Charlotte enjoys a high quality of life with temperate weather, a wide variety of outdoor recreational activities, excellent schools, numerous opportunities for continuing education, the best available health care, a low unemployment rate, diverse culinary offerings, fantastic shopping, arts and cultural events, professional sports, and more. What people don't know is that Charlotte has a rich history dating back to the mid-1700s.

Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the 20th largest city in the United States. Nicknamed the Queen City, Charlotte was named in honor of the German Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, also known as Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg when she became queen consort of King George III.

Here are a few more interesting facts about the Queen City.

World-renowned evangelist Billy Graham is a Charlotte native. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association moved its headquarters to Charlotte in 2001 after being in Minneapolis for more than 50 years.

Before Charles Kuralt went “On the Road” for CBS, he was a reporter for The Charlotte News. Raised in Charlotte, Kuralt was a graduate of Charlotte’s old Central High School.

Movie star Randolph Scott spent his childhood in Fourth Ward and lived on Dilworth Road for a short time during the 1920s before heading to Hollywood. He appeared in 150 films.

The Dairy Queen on Wilkinson Boulevard, a designated historic site, displays the only Dairy Queen Eskimo still in use in the country.
 

James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States, was born on Nov. 2, 1795, just 12 miles south of Charlotte’s center city. You can still visit his log cabin near Pineville.

Carson McCullers wrote the opening chapters of her first novel, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, while residing in a boardinghouse on East Boulevard in 1937.

For you detail people, Charlotte is located in Mecklenburg County, N.C., at 35 degrees, 13 minutes, 44 seconds north latitude and 80 degrees, 50 minutes, 45 seconds west longitude, at 749 feet above sea level.

Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, was born in the Waxhaws, just southeast of Charlotte on the N.C./S.C. border, on March 15, 1767. Both states wage a friendly feud over Jackson’s exact birthplace.

The Hezekiah Alexander home was completed in 1774. The 2.5-story stone plantation house is the county’s oldest home and now is part of the Charlotte Museum of History campus in east Charlotte.
 

Some local historians claim that Mecklenburgers signed their own Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence (the “Meck Dec”) on May 20, 1775, declaring their independence from British rule a year before the national Declaration of Independence. The document reportedly vanished in 1800 when fire destroyed the plantation home of its keeper. Whether the Meck Dec actually existed has generated much debate over the years.

Charlotte’s first foray into auto racing took place on October 24, 1924, when the first Charlotte Speedway opened on the town’s south side. The wooden track hosted a 250-mile race on October 24, 1924, and drew nearly 50,000 spectators.
 

During the Revolutionary War, a British force led by General Cornwallis held Charlotte for two and a half weeks, deciding to leave after enduring annoying attacks by locals. Cornwallis called Charlotte a “veritable nest of hornets," and the description stuck. The county seal, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police insignia and various other things around town incorporate a hornets’ nest.

 

History & Population

Once known as Charlottetowne, Charlotte, North Carolina was renamed in 1762 to honor Charlotte Sophia, a British queen born in Mecklenburg, Germany. It’s no coincidence that the city is located in Mecklenburg County.

Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina and the 17th largest city in the United States based on population, which as of the 2012 census was 775,202. If you include the surrounding metro areas, the population increases to 2.3 million and ranks as the 23rd largest metro area in the nation.

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Cost of Living

According to payscale.com, the cost of living in Charlotte, NC is 9% lower than the national average. Combined with low crime rates and ample employment opportunities, Charlotte could be considered one of America’s most livable cities. Charlotte also has one of the most affordable housing markets in the country at 23% below the national average making Charlotte the perfect city to build your dream home in.
 

Industry

Charlotte is well known for its major contributions to the U.S. financial markets. In fact, it is the second largest major banking city in the country with New York City, NY taking the lead. Bank of America is headquartered in Charlotte, and the East Coast operations of Wells Fargo, formerly Wachovia, can also be found here. However, banking isn’t Charlotte’s only business. 10 Fortune 500 companies are either headquartered here or have corporate operations in the Charlotte area including: Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Lowes, Family Dollar, and Chiquita Brands International among others.
 

Major Sports

Charlotte also hosts a number of major players in the world of professional sports. The Carolina Panthers, a member of the National Football League and the 2013 NFC South Champions, and the Charlotte Bobcats, a member of the National Basketball Association, both call Charlotte home. Charlotte also plays host to the NASCAR Hall of Fame museum. Speaking of NASCAR, nearly 75% of NASCAR industry employees are located nearby. If you’re a race fan, Charlotte is the city for you.
 

Weather

Charlotte’s weather is considered to be a humid, subtropical climate. Residents experience all four seasons throughout the year. Winters typically are short and cool. The last white Christmas occurred in 2010, but before that it was 1974. Summers tend to be hot and humid. Autumn is normally drier than spring.

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Recreation

With over 17,600 acres of parkland and plenty of additional attractions, Charlotte is the perfect city for those who love to play. Spend a day or the entire season at Carowinds Amusement Park featuring the Drop Tower and Carolina Cobra thrill rides as well as Boomerang Bay Water Park. For the more adventurous, the U.S. National Whitewater Center boasts a 400-acre facility that features whitewater rafting, flat-water activities, treetop canopy tours, and a race series.

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We love our great city, and know you will, too. Contact Madison Homebuilders if you want to learn more about building a custom home on your lot in Charlotte, North Carolina. We’d love to work with you to help you build your dream home!

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