photo credit: winonag

Charlotte is the largest city in North Carolina. In 2011, it was estimated that 751,087 “Charlotteans” lived there. This estimate makes the city the seventeenth largest in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had an estimate of 2,380,314 in 2014.

Charlotte Demographics

Annual Events: Charlotte Bachata & Salsa Festival, Power Walk for Dress for Success Charlotte, Classical Idol, Drumstrong, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Springfest, Loch Norman Highland Games, Cityfest Live, Charlotte Gary Pride Parade Week, Coca-Cola 600, WorldFeast, Family Cultural Appreciation Weekend, Intergalactic Bead & Jewelry Show, Fastgrass Bluegrass Festival, Liquid Steel Big 50 Bike Show, Festival in the Park, YIASOU Greek Festival, Time Warner Cable BBQ & Blues, Charlotte Oktoberfest Beer Festival, Carolina Renaissance Festival, Latin American Festival, LeBeaujolais Nouveau Wine Tasting Festival, Harvest Day, Celtic Traditions Festival, and First Night Charlotte.

Most large-scale events in the market are held at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Pro & Minor Sports Teams: Charlotte is the home of two major professional sports franchises: the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL), the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL), and the Charlotte Knights of Minor League Baseball (MLB).

Businesses of Note: The city is home to six Fortune 500 companies. They are Bank of America, Nucor, Duke Energy, Goodrich, Sonic Automotive, and SPX. Other companies of note headquartered in Charlotte include Belk, Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., ESPNU, Family Dollar, Harris Teeter, Joe Gibbs Racing, JR Motorsports, and Wachovia.

Advertising & PR agencies: (AD) Wray Ward, Birdsong Gregory, Mobile Marketing Max, Eric Mower & Associates, Tattoo Projects Charlotte Ad Agency, Brand Target, BooneOakely, Ashland Advertising, Magnetic Marketing, LLC, Burke Communications, Ritz Marketing, Concentric Marketing, The Alexis Agency, Media Savvy, Greenspon Advertising, Taylor Made Marketing, GMN Advertising, Myjive, Inc. Charlotte Web Design, Studiobanks (PR) BRANSTORM PR, Wray Ward, Performance PR Plus, Business Wire Charlotte, Burke Communications, JC Thomas Marketing Communications, Vallejo Hispanic Media Agency, and The Agency.

Colleges: There are two public universities located within the city limits: University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC-Charlotte), and Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC). Private colleges in the city include the Charlotte School of Law, Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), Johnson & Wales University (JWU), and Queens University of Charlotte.

Must See Destinations: Billy Graham Library, US National Whitewater Center, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Discovery Place, Freedom Park, Mint Museum Uptown, Levine Museum of the New South, Hendrick Motorsports Complex, Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary, ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center, McDowell Nature Center & Preserve, The Bank of America Stadium, Little Sugar Creek Greenway, Carolinas Aviation Museum, The Fillmore, Lake Norman, Carowinds, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, NC Music Factory, Charlotte Bobcats Arena, UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, Cataba River, Charlotte Nature Museum, Charlotte Trolley Powerhouse, and Charlotte Museum of History.

For more information on Charlotte, please visit the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Website.