Charlotte

Sister cities

• Baoding
• Limoges
• Manaus
• Voronezh
• Krefeld
• Wrocław
• Hadera
• Kumasi
• Arequipa

History

The Catawba Indians are the earliest known inhabitants of the Charlotte area. They were first encountered in the region in 1567 by the Spanish Conquistador Juan Pardo. The area that is now Charlotte was first settled by European colonists around 1755 when Thomas Spratt and his family settled near what is now the Elizabeth neighborhood. Thomas Polk (great-uncle of President James K. Polk), who later married Thomas Spratt's daughter, built his house by the intersection of two Native American trading paths between the Yadkin and Catawba rivers. One path ran north–south and was part of the Great Wagon Road; the second path ran east–west along what is now Trade Street. By 1759, half the Catawba tribe had died from smallpox, an endemic disease among European colonists, against which the Catawba had no natural immunity. At its peak, the Catawba population was 10,000. But by 1826, the Catawba population dropped to 110. The city of Charlotte was developed first by a wave of migration of Scots-Irish Presbyterians, or Ulster-Scot settlers from Ulster, who dominated the culture of the Southern Piedmont Region and made up the principal founding population in the backcountry. German immigrants also settled in the area before the American Revolutionary War, but in smaller numbers. They still contributed greatly to the early foundations of the region. Mecklenburg County was initially part of Bath County (1696 to 1729) of the New Hanover Precinct, which became New Hanover County in 1729. The western portion of New Hanover split into Bladen County in 1734, and its western portion split into Anson County in 1750. Mecklenburg County was formed from Anson County in 1762. Further apportionment was made in 1792, after the American Revolutionary War, with Cabarrus County formed from…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.63%) is water. Uptown Charlotte sits atop a long rise between two creeks, Sugar Creek and Irwin Creek, and was built on the gunnies of the St. Catherine's and Rudisill gold mines. Charlotte is southwest of Concord; northeast of Rock Hill, South Carolina; southwest of Greensboro; west of Fayetteville; and southwest of Raleigh, the state capital. Though the Catawba River and its lakes lie several miles west, there are no significant bodies of water or other geological features near the city center. Consequently, development has neither been constrained nor helped by waterways or ports that have contributed to many cities of similar size. The lack of these obstructions has contributed to Charlotte's growth as a highway, rail, and air transportation hub. Charlotte has 199 neighborhoods radiating in all directions from Uptown. Biddleville, the primary historic center of Charlotte's African American community, is west of Uptown, starting at the Johnson C. Smith University campus and extending to the airport. East of The Plaza and north of Central Avenue, Plaza Midwood is known for its international population, including Eastern Europeans, Greeks, Middle-Easterners, and Hispanics. North Tryon and the Sugar Creek area include several Asian American communities. NoDa (North Davidson), north of Uptown, is an emerging center for arts and entertainment. Myers Park, Dilworth, and Eastover are home to some of Charlotte's most affluent, oldest and largest houses, on tree-lined boulevards, with Freedom Park nearby. The SouthPark area offers shopping, dining, and multifamily housing. Far South Boulevard is home to a large Hispanic community. Many students, researchers, and…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  31,408
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  25,855
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  20,532
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  20,160
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  20,044
• Eastern Bluebird

  Sialia sialis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  18,916
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  18,109
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  17,726

Largest nearby schools

• Myers Park High School
  High · Charlotte · 3,593 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• South Mecklenburg High School
  High · Charlotte · 3,344 students · 19.7:1 ratio
• East Mecklenburg High School
  High · Charlotte · 2,409 students · 19.6:1 ratio
• Julius L. Chambers High School
  High · Charlotte · 2,224 students · 20.8:1 ratio
• Providence High School
  High · Charlotte · 2,048 students · 22:1 ratio
• Independence High School
  High · Charlotte · 2,022 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• Butler High School
  High · Matthews · 1,876 students · 18.9:1 ratio
• Olympic High School
  High · Charlotte · 1,729 students · 19.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.58 — 2015-11-15
  10 km S of Denton, North Carolina
• M 2.5 — 2010-10-28
  2 km NW of Pacolet, South Carolina