Charlotte, North Carolina, is the nation's 20thlargest city, located in the Piedmont Region of the Carolinas. Charlotte is 2 hours east of the Appalachian Mountains and only 3 hours from the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean. NYC is 631 miles to the northeast and Atlanta is 256 miles to the southwest.
This inviting atmosphere of Charlotte, where the business life is fast and the home life is easy, continues to attract newcomers. Residential areas have grown from the southern, southeastern and eastern sections of Mecklenburg County to encompass lakes Wylie and Norman and the connecting Catawba River. Many Charlotteans are now enjoying the peaceful views and casual lifestyles of these lake communities. Equally, growth is apparent in the north and northeastern sections of Mecklenburg, as the University of North Carolina and the University Research Park attract newcomers to their many resources.
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HISTORY
About 250 years ago, our Scots-Irish ancestors traveled the Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia. They stopped at the crossroads of two Indian trading paths east of the Catawba River and built a settlement. As friends and neighbors joined them, the community grew to several hundred residents. In 1768, the town was incorporated and named in honor of the wife of King George III, the reigning English monarch. Local citizens also honored Queen Charlotte when they named their new county Mecklenburg after her German homeland. That's why were called the Queen City.
The discovery of a 17-pound gold nugget in 1799 began a proliferation of mines and an influx of prospectors here. A Charlotte branch of the U.S. Mint was established in 1837. The boom was short-lived, however, as "strike-it-richers" and other opportunists followed the call to California a few years later. After gold boom and bust, the cotton industry brought prosperity to the region, and with it came the railroads, followed by the interstate highway system and the airport.
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ENVIRONMENT
TAX INFORMATION
Charlotte Mecklenburg Tax Information
Mecklenburg Tax Information: maps.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
Billing/Payments: mcmf.co.mecklenburg.nc.us:3007/cics/cwba/dfhwbtta/tp00
Mecklenburg County Register of Deeds (through 2005): meckrod.hartic.com/
Mecklenburg County Govt. Website
The ultimate research tool for Mecklenburg County, NC (Property values, property taxes, building permits, restaurant inspections, school assignments, crime mapping, birth/death certificates and more)!
EDUCATION
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) enrolls more than 125,000 students in grades K-12, making it the 25th largest school system nationwide. The county's 150 schools offer students challenging programs and competent educators.
The CMS system has risen to the challenge of the ABCs of public education in order to publicly measure each schools activity. The ABCs are a statewide performance accountability plan for elementary and middle schools. The plan measures school growth from one year to the next based on the overall growth of the statewide system.
For more information on CMS and surrounding schools, go to the SCHOOLS page.
Within the region, twelve public and private senior institutions offer a wide range of baccalaureate degrees and six of them offer graduate opportunities - master and doctoral programs - in a variety of disciplines.
Eight junior colleges, community colleges and technical institutes confer two-year associate degrees. In the North Carolina portion of the Charlotte Metro Region, there are five community colleges which are
part of the state system of community colleges. South Carolina offers business, industry and continuing training through a state system of technical institutes. Institutions offer students a variety of learning environments from large, diverse campuses to small, denominational settings. We are fortunate to have 23 colleges and universities that serve over 70,000 students. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is known to be one of the best education values available. Central Piedmont Community College is one of the top five two-year institutions in the country. Other colleges and universities include Johnson & Wales, Davidson College, Johnson C. Smith University, Pfeiffer University and Queens University.
TRANSPORTATION
Charlotte is served by an excellent state and federal highway network, including major north-south and east-west interstate arteries, and a modern, expanded international airport terminal. In addition, nine major airlines offer direct and nonstop daily flights to over 150 cities. International travelers appreciate the nonstop flights to London. Each year over eleven million passengers board planes at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, ranking it the 17th most active air transportation center in the nation.
The Charlotte region is also the center of the country's largest consolidated rail system. Two major rail systems, Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation, link 27,000 miles of rail between Charlotte and 22 eastern states. Each offers piggy-back facilities combining with more than 300 trucking firms located here.
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RECREATION
Whether you are looking for that rustic lake cabin or the luxurious lake home, you will have your pick in the Charlotte region. The Catawba River, Lake Wylie and Lake Norman provide exciting housing opportunities where you can get away to it all in a short commute from the workplace. Boating, fishing, water sports, golf and tennis can become part of your home life with Lake Wylie, 20 minutes to the south, and Lake Norman, 30 minutes to the north of the center city.
Planned residential communities are liberally situated throughout the area. There is a PGA-sanctioned golf development at Piper Glen, and historic Quail Hollow Country Club is home to the PGA's Wachovia Cup Golf Tournament, attracting the world's best golfers.
THINGS TO DO
Your to do list could include The Living Sea OMNIMAX film at Discovery Place Science Museum; antique sleuthing through the Antique & Collectibles Market at Metrolina Expo; concerts at our outdoor amphitheaters, racing at the Charlotte Motor Speedway; or an outdoor festival, Center CityFest 2000, where you can ring in spring. And don't forget to visit Carowinds Theme Park, a treat for the whole family.
Verizon Pavilion, opened in 1991. This 19,000 seat facility hosts a variety of entertainment including rock concerts, Broadway shows, and classical programs.
If you're a sports fan, there is always great action to catch with the Carolina Panthers NFL Football, the Charlotte Bobcats NBA Basketball, Charlotte Checkers Hockey, the Charlotte Knights Baseball and of course, the College scene with sporting events from local area universities and colleges.
Some of the nations hottest stock car and Indy car racing can be seen at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Over 185,000 die hard fans attend the top three NASCAR Winston Cup events: the Coca-Cola 600, the Winston and the UAW-GM Quality 500. In fact, the Coca-Cola 600 is the third largest single day sporting event in the country. This 1.5 mile super speedway is recognized as the finest NASCAR facility in the US, and is ranked highly among the finest motor racing tracks in the world.
For more information on things to do in and around Charlotte, click on any of the links below
The Blue Ridge Parkway is less than a two-hour drive away. The North Carolina mountains are also home to several ski areas which offer fun and challenging slopes. If you are looking to experience warm hospitality in a lush, green environment, the neighboring Virginia mountains offer many exceptional resorts.