WELCOME TO MECKLENBURG COUNTY
Mecklenburg County is a leading North Carolina destination for business and leisure. With a 2008 population of 902,803 people, it is the most populous county in the state. Mecklenburg County is located in one of the three U.S. states ranked in a 2008 survey by Development Counsellors International as one of three U.S. states having the best business climates. The county seat is Charlotte.
History
Formed in 1762 from the western part of Anson County, Mecklenburg County was named for the German Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818), who became queen consort of King George III the previous year. In 1768, the area of Mecklenburg County west of the Catawba River became Tryon County. Allegedly, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was signed May 20, 1775 and if genuine, was the first part of the Thirteen Colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. The northeastern part of the county became Cabarrus County in 1792 with the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County and western portion of Anson County joining to become Union County in 1842. In 1795, the eleventh President of the United States, James Knox Polk, was born in what is now known as Pineville.
Municipalities
The City of Charlotte, towns of Cornelius, Davidson and Huntersville, and the towns of Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville are the seven municipalities in Mecklenburg County. Although the majority of Stallings is in Union County, a small area of the town lies in Mecklenburg County. Municipalities annex extra-territorial jurisdictions into the county as soon as the jurisdictions reach a minimum population concentration.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) is the common public school district that serves the entire county.
Cities and Towns
- Charlotte
- Cornelius
- Davidson
- Huntersville
- Matthews
- Mint Hill
- Pineville
Noteworthy Mecklenburg County Residents
- Evan Shelby Alexander (1767-1809), U.S. Congressman, born in Mecklenburg County
- Nathaniel Alexander (1756-1808), U.S. Congressman, born in Mecklenburg County
- Brigadier General William Lee Davidson (1746-1781), North Carolina militia general during the American Revolutionary War
- Billy Graham (born 1918), world-famous evangelist who has led revivals nationwide and been spiritual advisor for many U.S. Presidents
- James K. Polk (1795-1849), 11th President of the United States, born in Mecklenburg County
- Shannon Spake, ESPN/NASCAR correspondent