Kings Mountain, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 Downtown along Battleground Avenue | |
| Motto: The Historical City | |
 Location of Kings Mountain, North Carolina | |
| Coordinates:35°14′04″N81°21′00″W / 35.23444°N 81.35000°W /35.23444; -81.35000 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Cleveland,Gaston |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-Manager |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.97 sq mi (36.19 km2) |
| • Land | 13.76 sq mi (35.65 km2) |
| • Water | 0.21 sq mi (0.54 km2) |
| Elevation | 951 ft (290 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,142 |
| • Density | 809.5/sq mi (312.55/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 28086 |
| Area code | 704 |
| FIPS code | 37-35880[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404831[2] |
| Website | www |
Kings Mountain is a smallsuburban city within theCharlotte metropolitan area inCleveland andGaston counties,North Carolina, United States. Most of the city is in Cleveland County, with a small eastern portion in Gaston County. As of the2020 census, Kings Mountain had a population of 11,142.[4]
Originally the settlement was calledWhite Plains, but the city was incorporated on October 16, 1874, and the name was changed. It was decided that "Kings Mountain" would be a more appropriate name since the community was close to the site of the historic 1780Battle of Kings Mountain inYork County, South Carolina, a turning point in theAmerican Revolutionary War.
The Battle of Kings Mountain was proclaimed as "the turning point of the American Revolution" byThomas Jefferson.[5] Liberty Mountain, a play performed at the local theater, recounts the events of the battle. The downtown area is home to theKings Mountain Historical Museum, police station, and theMauney Memorial Library.
TheCentral School Historic District,King Street Overhead Bridge,Margrace Mill Village Historic District,Jacob S. Mauney Memorial Library and Teacher's Home,Southern Railway Company Overhead Bridge, andWest End Historic District are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6][7]
Kings Mountain lies 30 miles (48 km) west ofCharlotte alongInterstate 85.Gaffney, South Carolina, is 21 miles (34 km) to the southwest along I-85.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.6 square miles (32.6 km2), of which 12.3 square miles (31.9 km2) is land and 0.23 square miles (0.6 km2), or 1.98%, is covered with water.[8]
Kings Pinnacle is a small mountain located at the southeastern point of the city. Standing at 1,705 feet, it is the highest point in the Kings Mountain Belt ofmonadnock formations. It is one of the two mountains inCrowders Mountain State Park, where cleared trails lead to the pinnacle.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 337 | — | |
| 1890 | 429 | 27.3% | |
| 1900 | 2,062 | 380.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,218 | 7.6% | |
| 1920 | 2,800 | 26.2% | |
| 1930 | 5,632 | 101.1% | |
| 1940 | 6,547 | 16.2% | |
| 1950 | 7,206 | 10.1% | |
| 1960 | 8,008 | 11.1% | |
| 1970 | 8,465 | 5.7% | |
| 1980 | 9,080 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 8,763 | −3.5% | |
| 2000 | 9,693 | 10.6% | |
| 2010 | 10,296 | 6.2% | |
| 2020 | 11,142 | 8.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 7,457 | 66.93% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,543 | 22.82% |
| Native American | 30 | 0.27% |
| Asian | 162 | 1.45% |
| Pacific Islander | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed | 510 | 4.58% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 439 | 3.94% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 11,142 people, 4,151 households, and 2,536 families residing in the city.
As of thecensus[3] of 2010, there were 10,296 people, 4,597 households, and 2,674 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,187.1 inhabitants per square mile (458.3/km2). There were 4,064 housing units at an average density of 497.7 units per square mile (192.2 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.85%White, 21.55%black, 0.15%Native American, 1.81%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.63% fromother races, and 0.99% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.43% of the population.
There were 3,821 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% weremarried couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. Of all households, 26.8% were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,415, and the median income for a family was $39,137. Males had a median income of $32,444 versus $22,201 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $15,920. About 13.4% of families and 19.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 20.7% of those age 65 or over.
The interchange betweenInterstate 85,US Highway 74, andUS Highway 29 is to the east of the city.
Kings Mountain is also served by twoNorth Carolina State Highways: NC-161 with service toBessemer City andYork, and NC-216 with service toCherryville.
Greyhound Lines began scheduled intercity bus service on April 20, 2010. The station is housed at Battleground Petroleum, 726 York Rd., offInterstate 85. The close proximity to I-85 was a major factor in relocating this station from nearbyGastonia, North Carolina.
The portion in Cleveland County, the majority of the municipality, is in theCleveland County Schools school district.[11]Kings Mountain High School is a part of this district.
The portion in Gaston County is in theGaston County Schools school district.[12]
|  | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofCleveland County, North Carolina,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Municipalities and communities ofGaston County, North Carolina,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
