Mecklenburg County was formed by English colonists in 1762 from the western part ofAnson County, both in the Piedmont section of the state. It was named in commemoration of the marriage ofKing George III toCharlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,[5] for whom the county seatCharlotte is named. Due to unsure boundaries, a large part of south and western Mecklenburg County extended into areas that would later form part of the state ofSouth Carolina. In 1768, most of this area (the part of Mecklenburg County west of theCatawba River) was designatedTryon County, North Carolina.
Determining the final boundaries of these "western" areas between North and South Carolina was a decades-long process. As population increased in the area following theAmerican Revolutionary War, in 1792 the northeastern part of Mecklenburg County was taken by the North Carolina legislature forCabarrus County. Finally, in 1842 the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County was combined with the western part ofAnson County to formUnion County.
TheMecklenburg Declaration of Independence was allegedly signed on May 20, 1775, and if the document is genuine, Mecklenburg County was the first part of theThirteen Colonies to declare independence from Great Britain.[6] The "Mecklenburg Resolves" were adopted on May 31, 1775. Mecklenburg continues to celebrate the declaration each year in May,[7] the date of which is included on theflag of North Carolina.
The firstgold rush in the United States, theCarolina Gold Rush, began after a 12-year-old boy namedConrad Reed discovered a gold nugget in a stream in neighboringCabarrus County. Many miners and merchants began settling in the county during that time. The firstUnited States branch mint was established in 1837 in Charlotte and continued operations until 1913.[8] The original building was moved from its original site and redeveloped as amuseum.
In the mid-20th century, the county continued to see rapid growth. Many new government buildings were constructed, andCharlotte Douglas International Airport was expanded in 1954. By 1960, a quarter million people were living in the county, with the population reaching half a million by 1990.[8] A proposal to form aconsolidated city-county government with Charlotte was considered, but voted down by residents in 1971.[13] Themetropolitan statistical area now includes 11 counties in both North Carolina andSouth Carolina, and had an estimated combined population of 2,805,115 in 2023.[10][14]
In mid-2020, the county was the site of the2020 Colonial Pipeline oil spill, wherein about 2,000,000 U.S. gal (7,600,000 L) of gasoline leaked from theColonial Pipeline in the Oehler Nature Preserve nearHuntersville. It is one of the largest gasoline spills in U.S. history, and cleanup efforts are expected to last for several years.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 546.09 square miles (1,414.4 km2), of which 523.61 square miles (1,356.1 km2) is land and 22.48 square miles (58.2 km2) (4.12%) is water.[15]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 1,115,482. The median age was 35.1 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.9 males age 18 and over.[31][32]
99.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.8% lived in rural areas.[33]
There were 448,814 households in the county, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.3% were married-couple households, 20.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[31]
There were 478,966 housing units, of which 6.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 54.4% were owner-occupied and 45.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.7%.[31]
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Recent data from the 2024 ACS 1-year estimates show that Mecklenburg County's population total is now 1,206,285, with 486,412 households. The percent of females in the population is 51.7%, and the percent of males is 48.3%, with a ±0.1% margin of error.[37] Mecklenburg County has a larger female population than male population, as is the case worldwide, and, similarly to global trends, the gap between the male and female populations is decreasing. According to the 2020 ACS 5-year estimates, the female population was 568,717, and the male population was 526,453. This means the populations differ by 42,264.[38] In 2024, the female population is estimated at 623,680, and the male population is estimated at 583,605. This means the populations differ by 40,075, a significantly smaller difference than in 2020.[39] Though the 2020 estimates have a margin of error of ±119, and the 2024 estimates have a margin of error of ±283, the margins are not significant enough to undermine the general trend observed in the difference between the female and male populations.
Mecklenburg county has a significantly different racial profile than North Carolina on average. The ACS estimated 44.4% of Mecklenburg county identified as White, 29.3% Black or African American, 9.4% ‘Some Other Race’, 6.6% Asian, and 0.8% American Indian or Alaskan Native.[40]Whereas the ACS estimated all of North Carolina identified as 60.8% White, 19.8% Black or African American, 5.6% ‘Some Other Race’, 3.6% Asian, 1.2% American Indian and Alaskan Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.[41]
At the2000 census,[42] there were 695,454 people, 273,416 households, and 174,986 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 1,322 people per square mile (510 people/km2). There were 292,780 housing units at an average density of 556 units per square mile (215 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 64.02%White, 27.87%Black orAfrican American, 0.35%American Indian/Alaska Native, 3.15%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 3.01% fromother races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 6.45% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 273,416 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 12.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.00% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the county, 25.10% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.70% was from 18 to 24, 36.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,579, and the median income for a family was $60,608. Males had a median income of $40,934 versus $30,100 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $27,352. About 6.60% of families and 9.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over.
The county is governed by the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The BOCC is a nine-member board made up of representatives elected from sixsingle-member districts, and threeat-large representatives elected by the entire county. This electoral structure favors at-large candidates who appeal to the majority population of the county. Each District has a population of approximately 165,000 individuals. All seats are partisan and are for 2-year terms (elections occur in even years). The current chair of the Mecklenburg BOCC is Mark Jerrell (D, District 4). The current vice chair is Leigh Altman (D, At-Large).
Members of the Mecklenburg County Commission are required by North Carolina State law to choose a chair and vice-chair once a year (at the first meeting of December). Historically, the individual elected was the 'top-vote-getter', typically one of three at-large members. In 2014 this unofficial rule was changed by the Board to allow any member to serve as Chair or vice-chair as long as they received support from 4 members plus their own vote.
The nine members of the Board of County Commissioners are:[44]
Mecklenburg County was one of the first parts of North Carolina to break away from aSolid South voting pattern. It was a Republican-leaning swing county for most of the second half of the 20th century, supporting the GOP all but three times from1952 to2000. However, the county has strongly trended Democratic in the 21st century, particularly in federal and statewide elections. The expansion of the financial and business communities since the late 20th century attracted many newcomers from other areas of the country, with more diverse voting patterns. The more ethnically diverse core and northern sections of Charlotte trend Democratic, while wealthier and whiter suburban areas to the south of the city lean more Republican.[46]
In2004,John Kerry became only the fourth Democrat to carry Mecklenburg County sinceHarry Truman in1948, and the third to win it with a majority sinceFranklin Roosevelt's last campaign in1944. In2008, the county swung dramatically to supportBarack Obama, who won 60.8 percent of the county's vote, at the time the strongest showing for a Democrat in the county since Roosevelt's landslides. Obama's 100,100-vote margin in the county helped him become the first Democrat to carry North Carolina since1976. At the same time,John McCain became the first Republican to win less than 40 percent of the county's vote since 1948.
Obama won the county almost as easily in2012 despite losing statewide. The county swung even further in favor ofHillary Clinton in2016,Joe Biden in2020, andKamala Harris in2024, with all three beating Obama's 2008 total. However, Republicans continue to retain some strength in local races.
The Mecklenburg County Courthouse pictured in 2024.
Mecklenburg County is in District 26 of the North Carolina Judicial Branch. Mecklenburg County Courthouse is at 832 East Fourth Street inCharlotte. Since 2017, the District Attorney has been Spencer B. Merriweather III.[47]
The post of 'High Sheriff' of Mecklenburg County dates back to 1763 and is mandated in the constitution of North Carolina.[48] The county sheriff is elected for a four year term and heads the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office. As of 2018, the sheriff is Garry L. McFadden, who has featured in a number of true crime documentaries.
Wachovia, a former Fortune 500 company, had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired byWells Fargo for $15.1 billion. Wells Fargo maintains the majority of the former company's operations in Charlotte.[51]
With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on theNS main line between Washington and Atlanta, and the large volumes of freight moving in and out of the county via truck.
TheCarolinian train connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,Richmond,Raleigh,Durham and Greensboro.
ThePiedmont train connects Charlotte with Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro.
TheAmtrak station is located at 1914 NorthTryon Street. A new centralized multimodal train station, Gateway Station, has been planned for the city. It is expected to house the futureLYNX Purple Line, the newGreyhound bus station, and the Crescent line that passes through Uptown Charlotte.
Mecklenburg County is the proposed southern terminus for the initial segment of theSoutheast High Speed Rail Corridor operating between Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Currently in conceptual design, the SEHSR would eventually run from Washington, D.C. toMacon, Georgia.
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus service serves all of Mecklenburg County, including Charlotte, and the municipalities of Davidson, Huntersville, Cornelius, Matthews, Pineville, and Mint Hill.
Mecklenburg's manufacturing base, its central location on the Eastern Seaboard, and the intersection of two major interstates in the county have made it a hub for the trucking industry. Also located in the county is theInland Port of Charlotte, which is a major rail corridor forCSX rail lines.
TheCharlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) serves the entire county; however, the State of North Carolina also has approved a number of charter schools in Mecklenburg County (independently operated schools financed with tax dollars).
TheCharlotte Mecklenburg Library is the public library that serves residents of Mecklenburg County. Library cards from any branch can be used at all locations and to access digital resources. The library has an extensive collection (over 1.5 million items) of fiction and non-fiction books, eBooks and audiobooks (throughLibby,Hoopla, andNC Live), andonline databases. The Archives and Special Collections department houses archival collections related to Mecklenburg County, materials related to state and local government and culture, genealogy, and manages the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room.
TheBilly Graham Library contains the papers and memorabilia related to the career of the well-known 20th century evangelist,Billy Graham. It is open for tours, but does not allow materials to be checked out.
Two major healthcare providers exist within Mecklenburg County,Atrium Health, andNovant Health. The two healthcare systems combined offer 14emergency departments throughout Mecklenburg County, including a psychiatric emergency department[58] and two children's emergency departments. Two hospitals in the region offer trauma services with onelevel I trauma center[59] and onelevel II.[60]Atrium Health, legally Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, is thepublic hospital authority of the county.[61]
The residents of Mecklenburg County are provided emergency medical service by MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency.[62] All emergency ambulance service is provided by MEDIC. No other emergency transport companies are allowed to operate within Mecklenburg County. In the fiscal year 2024, MEDIC responded to 157,121 calls for service and transported 113,768 patients.[63] While MEDIC is a division of Mecklenburg County Government, a board guides and directs MEDIC that consists of members affiliated withAtrium Health,Novant Health and a swing vote provided by the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. Atrium and Novant are the two major medical institutions in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Map of Mecklenburg County with municipal and township labels
Mecklenburg County contains seven municipalities including the City of Charlotte and the towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville (north of Charlotte); and the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill, and Pineville (south and southeast of Charlotte). A small portion ofStallings is also in Mecklenburg County, though most of that town is inUnion County. Extraterritorial jurisdictions within the county are annexed by municipalities as soon as they reach sufficient concentrations.
By the requirements of theNorth Carolina Constitution of 1868, Mecklenburg County was divided into 15townships.[64] However, one township, Sharon, was later annexed to the Charlotte township and ceased to exist. The townships, which are both numbered and named, are as follows:
James K. Polk (1795–1849), 11th president of the United States. Polk was born in Mecklenburg County in 1795; his family moved toTennessee when he was an adolescent.
^"Find a County". National Association of Counties. RetrievedJune 7, 2011.{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^Blythe, LeGette; Brockmann, Charles Raven (1961)."Mecklenburg Towns and Villages".Hornets' Nest: The Story of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Vol. 2. Charlotte, North Carolina: Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. pp. 416–425. RetrievedMarch 10, 2024.
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