Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
| Mecklenburg County, North Carolina | |||
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 Location in the U.S. state of North Carolina |
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 North Carolina's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | November 6, 1762 | ||
| Named for | Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | ||
| Seat | Charlotte | ||
| Largest city | Charlotte | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 546 sq mi (1,414 km2) | ||
| • Land | 524 sq mi (1,357 km2) | ||
| • Water | 22 sq mi (57 km2), 4.0% | ||
| Population (est.) | |||
| • (2014) | 1,012,539 | ||
| • Density | 1,932.3/sq mi (746/km²) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Mecklenburger | ||
| Congressional districts | 8th, 9th, 12th | ||
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | ||
| Website | www |
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Mecklenburg County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,628, which increased to 1,012,539 as of the 2014 estimate,[1] making it both the most populated and densely populated county in North Carolina. Its county seat and largest city is Charlotte.[2]
Mecklenburg County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
On September 12, 2013, the county welcomed its one millionth resident.[3]
Contents
History
Mecklenburg County was formed in 1762 from the western part of Anson County. It was named in commemoration of the marriage of King George III to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,[4] for whom the county seat Charlotte is named. Due to unsure boundaries, a large part of south and western Mecklenburg County extended into areas that would later form part of the state of South Carolina. In 1768, most of this area (the part of Mecklenburg County west of the Catawba River) was designated Tryon County, North Carolina. Determining the final boundaries of these "western" areas between North and South Carolina was a decades-long process. In 1792 the northeastern part of Mecklenburg County was taken for Cabarrus County. Finally, in 1842 the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County was combined with the western part of Anson County to become Union County.
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was allegedly signed on May 20, 1775; if the document is genuine, Mecklenburg County was the first part of the Thirteen Colonies to declare independence from Great Britain.
From 1945 to 1972, Mecklenburg county sterilized 403 people, far more than any other county in North Carolina, in an experiment in genetic engineering called eugenics.[5]
In 1971, Mecklenburg County was the site of an important case in the American civil rights movement with Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education.[6]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 square miles (1,410 km2), of which 524 square miles (1,360 km2) is land and 22 square miles (57 km2) (4.0%) is water.[7]
Adjacent counties
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- Iredell County - north
- Cabarrus County - northeast
- Union County - southeast
- Lancaster County, South Carolina - south
- York County, South Carolina - southwest
- Gaston County - west
- Catawba County - northwest
- Lincoln County - northwest
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 11,395 | — | |
| 1800 | 10,439 | −8.4% | |
| 1810 | 14,272 | 36.7% | |
| 1820 | 16,895 | 18.4% | |
| 1830 | 20,073 | 18.8% | |
| 1840 | 18,273 | −9.0% | |
| 1850 | 13,914 | −23.9% | |
| 1860 | 17,374 | 24.9% | |
| 1870 | 24,299 | 39.9% | |
| 1880 | 34,175 | 40.6% | |
| 1890 | 42,673 | 24.9% | |
| 1900 | 55,268 | 29.5% | |
| 1910 | 67,031 | 21.3% | |
| 1920 | 80,695 | 20.4% | |
| 1930 | 127,971 | 58.6% | |
| 1940 | 151,826 | 18.6% | |
| 1950 | 197,052 | 29.8% | |
| 1960 | 272,111 | 38.1% | |
| 1970 | 354,656 | 30.3% | |
| 1980 | 404,270 | 14.0% | |
| 1990 | 511,433 | 26.5% | |
| 2000 | 695,454 | 36.0% | |
| 2010 | 919,628 | 32.2% | |
| Est. 2014 | 1,012,539 | [8] | 10.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2013[1] |
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As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 695,454 people, 273,416 households, and 174,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,322 people per square mile (510/km²). There were 292,780 housing units at an average density of 556 per square mile (215/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 64.02% White, 27.87% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 3.15% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.01% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 6.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race .
There were 273,416 households out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.00% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.10% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 36.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,579, and the median income for a family was $60,608. Males had a median income of $40,934 versus $30,100 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,352. About 6.60% of families and 9.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
Law, government and politics
| Year | Democratic | Republican |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 60.7% 272,262 | 38.2% 171,668 |
| 2008 | 61.8% 253,958 | 37.4% 153,848 |
| 2004 | 51.6% 166,828 | 48.0% 155,084 |
| 2000 | 48.2%126,911 | 51.0% 134,068 |
| 1996 | 48.6% 103,429 | 45.9% 97,719 |
| 1992 | 42.5% 97.065 | 43.6% 99,496 |
| 1988 | 40.2% 71,907 | 59.4% 106,236 |
| 1984 | 37.1% 63,190 | 62.7% 106,754 |
| 1980 | 46.8% 66.995 | 47.8% 68,384 |
| 1976 | 50.4% 63,198 | 49.2% 61,715 |
| 1972 | 29.8% 33,730 | 68.5% 77,546 |
| 1968 | 28.9% 31,102 | 52.4% 56,325 |
| 1964 | 51.6% 49,582 | 48.4% 46,589 |
| 1960 | 44.9% 39,362 | 55.1% 48,250 |
Mecklenburg County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments.
The County has two governing bodies: the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. Both are nine-member boards. Each elects six district representatives and three at-large representatives elected by the entire county.
The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners consists of nine (9) members. 3 are elected at-large (County wide) and 6 are elected from Districts. Each District has a population of approximately 165,000 individuals. All seats are partisan and are for 2-year terms (elections occur in even years). The current chairman of the Mecklenburg BOCC is Trevor Fuller (D, At-large). The Current Vice-Chair is Dumont Clarke (D, District 4).
The nine (9) members of the Board of County Commissioners are:
Trevor Fuller (D, At-Large - Chairman) Pat Cotham (D, At-Large), Ella Scarborough (D, At-Large), Jim Puckett (R, District 1), Vilma leake (D, District 2), George Dunlap (D, District 3), Dumont Clarke (D, District 4 - Vice-Chairman), Matthew Ridenhour (R, District 5), and Bill James (R, District 6).
The current Chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School board is Mary T. McCray (At-Large). The Vice Chair is Timothy S. Morgan (At-Large). The members of the Board of Education are: Rhonda Lennon (District 1), Thelma Byers-Bailey (District 2), Joyce Davis Waddell (District 3), Tom Tate (District 4), Eric C. Davis (District 5), Paul Bailey (District 6), and Ericka Ellis-Stewart (At-Large). The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School board is non-partisan, and staggered elections are held every two years (in odd years).
The residents of Mecklenburg County are provided emergency medical service by MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency.
Mecklenburg County voted for Obama/Biden in the 2012 United States presidential election by 60.65% to Romney/Ryan 38.24%.[15]
Economy
The major industries of Mecklenburg County are banking, manufacturing, and professional services, especially those supporting banking and medicine. Mecklenburg County is home to six Fortune 500 companies,[16] including 21st-ranked Bank of America.
Fortune 500 Companies with headquarters in Mecklenburg County
| Name | Industry | Revenue | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bank of America | Banking | $100.1 billion | 21[17] |
| 2. | Duke Energy | Utilities | $19.6 billion | 145[18] |
| 3. | Nucor | Metals | $19.4 billion | 146[19] |
| 4. | Family Dollar | Retail | $9.3 billion | 287[20] |
| 5. | Sonic Automotive | Automotive Retailing | $8.5 billion | 307[21] |
| 6. | SPX | Electronics | $5.9 billion | 431[22] |
Wachovia, a former Fortune 500 Company had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by Wells Fargo for $15.1 billion. Wells Fargo maintains the majority of the former company's operations in Charlotte. The Federal Reserve approved the merger on October 12, 2008.[23]
Goodrich Corporation, a former Fortune 500 Company had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by United Technologies Corporation for $18.4 billion. Charlotte is now the headquarters for UTC Aerospace Systems.[24]
Mecklenburg County's largest employer is Carolinas Healthcare System, with 26,283 employees, followed closely by Wells Fargo (20,000) and Bank of America (13,960).[25]
Education
School system
One common school district, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), serves the entire county; however, the State of North Carolina has a number of Charter Schools in Mecklenburg County (independently operated schools financed with tax dollars).
Colleges and universities
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- Charlotte School of Law
- Davidson College
- King's College
- Queens University of Charlotte
- Central Piedmont Community College
- Johnson & Wales University
- Johnson C. Smith University
- The Art Institute of Charlotte
Libraries
The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County serves residents of Mecklenburg County. Library cards from any branch can be used at all 20 locations. The library has an extensive collection (over 1.5 million items) of reference and popular materials including DVDs, Books on CD, best sellers, downloadable media, and books.
The Billy Graham Library contains the papers and memorabilia related to the career of the well-known 20th century evangelist, Billy Graham.
Transportation
Air
The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.
Intercity rail
With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta and the large volumes of freight moving in and out of the county via truck.
Mecklenburg County is served daily by three Amtrak routes.
The Crescent train connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlottesville, and Greensboro to the north, and Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans to the south.
The Carolinian train connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro.
The Piedmont train connects Charlotte with Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro.
The Amtrak station is located at 1914 North Tryon Street.
A new centralized multimodial train station, Gateway Station, has been planned. It is expected to house the future LYNX Purple Line, the new Greyhound bus station, and the Crescent line that passes through Uptown Charlotte.
Mecklenburg County is also the proposed southern terminus for the initial segment of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor operating between Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Currently in conceptual design, the SEHSR would eventually run from Washington, D.C. to Macon, Georgia.
Light rail and mass transit
Light rail service in Mecklenburg County is provided by LYNX Rapid Transit Services. Currently a 9.6-mile (15.4 km) line running from Uptown to Pineville, build-out is expected to be complete by 2034.
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus service serves all of Mecklenburg County, including Charlotte, and the municipalities of Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews, Pineville, and Mint Hill.
The vintage Charlotte Trolley also operates in partnership with CATS. On July 14, 2015, the Goldrush Streetcar, became operable in Uptown once again after several decades of departure. The line currently runs from Trade Street, near Charlotte Transportation and Convention Center to Elizabeth Avenue. In addition to several restaurants, this line also services Central Piedmont Community College and Novant Health Presbyterian Hospital. The city is currently in the process of applying for a $50,000,000 Federal Transportation Grant, which will achieve an expansion servicing John C. Smith University to the West and East along Central Avenue.
Freight
Mecklenburg's manufacturing base, its central location on the Eastern Seaboard and the intersection of two major interstates in the county have made it a hub for the trucking industry.
Major roadways
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Arts and culture
Museums and libraries
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- Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
- Billy Graham Library
- Carolinas Aviation Museum
- Charlotte Museum of History
- Charlotte Nature Museum
- Discovery Place
- Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville
- Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
- ImaginOn
- Levine Museum of the New South
- McColl Center for Visual Art
- Mint Museum Randolph
- Mint Museum UPTOWN
- NASCAR Hall of Fame
- Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
Sports and entertainment
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Music and performing arts venues
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- Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte
- Bojangles' Coliseum
- Carolina Actors Studio Theatre
- ImaginOn
- Knight Theater
- The Neighborhood Theatre in NoDa
- North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
- Ovens Auditorium
- Spirit Square
- Theatre Charlotte
- Time Warner Cable Arena
- Uptown Amphitheatre At the NC Music Factory
- Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte
Amusement parks
Other attractions
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Communities
Mecklenburg County contains seven municipalities including the City of Charlotte and the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville (north of Charlotte); and the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville (south and southeast of Charlotte). Small portions of Stallings and Weddington are also in Mecklenburg County, though most of those towns are in Union County. Extraterritorial jurisdictions within the county are annexed by municipalities as soon as they reach sufficient concentrations.
City
- Charlotte (county seat)
Towns
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Unincorporated communities
Townships
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- Berryhill
- Charlotte
- Clear Creek
- Crab Orchard
- Deweese
- Huntersville
- Lemley
- Long Creek
- Mallard Creek
- Morning Star
- Paw Creek
- Pineville
- Providence
- Sharon (extinct)
- Steele Creek
Notable people
- Abraham Alexander (1717–1786), on the commission to establish town of Charlotte, North Carolina, North Carolina state legislator[26]
- Evan Shelby Alexander, (1767–1809), born in Mecklenburg County, later United States Congressman from North Carolina[26]
- Nathaniel Alexander, (1756–1808), born in Mecklenburg County, United States Congressman and governor of North Carolina[26]
- Daniel Harvey Hill, (1821-1889), Confederate General during the American Civil War and a Southern scholar.
- Romare Bearden, 20th century African-American artist[27]
- Brigadier General William Lee Davidson,(1746–1781), was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.
- Ric Flair, retired professional wrestler
- Anthony Foxx (born 1971), United States Secretary of Transportation since 2013, former mayor of Charlotte.
- Billy Graham, (born 1918), world-famous evangelist who has led religious revivals in many nations around the world. He has also served as a spiritual advisor to many U.S. Presidents.
- Eliza Ann Grier (1864–1902), born in Mecklenburg County, first African-American female physician in Georgia
- Anthony Hamilton, (born 1971), American R&B/soul singer
- Gen. Robert Irwin (North Carolina State Senator) (1738-1800), a distinguished commander of Patriot (American Revolution) militia forces, who is said to have been a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
- Pat McCrory (born 1956), Governor of North Carolina since 2012, former seven-term mayor of Charlotte.
- James K. Polk, (1795–1849), 11th President of the United States. Polk was born in Mecklenburg County in 1795; his family moved to Tennessee when he was an adolescent.
- Colonel William Polk (9 July 1758 – 14 January 1834) banker, educational administrator, political leader, renowned Continental officer in the War for American Independence, and survivor of the 1777/1778 encampment at Valley Forge.
- Shannon Spake, ESPN NASCAR correspondent
See also
References
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- ↑ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/09/12/4309237/1-millionand-counting.html#.U3-DdMb41g0
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- ↑ Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections. Uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
- ↑ http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NC/Mecklenburg/42983/113980/Web01/en/summary.html
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Bank of America Corp. - Fortune 500 2013 - Fortune. Money.cnn.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
- ↑ Duke Energy - Fortune 500 2013 - Fortune. Money.cnn.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
- ↑ Nucor - Fortune 500 2013 - Fortune. Money.cnn.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
- ↑ Family Dollar Stores - Fortune 500 2013 - Fortune. Money.cnn.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
- ↑ Sonic Automotive - Fortune 500 2013 - Fortune. Money.cnn.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
- ↑ SPX - Fortune 500 2013 - Fortune. Money.cnn.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-25.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ United Technologies completes Goodrich acquisition
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Beardenfoundation.org
External links
Geographic data related to Mecklenburg County, North Carolina at OpenStreetMap- Quickfacts.census.gov
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Government Official Website
- Mecklenburg County homepage
- NCGenWeb Mecklenburg County - free genealogy resources for the county
- Charlotte Mecklenburg County Guide - Mecklenburg Now
- Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
- Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
- Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation
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Catawba County, Lincoln County | Iredell County | Cabarrus County | |
| Gaston County |  |
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| York County, South Carolina | Lancaster County, South Carolina | Union County |
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Municipalities and communities of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
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| Unincorporated communities |
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| Footnotes |
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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