Concord, North Carolina

Concord (kon-kord) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. According to the North Carolina State Demographer's Office, Concord is the twelfth largest city in North Carolina. The city was also a winner of the All-America City Award in 2004. Located near the center of Cabarrus County, it is twenty miles (32 km) northeast of Uptown Charlotte.

Geography
Concord is located at °N, °W (35.404340, -80.600474).

The city is located in the piedmont area of North Carolina which is characterized by rolling hills and forest. Land left unattended will typically return to native forest land within a few years. The climate can be described as cool winter seasons with hot, humid summer seasons. The average temperature in the winter is 41 degrees F, and the average daily low temperature is 30 degrees. In summer the average temperature is 77 degrees F, and the average daily high temperature is 88 degrees F. It is not unusual for summer daytime temperatures to reach in the mid to upper 90s and occasionally exceed 100 degrees F.  It is typical for winter temperatures to fall into the teens at night, but temperatures generally warm to above freezing during the day. Summer months are characterized as having cool to warm nights with very warm to hot temperatures during the day. The area receives a generous amount of rainfall of 43.8 inches per year, with February and April being the two driest months. Rainfall in the winter is lighter but more frequent, whereas rainfall in the summer is heavier but less frequent. Thunderstorms, both light and strong, are common in the spring and summer months. The sun shines 70 percent of the time in summer and 55 percent in winter. The prevailing wind is from the southwest, with the average highest windspeed of 9 miles per hour in spring. The City has a total area of 60 square miles (400.6 km²), of which, 0.02% is water. The elevation at the center of downtown is 706 ft above sea level.

Concord is located northeast of Charlotte (the largest city in North Carolina). Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area. It is positioned about half-way between Charlotte and Salisbury. There are several other smaller cities and towns close to Concord, including Kannapolis, China Grove, Landis, Mt. Pleasant, Harrisburg, Midland, and Locust.

Government
Concord has a council-manager form of government. The Mayor and city council are elected every two years, with no term limits. As a single body, the City Council holds most of the power in the city government. For example, they have the power to pass ordinances, make resolutions, adopt plans, and establish the budget for the city. The mayor is ex officio chairman of the city council, and only votes in case of a tie. In addition to leadership roles, the mayor represents the city at special events and public appearances. The council appoints a professional city manager to manage and implement the decisions of the city council. In general, the municipal government structure consist of the mayor, seven city council members, and the appointed city manager. The current mayor of Concord is J. Scott Padgett, and the current city manager is W. Brian Hiatt. Padgett was first elected as mayor in 2001 and has been re-elected since. Hiatt has served as Concord's City Manager since 1998.

The Concord city government offers a variety of services to its citizens. Six are required by North Carolina General Statute - fire, police , solid waste, street maintenance, water, and wastewater. Additional services that the city offers are electrical distribution, parks and recreation, stormwater system, transportation (streets maintenance & planning), economic development, planning & zoning, community development programs, environmental protection, a transit system, and operation of a regional airport. The operating budget for fiscal year 2011 totaled $195,146,632. The government generates its revenue from sources such as real property tax, sales tax distributions from the State, water & wastewater service fees, electrical utility fees, business privilege licenses, federal or state grants, investments, and other fees (such as parks & recreation, aviation, zoning, etc.). The revenues are distributed back to the community in the form of services.

History
Concord, North Carolina, located in the rapidly growing northeast quadrant of the Charlotte metro area, was first settled in 1750. The name “Concord” means "with harmony". By United States standards, Concord is considered an old town, incorporated in 1806. Today, markers identifying the original town limits can be seen in the downtown area.

Concord boasts a comprehensive collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth century historic homes along the streets of Union St North, Union St South, and Edgewood Ave. Residents of the three Historic Districts (North Union, South Union, and Edgewood) take great pride in maintaining the historical and architectural greatness of their homes. Within the North Union Historic District is Memorial Garden. Located on 3 acre, the garden winds through the 200-year-old cemetery of The First Presbyterian Church. Memorial Garden is a horticultural jewel and a tourist attraction in itself. The historic districts and Memorial Garden are all within easy walking distance of historic and vibrant downtown Concord, with numerous restaurants, banks, shops and personal services.

From the time of incorporation in the late 1700s through the 1970s, Concord's jurisdiction was centered around the downtown area. Since then, most annexations have taken place west of the center-city area towards Charlotte. Today, portions of the city limit boundary adjoin the Cabarrus/Mecklenburg County line.

Neighborhoods and Recreation
In 2000, Concord's city council implemented the "Partnerships for Stronger Neighborhoods" program. This program is designed to enhance the lives of residents in the neighborhoods in the city, increasing the quality of both life and events for those calling Concord home. As part of the program, some city staff members have volunteered to be appointed as liaisons to work directly with neighborhoods that participate in the program. Through this effort, strong communication is established between city government and its citizens. There are currently 45 neighborhoods participating in the program, which contributes to making Concord one of the most sought-after communities for homebuyers in the regional real estate market. Choices are diverse, offering modest homes to multi-million dollar estates.

The City of Concord provides its neighborhoods with three recreational centers, eight parks, four sport complexes, an aquatics center featuring open swimming and swim lessons, beautiful Lake Fisher, with 3 mi of lakefront and 534 acre providing for a leisurely boating and fishing, greenways and bike paths. There is also the championship 18-hole Rocky River Golf Club (a Dan Maples design) owned and operated by the City and managed by a contracted company.

Private recreational opportunities are available, including the West Cabarrus YMCA and the Sportscenter. The West Cabarrus YMCA opened in fall 2003. The Sportscenter is a privately-owned athletic and recreational facility.

Economy
Concord has a diverse economy comprising shipping and transportation, banking, manufacturing, motorsports, and various service sectors.

Employers
Concord has many small businesses but also has several large employers such as Carolinas Medical Center, Cabarrus County Schools, Connextions, Roush Fenway Racing, Sysco Foods, and S&D Coffee.

Motorsports
Concord is the home to Charlotte Motor Speedway, a NASCAR Research and Development Office, and several professional race teams, including Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports, and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. The speedway opened in 1959 by owner Bruton Smith, who is a native of Oakboro, NC. Smith's company, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. owns Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the company also owns and operates a dragstrip and dirt track facility adjacent to the speedway. Concord is also home to Windshear, Inc., a firm that owns a state-of-the-art wind tunnel facility used to test the aerodynamics of vehicles (mostly motorsports vehicles).

Commerce
Shopping is ample in the charming downtown, with merchants offering antiques, fine collectibles, and arts and crafts. Concord is also home to the large retail venues of Carolina Mall and Concord Mills, just minutes away from Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Highways

 * [[Image:I-85.svg|25px]] Interstate 85 links Concord directly to Greensboro, Durham, and Petersburg/Richmond (to the north) and Charlotte, Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta and Montgomery (to the south). Interstate 485 is located southeast of Concord and provides access to the Charlotte area.  US Hwy 29 and US Hwy 601 travel through Concord heading to other parts of the Carolinas.

Bus
The City of Concord has a local bus system, known as CKRider, that provides service to Concord and Kannapolis. The system also links to Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) via an express service as well as at regular service connection points. Greyhound also serves the area.

Rail
There is one railroad line that runs through Concord. It is owned by The North Carolina Railroad Company. There are several industrial facilities served by this railroad line. There are no passenger stations located in Concord, but Amtrak has stations located in the adjacent cities of Kannapolis and Charlotte.

Air
Concord Regional Airport (JQF) is a general aviation airport publicly owned and operated by the City of Concord. It is designated as a reliever facility for Charlotte-Douglas Internation Airport (CLT). The Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) provides Concord with a major domestic/international gateway. Concord Regional Airport aviation activity consist of charter aircraft, limited commercial flights, flight schools, and private aircraft. The types of aircraft using the facility range from Cessna 150, to Beech Bonanza, to Grumman Gulfstream IV, to Boeing 737-300.

Census 2010
According to the 2010 Census, Concord's population is 79,066. Of those persons claiming to be of one race, the racial breakdown is 70.4% white, 17.8% black or African American, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% native American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 6.4% of other races. Persons of two or more races is 2.3%. Persons belonging to the Hispanic or Latino race are 12.3%. There are 32,130 housing units in Concord. Of those housing units, 90.7% are occupied, and 9.3% are vacant. Additional detailed and summary data from the Census 2010 is not yet available.

Census 2000
The census of 2000 determined there were 55,977 people, 20,962 households, and 14,987 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,085.3 people per square mile (419.0/km²). There were 22,485 housing units at an average density of 435.9 per square mile (168.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.83% White, 15.10% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.35% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.80% of the population.

In 2000, there were 20,962 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.

In 2000, the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

Also in 2000, the median income for a household in the city was $46,094, and the median income for a family was $53,571. Males had a median income of $37,030 versus $26,044 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,523. About 5.8% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Educational opportunities include public and private schools in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Publicly, the area in Concord is served by the Cabarrus County Schools system. There are 12 elementary schools in Concord, along with 4 middle schools, and 5 high schools. For higher education, residents may choose from Rowan–Cabarrus Community College, Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, Barber-Scotia College, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte located a few miles southwest of Concord.

Private elementary & secondary schools in Concord:
 * Cannon School
 * First Assembly Christian School of Concord, NC
 * Covenant Classical School

Religion
The earliest settlers were mainly German Lutherans, German Reformed and Scotch or Scotch Irish Presbyterians who began settling in Cabarrus County in the 1750s. In 1773 the Zion (Organ) Church community and the St. Johns Church community of about sixty families commissioned two men, Christopher Rintelmann from Zion Church and Christopher Lyerly from St. Johns Church to travel to London to seek permission from King George III to acquire a preacher (and a schoolteacher) from Hanover, Germany. Adolphus Nussmann was chosen by the Consistory of Hanover to answer the call from North Carolina and became the first Lutheran preacher in North Carolina, serving five churches from Salisbury to Concord, and subsequently planted twenty congregations and five schools in the greater Concord, Cabarrus, and Rowan County areas.

Today there is wide religious diversity, as well as strong overall religious affiliation rates. Over 63% of area residents are affiliated with a local religious body according to the 2000 Religion Report. Concord is home to many churches, and a Jewish congregation, Temple Or Olam.

Local Attractions

 * Cabarrus Arena & Events Center
 * Carolina Mall
 * Concord Mills Mall
 * Concord Speedway (in Midland town limits)
 * Great Wolf Lodge
 * Charlotte Motor Speedway
 * zMax Dragway

Sister city

 * 🇮🇪 Killarney, Ireland

Notable residents

 * The Avett Brothers (Scott and Seth Avett, bluegrass-rock musicians)
 * Carol Barbee (Television and movie actor, writer, and producer; now lives in Los Angeles)
 * Warren C. Coleman (first African-American mill owner in United States, died 1904)
 * Harvey Fuqua (original member of the (Detroit) Spinners music group, died July 2010)
 * Jody Hill (Film director, screen writer, producer, actor)
 * Nikita Koloff (retired WCW professional wrestler)
 * Mike Morton (retired NFL linebacker)
 * Israel Pickens (third governor of the state of Alabama and North Carolina Congressman, died 1827)
 * Robert D. Raiford (radio personality John Boy and Billy big show)
 * Silda Wall Spitzer (First Lady of New York from January 2007 until March 2008)
 * Daniel Truhitte (Actor, played Rolfe from the Sound of Music)
 * Skeet Ulrich (Actor; born in Lynchburg, Virginia; raised in Concord; now lives in Los Angeles)
 * Crissy Wallace (former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver)
 * Mike Wallace (NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver)

Other Wikipedia Links

 * Charlotte metropolitan area
 * Concord Regional Airport
 * I-85 Corridor
 * Charlotte, North Carolina