of other sports venues, including the Knights Castle in Fort Mill (home of the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox), Bank of America Stadium (home of the NFL's Carolina Panthers), and Time Warner Cable Arena (home of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, and the American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers). 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.

Commerce and employment
Among the largest employers in the area (listed in order by number of local employees) are:
 * Wachovia
 * Carolinas Healthcare System
 * Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
 * Bank of America
 * City of Charlotte
 * US Airways
 * Duke Energy
 * Presbyterian Healthcare
 * Lowe's
 * University of North Carolina at Charlotte
 * AT&T
 * Belk
 * Family Dollar
 * Food Lion
 * IBM in University Research Park
 * Advance Auto Parts

Companies with headquarters in the region include Bank of America, Belk, BellSouth Telecommunications, Bojangles', The Compass Group, Carolina Beverage Corporation Inc. (makers of Sun Drop and Cheerwine), Duke Energy, Family Dollar, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Lance, Inc, LendingTree, Lowe's, Meineke Car Care Centers, Muzak, Nucor, Transbotics, Royal & SunAlliance (USA), Time Warner Cable (a business unit of Fortune 500 company Time Warner), and Wachovia.

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 (the 7th largest research park in the country) 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.

People
Entrepreneur Jarrial Astor StokesArtist Romare Bearden, astronauts Charles Duke and Susan Helms, evangelist Billy Graham, musicians Earl Scruggs (Flatt & Scruggs), George Clinton (Parliament, Funkadelic), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit), Prairie Prince (The Tubes, Todd Rundgren, Utopia), Blind Boy Fuller and Randy Travis, independent filmmakers Tim Kirkman (Loggerheads, Dear Jesse) and Ross McElwee (Bright Leaves, Sherman's March), actor Randolph Scott, actress Berlinda Tolbert (she played Jenny on the long-running, classic 70's sitcom "The Jeffersons"), political figures Sue Myrick, Harvey Gantt, Elizabeth Dole and Jesse Helms, U.S. presidents Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, professional wrestling legend Ric Flair, Christian rapper and professional tennis champion Alex Glass and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.

R&B singers Fantasia, Anthony Hamilton and K-Ci & JoJo of Jodeci. Novelist, playwright and screenwriter Carson McCullers was a Charlotte resident while writing her best known works. More recently, 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 (among many others) 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, The Minutemen, D.O.A., Bad Brains, Charlotte's Antiseen, and many others.

Government
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.