Charlotte, North Carolina
City of Charlotte
From top-left: Bank of America Corporate Center, Billy
Graham Library, U.S. National Whitewater Center, LYNX
Rapid Transit Train, Charlotte skyline.
Flag
Nickname(s): "The Queen City", "The QC", "The
Hornet’s Nest", "Crown Town"
Location in Mecklenburg County in the state of North
Carolina
Coordinates: 35°13′37″N 80°50′36″W /
35.22694°N 80.84333°W / 35.22694; -80.84333
Country
United States
State
North Carolina
County
Mecklenburg County
Government
- Mayor
Pat McCrory, (R)
Area
- City
280.5 sq mi (629.0 km2)
- Land
279.9 sq mi (627.5 km2)
- Water
0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2)
Elevation
751 ft (229 m)
Population (2007)[1]
- City
671,588 (19th)
- Density
2,515.7/sq mi (971.3/km2)
- Metro
1,701,799
Time zone
EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)
704, 980
FIPS code
37-12000[2]
GNIS feature ID
1019610[3]
Website
www.charmeck.org
Charlotte
(pronounced
/ˈʃɑrlət/)
is
the
largest city in the state of North Carolina and
the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2007,
Charlotte’s population was estimated to be
671,588,[1] making it the 19th largest city in
the United States. A resident of Charlotte is
referred to as a Charlottean.
Nicknamed the Queen City, Charlotte (as
well as the county containing it) is named in
honor of the German Princess Charlotte of
Mecklenburg, who had become queen con-
sort of British King George III the year before
the city’s founding. A second nickname de-
rives from later in the 18th century. During
the American Revolutionary War, British
commander General Cornwallis occupied the
city but was driven out soon afterwards by
hostile residents, prompting him to write that
Charlotte was "a hornet’s nest of rebellion,"
leading to another city nickname: The Hor-
net’s Nest.
In 2007, the Charlotte metropolitan area
had an estimated population of 1,701,799.
The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of a
wider thirteen-county labor market region or
combined statistical area that has an estim-
ated population of 2,277,074.[4] Forbes
named Charlotte as the third most un