What Charlotte is known for

Charlotte is within the 25 largest cities in the United States and is the largest city in the state of North Carolina. Inclusively, it is larger than the state's capital, Raleigh, which is found in the Northeast part of North Carolina. Many refer to Charlotte as "The Queen City."[2] Nearly 30 million people visit Charlotte each year, making tourism the fourth-largest industry in the region (by the number of employees).[3] Charlotte receives its most extensive flows of visitors during the summer (June-August). One potential reason for this is that attractions maintain more extended hours of operation over the summer.[4] It could also be attributed to large summer events such as "Taste of Charlotte" and "Charlotte Pride." The former of these two events is a city-wide display of food, products, and activities. Visitors can taste-test a wide assortment of food, all at no cost.[5] Charlotte Pride is an annual event to raise awareness for the LGBTQ community.[6] In addition to the summer tourism appeals, residents of the Charlotte Region recommend visiting during the "shoulder seasons" of March to May or September to November. The climate during those times is more moderate, and lodging enterprises typically lower their prices.[4] 

Some of the more prominent industries of the destination include sports, banking, and tourism. Charlotte is home to the Panthers NFL team, who play in the Bank of America Stadium near the center of the city's metropolis sector. Regarding basketball, the city is home to the Charlotte Hornets, who play in the NBA. Charlotte, North Carolina, is also home to an above-average number of banks, causing the industry to be quite impactful within the area. In fact, Charlotte is second in the nation when it comes to housing banking enterprises, only losing to New York City.[13] Bank of America has its headquarters in Charlotte and provides employment to somewhere around 15,000 people in Mecklenburg County (where Charlotte resides).[1] Other notable financial institutions in the destination include Truist and Wells Fargo (East Coast operations). 

Within the city of Charlotte itself, visitors can visit museums, theater houses, and libraries. One of the most notable museums is the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is a large indoor display of dozens of NASCAR cars. The museum showcases the culture, management, and drivers that have defined the NASCAR industry over the course of its existence. Nearby cities also contain noteworthy attractions for visitors to the region. Concord, to the northeast, houses the Sea Life Charlotte-Concord Aquarium. Nearby national and state parks allow for regional visitors to participate in activities such as hiking, biking, fishing, and sightseeing. North Carolina as a whole is known for being the #1 producer of tobacco-related products in the United States. The tobacco grown in the Charlotte Region contributes to the production of cigarettes and chewing tobacco across the nation. The second-largest product currently produced in the Charlotte Region is chemicals, which go towards the creation of pharmaceuticals and cleaning products.

Geography

The Charlotte Region expands outward from the city of Charlotte itself in a mostly circular shape. This area extends for roughly 30-35 miles in radius past the outer limits of Charlotte, including cities in both North Carolina and South Carolina. To the north, visitors will find Lake Norman. This area is full of lake-side communities and resorts, surrounded by trees and other wildlife. The water from this lake is connected all along the west portion of the area, eventually meeting up with Lake Wylie to the south. Nearly the entire Charlotte Region is dense with foliage, especially trees. Though the terrain is not mainly mountainous, there are a few small hills that dot the landscape. Directly west of Charlotte, visitors will find the Kings Mountain National Military Park and Crowders Mountain State Park. As their names infer, the parks are centered around some of the tallest mountains in the region. Those areas, in particular, are entirely covered in trees, lakes, and other greenery. 

Charlotte is known to have a humid, subtropical climate. Summers can be difficult for people who are not accustomed to hot, humid climates. Winters, however, are relatively pleasant. Snow isn't a common occurrence in the area.[4] As a year-round average, Charlotte receives a fair amount of rain. It rains an average of 2-3 times a week, adding up to be roughly 43.3 inches of rainfall per year. The average high temperature as a year-round average is about 72 degrees (Fahrenheit), and the mean low temperature is around 50 degrees. During the popular tourism months in the summer, the temperature ranges anywhere from 60 degrees to 90 degrees.[7] Agriculturally, the destination is predominantly known for its tobacco.[9] Trees, flowers, small parks, bushes, and urban green spaces provide homes to animals such as mice, deer, raccoons, foxes, squirrels, and various species of reptiles and birds. Most of these animals have been forced to live in more "urban" environments than they might typically be known to do.[8]

History

According to records from the mid-1500s, the Charlotte Region was first settled by the Catawba tribe of Native Americans. During European settlement in the Americas, smallpox wiped out many of the Catawba tribe numbers.[10] The area was settled by Europeans in 1755, building on the old Native American foundations. By 1768, the city of Charlotte was officially incorporated.[1] The city (and its resident county—Mecklenburg) were both named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who was the queen consort to King George III of Britain during the time of the city's foundation. This is also why Charlotte is often referred to as "The Queen City."[2] 

Early settlers of Charlotte came from Scotland and Ireland, supplemented with a smaller group from Germany. The residents were primarily Presbyterian in faith.[1] This religious culture caused Charlotte to become one of the birthplaces of Presbyterianism, though, by the 19th century, many other religions had been adopted into the area. This caused Charlotte to be known as "The City of Churches."[11] 

During the early development of the Charlotte Region, various gold deposits were discovered, making it so that the surrounding area became the primary gold mining spot in the United States until the rush of '49 in California. Serious gold mining operations continued in the zone until the early 20th century.[12] Currently, there are around 800,000 people living in Charlotte or its nearby communities.[2] Plans have been put into place to create a zoo within the city limits of Charlotte.[1]