Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Flag Seal
Location in the state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location in the U.S.
Founded	November 3, 1762
Seat	Charlotte
Largest city	Charlotte
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	546 sq mi (1,414 km²) 526 sq mi (1,362 km²) 20 sq mi (52 km²), 3.65%
PopulationEst.  - (2011)  - Density	944,373 1,650/sq mi (637/km²)
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.charmeck.nc.us

Mecklenburg County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population of Mecklenburg County is 944,373 people (as of the 2011 census estimate), making it the both the most populated and densely populated county in North Carolina. Its county seat and largest city is Charlotte.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Municipalities 2.2 Cities and towns 2.3 Adjacent counties 3 Transportation infrastructure 3.1 Air 3.2 Intercity rail 3.3 Light rail and mass transit 3.4 Freight 3.5 Major roadways 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Law, government and politics 7 Education and libraries 7.1 School system 7.2 Colleges and universities 7.3 Libraries 8 Sites of interest 8.1 Museums and libraries 8.2 Sports and entertainment 8.3 Music and performing arts venues 8.4 Amusement parks 8.5 Other attractions 9 Notable residents 10 See also 11 References 12 External links

  History

Mecklenburg County was formed in 1762 from the western part of Anson County. It was named in commemoration of the marriage of George III to Queen Charlotte a princess of the German state of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. 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 would become a decades long process. In 1792 the northeastern part of Mecklenburg County became 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 indeed 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.^[1]

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.^[2]

  Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546 square miles (1,415 km²), of which, 526 square miles (1,363 km²) of it is land and 20 square miles (52 km²) of it (3.65%) is water.

  Municipalities

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). A small portion of the town of Stallings is also in Mecklenburg County, though most of it is in Union County. Extraterritorial jurisdictions within the county are annexed by municipalities as soon as they reach sufficient concentrations.

  Cities and towns

• Charlotte
• Cornelius
• Davidson
• Huntersville
• Matthews
• Mint Hill
• Pineville

  Adjacent counties

• Iredell County, North Carolina - north
• Cabarrus County, North Carolina - northeast
• Union County, North Carolina - southeast
• Lancaster County, South Carolina - south
• York County, South Carolina - southwest
• Gaston County, North Carolina - west
• Catawba County, North Carolina - northwest
• Lincoln County, North Carolina - northwest

	Catawba County, Lincoln County	Iredell County	Cabarrus County
	Gaston County
		Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
	York County, South Carolina	Lancaster County, South Carolina	Union County

  Transportation infrastructure

  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.

  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

• Interstate 77
• Interstate 85
• Interstate 277
• Interstate 485
• U.S. Highway 21
• U.S. Highway 29
• U.S. Highway 74
• U.S. Highway 521
• North Carolina Highway 16
• North Carolina Highway 24
• North Carolina Highway 27
• North Carolina Highway 49
• North Carolina Highway 51
• North Carolina Highway 73
• North Carolina Highway 115
• North Carolina Highway 218
• Route 4

  Economy

The major industries of Mecklenburg County are banking, manufacturing, and professional services, especially those supporting banking and medicine. Mecklenburg County is home to seven Fortune 500 companies,^[3] including 9th-ranked Bank of America.

Fortune 500 Companies with headquarters in Mecklenburg County

	Name	Industry	Revenue	Rank
1.	Bank of America	Banking	$119.2 billion	9
2.	Nucor	Metals	$16.6 billion	151
3.	Duke Energy	Utilities	$13.1 billion	204
4.	Sonic Automotive	Automotive Retailing	$8.8 billion	298
5.	Family Dollar	Retail	$6.8 billion	358
6.	Goodrich	Aerospace/Defense	$6.5 billion	375
7.	SPX	Electronics	$5.1 billion	466

An eighth Fortune 500 company, Wachovia, will retain its headquarters in Mecklenburg while its acquisition by Wells Fargo for $15.1 billion in stock is being completed. The Federal Reserve approved the merger on October 12, 2008.^[4]

Mecklenburg County's largest employer is Carolinas Healthcare System, with 26,283 employees, followed closely by Wachovia (20,000) and Bank of America (13,960).^[5]

  Demographics

Historical populations
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. 2011	944,373		2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census 2011 estimate

As of the census^[6] 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

Presidential Election Results 1960-2008^[7]

Year	Democrat	Republican
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, with six district representatives and three representatives elected at-large by the entire county. The current chairman of the Mecklenburg BOCC is Harold Cogdell, Jr..

The residents of Mecklenburg County are provided emergency medical service by MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency.

Mecklenburg County went for Barack Obama in the 2008 United States Presidential Election by 61.8% to John McCain's 37.4%.^[8]

  Education and libraries

  School system

One common school district, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS), serves the entire county.

  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
• 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.

  Sites of interest

  Museums and libraries

• ImaginOn
• Discovery Place
• Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville
• Charlotte Nature Museum
• Carolinas Aviation Museum
• Charlotte Museum of History
• Charlotte Natural History Museum
• Billy Graham Library
• NASCAR Hall of Fame
• Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
• McColl Center for Visual Art
• Mint Museum of Art
• Mint Museum of Modern Art - Opens Fall 2010
• Mint Museum of Craft + Design
• Levine Museum of the New South
• Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
• Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

  Sports and entertainment

• Carolina Panthers
• Charlotte Bobcats
• Charlotte Checkers
• Charlotte Knights
• Charlotte Motor Speedway
• Bank of America Stadium
• Knights Stadium
• American Legion Memorial Stadium

  Music and performing arts venues

• 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

• Carowinds
• Great Wolf Lodge

  Other attractions

• Carolina Place Mall
• Carolina Raptor Center
• Concord Mills Mall in Cabarrus County
• Lake Norman
• Lake Wylie
• Latta Plantation Nature Preserve
• Little Sugar Creek Greenway
• Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center
• Northlake Mall
• Ray's Splash Planet
• SouthPark Mall
• U.S. National Whitewater Center

  Notable residents

• Abraham Alexander (1717–1786), on the commission to establish town of Charlotte, North Carolina, North Carolina state legislator^[9]
• Evan Shelby Alexander, (1767–1809), born in Mecklenburg County, later United States Congressman from North Carolina^[9]
• Nathaniel Alexander, (1756–1808), born in Mecklenburg County, United States Congressman and governor of North Carolina^[9]
• Romare Bearden, 20th century African-American artist^[10]
• Brigadier General William Lee Davidson,(1746–1781), was a North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War.
• Ric Flair, retired professional wrestler
• 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.
• Anthony Hamilton, (born 1971), American R&B/soul singer
• 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.
• Shannon Spake, ESPN NASCAR correspondent

  See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

  References

  External links

• Quickfacts.census.gov
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Government Official Website
• Charlotte Mecklenburg County Guide - Mecklenburg Now
• Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
• Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation

Municipalities and communities of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States County seat: Charlotte City Charlotte Towns Cornelius Davidson‡ Huntersville Matthews Midland‡ Mint Hill‡ Pineville Stallings‡ Weddington‡ Unincorporated communities Caldwell Hopewell Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Charlotte Metropolitan Area Counties Anson Cabarrus Catawba Chester Cleveland Gaston Iredell Lancaster Lincoln Mecklenburg Rowan Stanly Union York Major city Charlotte Cities and towns 20k-99k Concord Gastonia Hickory Huntersville Kannapolis Matthews Monroe Mooresville Rock Hill Salisbury Shelby Statesville Cities and towns 5k-20k Albemarle Belmont Bessemer City Cherryville Chester Conover Cornelius Davidson Fort Mill Indian Trail Kings Mountain Lancaster Lincolnton Mint Hill Mount Holly South Gastonia Unionville Wadesboro Weddington York Footnotes Bold = principal metro cities Italic = places and counties part of CSA

State of North Carolina Raleigh (capital) Topics Climate Culture Economy Education Geography History Music North Carolinians Politics State Parks Wildlife Visitor attractions Regions Cape Fear Coastal Plain Crystal Coast Eastern Foothills High Country Inner Banks Metro Charlotte Outer Banks Piedmont Piedmont Triad Sandhills Triangle Western Larger cities Asheville Cary Charlotte Concord Durham Fayetteville Gastonia Greensboro Greenville Hickory High Point Jacksonville Raleigh Wilmington Winston‑Salem Smaller cities Albemarle Apex Asheboro Burlington Conover Chapel Hill Eden Elizabeth City Goldsboro Graham Havelock Henderson Hendersonville Kannapolis Kings Mountain Kinston Laurinburg Lenoir Lexington Lumberton Monroe Morganton New Bern Newton Reidsville Roanoke Rapids Rocky Mount Salisbury Sanford Shelby Statesville Thomasville Waynesville Wilson Major towns Beaufort Boone Carrboro Clayton Cornelius Dunn Fuquay-Varina Garner Harrisburg Holly Springs Hope Mills Huntersville Indian Trail Kernersville Knightdale Leland Matthews Midland Mint Hill Mooresville Morehead City Morrisville Mount Pleasant Oxford Shallotte Smithfield Southern Pines Tarboro Wake Forest Counties Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey

Coordinates: 35°15′N 80°50′W / 35.25°N 80.83°W / 35.25; -80.83