The Charlotte Observer is an American newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina , and its metro area . The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. It is owned by Chatham Asset Management .
98-690: The Observer primarily serves Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and the surrounding counties of Iredell , Cabarrus , Union , Lancaster , York , Gaston , Catawba , and Lincoln . Home delivery service in outlying counties has declined in recent years, with delivery times growing later as the paper has outsourced circulation services outside the primary Charlotte area. Circulation at The Charlotte Observer has been declining for many years. The period of May 2011 showed that Charlotte Observer circulation totaled 155,497 daily and 212,318 Sunday. 2017 Print Circulation Daily: 69,987 and Sunday: 106,434. The newspaper has an online presence and its staff also oversees
196-496: A NASCAR news website, and a corresponding syndicated feature, That's Racin' . The Charlotte Observer also operates a food, drink and lifestyle vertical called CharlotteFive . The paper's television partner is WBTV . The Observer offices also include editors and designers that makeup the McClatchy NewsDesk-East , which is responsible for the production of The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy newspapers from across
294-473: A U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term " county " is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs , respectively. Counties and other local governments exist as a matter of U.S. state law , so
392-1054: A city , town , or village . A few counties directly provide public transportation themselves, usually in the form of a simple bus system. However, in most counties, public transportation is provided by one of the following: a special district that is coterminous with the county (but exists separately from the county government), a multi-county regional transit authority, or a state agency. In western and southern states, more populated counties provide many facilities, such as airports, convention centers , museums, recreation centers , beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries , and public housing . They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control , probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. They have many additional officials like public defenders , arts commissioners, human rights commissioners, and planning commissioners. There may be
490-446: A consolidated city-county or independent city exists, a city council usually governs city/county or city affairs. In some counties, day-to-day operations are overseen by an elected county executive or by a chief administrative officer or county administrator who reports to the board, the mayor, or both. In many states, the board in charge of a county holds powers that transcend all three traditional branches of government. It has
588-424: A county fire department and a county police department – as distinguished from fire and police departments operated by individual cities, special districts, or the state government. For example, Gwinnett County, Georgia , and its county seat, the city of Lawrenceville , each have their own police departments. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of
686-478: 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, the population was spread out, with 25.10% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 36.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 8.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
784-460: A few counties bear names of Native American , French, or Spanish origin. Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. The most common county name, with 31, is Washington County , for America's first president, George Washington . Up until 1871, there was a Washington County within the District of Columbia , but it
882-400: A land area of 20,057 square miles (51,947 km ). The least extensive county is Kalawao County, Hawaii , with a land area of 11.991 square miles (31.058 km ). The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the independent city of Falls Church, Virginia , with a land area of 1.999 square miles (5.177 km ). If U.S. territories are included,
980-453: A large number of counties, and many Western states were sparsely populated when counties were created by their respective state legislatures. The five counties of Rhode Island and eight of the 14 counties of Massachusetts no longer have functional county governments, but continue to exist as legal and census entities. Connecticut abolished county governments in 1960, leaving its eight counties as mere legal and census entities. In 2022,
1078-486: A million by 1990. A proposal to form a consolidated city-county government with Charlotte was considered, but voted down by residents in 1971. The metropolitan statistical area now includes 11 counties in both North Carolina and South Carolina , and had an estimated combined population of 2,805,115 in 2023. In mid-2020, the county was the site of the 2020 Colonial Pipeline oil spill , wherein about 2,000,000 U.S. gal (7,600,000 L) of gasoline leaked from
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#17328554537691176-415: A population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. At the other extreme, 35 counties have a population under 1,000; 307 counties have a population under 5,000; 709 counties have a population under 10,000; and 1,492 counties have a population between 10,000 and 50,000. At the 2000 U.S. Census ,
1274-538: A sister publication of the state's largest paper, The News & Observer of Raleigh ; and of The Herald of Rock Hill, the primary newspaper for the South Carolina side of the metro area. As of spring 2008, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in the McClatchy chain (behind The Kansas City Star , Miami Herald , Sacramento Bee and Fort Worth Star-Telegram ). McClatchy's share value has been in decline since
1372-428: Is Lake . Words from Native American languages, as well as the names of Native American leaders and tribes, lend their names to many counties. Quite a few counties bear names of French or Spanish origin, such as Marquette County being named after French missionary Father Jacques Marquette . The county's equivalent in the state of Louisiana, the parish (Fr. paroisse civile and Sp. parroquia ) took its name during
1470-564: Is 343 sq mi (890 km ), whereas in Utah it is 2,427 sq mi (6,290 km ). The most extensive county or county equivalent is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , with a land area of 145,505 square miles (376,856 km ). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is San Bernardino County, California , with
1568-588: Is a county located in the southwestern region of the U.S. state of North Carolina , in the United States . As of the 2020 census , the population was 1,115,482, making it the second-most populous county in North Carolina (after Wake County ), and the first county in the Carolinas to surpass one million in population. Its county seat is Charlotte , the state's largest municipality. Mecklenburg County
1666-715: Is a proposed 29-mile (47 km) east-west light rail line that would connect the outlying cities and towns of Belmont , Matthews , Stallings and Indian Trail to Uptown Charlotte and the Charlotte Douglas International Airport . Originally setup as two separate projects known as the Southeast Corridor and West Corridor, they were merged in 2019 by the Metropolitan Transit Commission. The tentative opening date in 2037. Mecklenburg's manufacturing base, its central location on
1764-500: Is either done at the state level or at the municipal level. In Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts, regional councils have been established to partially fill the void left behind by the abolished county governments. The regional councils' authority is limited compared with a county government—they have authority only over infrastructure and land use planning, distribution of state and federal funds for infrastructure projects, emergency preparedness, and limited law enforcement duties. In
1862-399: Is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states, and is only slightly smaller than the combined population of the 10 least populous states and Washington, D.C. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming. The second most populous county is Cook County, Illinois , with a population of 5,275,541. Cook County's population
1960-478: Is higher outside Mecklenburg & adjacent counties/states. As of 2020, an annual digital subscription is $ 15.99 per month. [REDACTED] Media related to The Charlotte Observer at Wikimedia Commons 35°13′15″N 80°50′36″W / 35.220831°N 80.843422°W / 35.220831; -80.843422 ( Charlotte Observere ) Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Mecklenburg County ( / ˈ m ɛ k l ə n ˌ b ɜːr ɡ / )
2058-502: Is home to ten Fortune 1000 companies. Wachovia , a former Fortune 500 company, had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by Wells Fargo for $ 15.1 billion. Wells Fargo maintains the majority of the former company's operations in Charlotte. Goodrich Corporation , a former Fortune 500 company, had its headquarters in Charlotte until it was acquired by United Technologies Corporation for $ 18.4 billion. Charlotte
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#17328554537692156-455: Is larger than that of 28 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the six smallest states. The least populous county is Loving County, Texas , with 64 residents in 2020. Eight county equivalents in the U.S. territories have no human population: Rose Atoll , Northern Islands Municipality , Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , and Navassa Island . The remaining three islands in
2254-611: Is located at 1914 North Tryon Street . A new centralized multimodal train station, Gateway Station, has been planned for the city. It is expected to house the future LYNX Purple Line, the new Greyhound bus station, and the Crescent line that passes through Uptown Charlotte. Mecklenburg County is the proposed southern terminus for the initial segment of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor operating between Charlotte and Washington, D.C. Currently in conceptual design,
2352-766: Is no formal level of government (municipality, public education, or otherwise) existing below that of the county in the state. In most Midwestern and Northeastern states, counties are further subdivided into townships or towns , which sometimes exercise local powers or administration. Throughout the United States, counties may contain other independent, self-governing municipalities . In New England, counties function at most as judicial court districts and sheriff's departments (presently, in Connecticut only as judicial court districts—and in Rhode Island , they have lost both those functions and most others but they are still used by
2450-481: Is now the headquarters for UTC Aerospace Systems . The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte. With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta, and the large volumes of freight moving in and out of the county via truck. Mecklenburg County
2548-410: Is rarely a county responsibility, execution of capital punishment is never a county responsibility, and the state's responses to prisoners' appeals are the responsibility of the state attorney general , who has to defend before the state appellate courts the prosecutions conducted by locally elected district attorneys in the name of the state. Furthermore, county-level trial court judges are officers of
2646-500: Is served daily by three Amtrak routes. The Crescent train connects Charlotte with New York , Philadelphia , Baltimore , Washington , Charlottesville , and Greensboro to the north, and Atlanta , Birmingham and New Orleans to the southwest. The Carolinian train connects Charlotte with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Richmond , Raleigh , Durham and Greensboro. The Piedmont train connects Charlotte with Raleigh, Durham and Greensboro. The Amtrak station
2744-557: Is simultaneously a city, which is a municipality (municipal corporation), and a county, which is an administrative division of a state, having the powers and responsibilities of both types of entities. The city limit or jurisdiction is synonymous with the county line, as the two administrative entities become a non-dichotomous single entity. For this reason, a consolidated city-county is officially remarked as name of city – name of county (i.e., Augusta–Richmond County in Georgia). The same
2842-691: Is the central county of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area . On September 12, 2013, it was estimated the county surpassed one million residents. Like its seat, the county is named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , Queen of the United Kingdom (1761–1818), whose name is derived from the region of Mecklenburg in Germany . It was named for Mecklenburg Castle (Mecklenburg meaning "large castle" in Low German ) in
2940-501: Is true of the boroughs of New York City , each of which is coextensive with a county of New York State. For those entities in which the city uses the same name as the county, city and county of name may be used (i.e., City and County of Denver in Colorado). Similarly, some of Alaska 's boroughs have merged with their principal cities, creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among
3038-546: Is water. Nature preserves in Charlotte: As of the 2020 census , there were 1,115,482 people, 426,313 households, and 254,759 families residing in the county. At the 2000 census , there were 695,454 people, 273,416 households, and 174,986 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,322 people per square mile (510 people/km ). There were 292,780 housing units at an average density of 556 units per square mile (215 units/km ). The racial makeup of
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3136-634: The Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different types of boroughs varying in powers and duties. In some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties' smaller divisions usually called townships , though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called "towns". The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, depending on state law. The newest county in
3234-559: The Charlotte Transportation Center and future Charlotte Gateway Station , before continuing to French Street in Biddleville (Charlotte neighborhood) , near the campus of Johnson C. Smith University . 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. The Lynx Silver Line
3332-454: The City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; City and County of San Francisco, California ; and Lynchburg-Moore County, Tennessee A consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. For example, the government of Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida , still provides county-level services to
3430-531: The Colonial Pipeline in the Oehler Nature Preserve near Huntersville . It is one of the largest gasoline spills in U.S. history, and cleanup efforts are expected to last for several years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 546.09 square miles (1,414.4 km ), of which 523.61 square miles (1,356.1 km ) is land and 22.48 square miles (58.2 km ) (4.12%)
3528-597: The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest , counties typically provide, at a minimum, courts, public utilities , libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. There is usually a county registrar, recorder, or clerk (the exact title varies) who collects vital statistics , holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolutions (divorce decrees). The county recorder normally maintains
3626-552: The New York City Borough of Manhattan), with 72,033 persons per square mile (27,812 persons/km ) in 2015. The Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , is both the most extensive and the least densely populated county or county equivalent with 0.0380 persons per square mile (0.0147 persons/km ) in 2015. In the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have
3724-514: The Observer made the Saturday edition digital only. In July 2024, the newspaper announced it will decrease the number of print editions to three a week: Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The paper will also be delivered by the postal service instead of by carrier. The Charlotte Observer has won five Pulitzer Prizes : The Charlotte Observer prices are: daily, $ 2 and Sunday/Thanksgiving Day, $ 3. Price
3822-559: The Province of Maine founded York County . Massachusetts followed in 1643. Pennsylvania and New York delegated significant power and responsibility from the colony government to county governments and thereby established a pattern for most of the United States, although counties remained relatively weak in New England . When independence came, the framers of the Constitution left
3920-437: The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands ( Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island ) have small non-permanent human populations. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is Swains Island, American Samoa (17 people), although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either. The most densely populated county or county equivalent is New York County, New York (coextensive with
4018-569: The USGS counts Guam's election districts (villages) as county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands as county equivalents, while the USGS counts the districts of the U.S. Virgin Islands (of which there are 2) as county equivalents. Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. Quite
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4116-671: The United States Census Bureau and some other federal agencies for some federal functions), and most of the governmental authority below the state level is in the hands of towns and cities . In several of Maine's sparsely populated counties, small towns rely on the county for law enforcement, and in New Hampshire several social programs are administered at the state level. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now only geographic designations, and they do not have any governmental powers. All government
4214-476: The University of North Carolina at Charlotte ) were built. Lake Norman was also completed in 1964, after a five-year construction period. In the mid-20th century, the county continued to see rapid growth. Many new government buildings were constructed, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport was expanded in 1954. By 1960, a quarter million people were living in the county, with the population reaching half
4312-466: The county seat ("parish seat" in Louisiana, "borough seat" in Alaska, or " shire town " in several New England counties). The county seat usually resides in a municipality. However, some counties may have multiple seats or no seat. In some counties with no incorporated municipalities, a large settlement may serve as the county seat. The power of county governments varies widely from state to state, as does
4410-473: The median land area of U.S. counties was 622 sq mi (1,610 km ), which is two-thirds of the median land area of a ceremonial county of England , and a little more than a quarter of the median land area of a French département . Counties in the western United States typically have a much larger land area than those in the eastern United States. For example, the median land area of counties in Georgia
4508-473: The poverty line , including 11.50% of those under age 18 and 9.30% of those age 65 or over. Mecklenburg County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments . 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 six single-member districts , and three at-large representatives elected by
4606-451: The 50 states and District of Columbia. There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the territories of the United States . The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . Southern and Midwestern states generally tend to have more counties than Western or Northeastern states, as many Northeastern states are not large enough in area to warrant
4704-454: The 50 states and the District of Columbia. If the 100 county equivalents in the U.S. territories are counted, then the total is 3,244 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The idea of counties originated with the counties of England . English (after 1707, British ) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in
4802-537: The Board of County Commissioners are: Mecklenburg County was one of the first parts of North Carolina to break away from a Solid 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 from 1952 to 2000. However, the county has strongly trended Democratic in the 21st century, particularly in federal and statewide elections. The expansion of
4900-973: The British metropole : the counties. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown . The House of Burgesses divided the colony first into four "incorporations" in 1617 and finally into eight shires (or counties) in 1634: James City , Henrico , Charles City , Charles River , Warrosquyoake , Accomac , Elizabeth City , and Warwick River . America's oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia , in Northampton (originally Accomac) County , dating to 1632. Maryland established its first county, St. Mary's in 1637. In 1639,
4998-700: 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 of Stallings is also in Mecklenburg County, though most of that town is in Union County . Extraterritorial jurisdictions within the county are annexed by municipalities as soon as they reach sufficient concentrations. Townships are administrative divisions of unincorporated county land and do not have any government function. By
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#17328554537695096-1016: 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 the Inland Port of Charlotte , which is a major rail corridor for CSX rail lines. The Charlotte-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). The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County serves residents of Mecklenburg County. Library cards from any branch can be used at all 20 locations. The library has an extensive collection (over 1.5 million items) of reference and popular materials including DVDs, books on CD, best sellers, downloadable media, and books. The Billy Graham Library contains
5194-536: The Knight Ridder chain (behind The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News , Detroit Free Press and Miami Herald ). In 1959, The Observer purchased The Charlotte News , Charlotte's afternoon newspaper. All operations were merged except editorial content, which was fused in 1983. The Observer ended circulation of the afternoon News in 1985. McClatchy purchased most of Knight Ridder's newspapers, including The Observer , in 2006. This made The Observer
5292-529: 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
5390-617: The SEHSR would eventually run from Washington, D.C. to Macon, Georgia . Light rail service in Mecklenburg County is provided by LYNX Rapid Transit Services . Currently, the 19-mile (31 km) Lynx Blue Line runs from University of North Carolina at Charlotte , through Uptown Charlotte , to Pineville ; build-out is expected to be complete by 2034. The CityLynx Gold Line , a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) streetcar line runs from Sunnyside Avenue, in Plaza-Midwood , through Uptown Charlotte , stopping at
5488-644: The U.S. Census Bureau began to also count Connecticut's Councils of Governments , which took over some of the regional powers from the state's former county governments, as county equivalents. Territories of the United States do not have counties; instead, the United States Census Bureau also divides them into county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts American Samoa 's districts and atolls as county equivalents. American Samoa locally has places called "counties", but these entities are considered to be " minor civil divisions " (not true counties) by
5586-473: The U.S. Census Bureau recognized the state's nine Councils of Governments as replacement for the state's eight legacy counties for all statistical purposes; full implementation was completed in 2024. The average U.S. county population was 104,435 in 2019, while the median county, which is Nicholas County, West Virginia , had a population of 25,965 in 2019. The most populous county is Los Angeles County, California , with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. This number
5684-475: The U.S. Census Bureau treats American Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents). American Samoa's counties are treated as minor civil divisions. Most territories are directly divided into municipalities or similar units, which are treated as equivalent of counties for statistical purposes: The U.S. Census Bureau counts all of Guam as one county equivalent (with the FIPS code 66010), while
5782-683: The U.S. Census Bureau. The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . County populations also vary widely: in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, more than half the U.S. population was concentrated in just 143 of the more than 3,000 counties, or just 4.6% of all counties; the five most populous counties, ordered from most to least, are Los Angeles County, California ; Cook County, Illinois ; Harris County, Texas ; Maricopa County, Arizona ; and San Diego County, California . As of 2022 , there are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in
5880-484: The United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado , established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county , previously part of four counties. The newest county equivalents are the Alaskan census areas of Chugach and Copper River , both established in 2019, and the Alaskan boroughs of Petersburg established in 2013, Wrangell established in 2008, and Skagway established in 2007. A consolidated city-county
5978-402: The board. These positions may include county clerk , county treasurer , county surrogate, sheriff , and others. District attorneys or state attorneys are usually state-level as opposed to county-level officials, but in many states, counties and state judicial districts have coterminous boundaries. The site of a county's administration, and often the county courthouse , is generally called
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#17328554537696076-410: The city and the county at least nominally exist, they are properly classified as counties in their own right. Likewise, the boroughs of New York City are coextensive with counties and are therefore by definition also not county equivalents. There are technically no counties in U.S. territories. American Samoa has its own counties , but the U.S. Census Bureau does not treat them as counties (instead,
6174-421: The county (which merely implements state law). A typical criminal defendant will be arraigned and subsequently indicted or held over for trial before a trial court in and for a particular county where the crime occurred, kept in the county jail (if he is not granted bail or cannot make bail), prosecuted by the county's district attorney, and tried before a jury selected from that county. But long-term incarceration
6272-457: The county jail.) In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level. As of 2024 , there were 2,999 counties, 64 Louisiana parishes , 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in Alaska, 9 Councils of Government in Connecticut, 41 independent cities , and the District of Columbia for a total of 3,144 counties and county equivalents in
6370-433: The county was 64.02% White , 27.87% Black or African American , 0.35% American Indian/Alaska Native , 3.15% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 3.01% from other races , and 1.55% from two or more races. 6.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino 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
6468-506: The declaration each year in May, the date of which is included on the flag of North Carolina . The first gold rush in the United States, the Carolina Gold Rush , began after a 12-year-old boy named Conrad Reed discovered a gold nugget in a stream in neighboring Cabarrus County . Many miners and merchants began settling in the county during that time. The first United States branch mint
6566-481: 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 chairman of the Mecklenburg BOCC is George Dunlap (D, District 3). The Current Vice-chair is Elaine Powell (D, District 1). Members of
6664-453: 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. In 2004, John Kerry became only the fourth Democrat to carry Mecklenburg County since Harry Truman in 1948, and
6762-569: The fiscal year 2022, MEDIC responded to over 160,000 calls for service and transported over 107,000 patients. While MEDIC is a division of Mecklenburg County Government, a board guides and directs MEDIC that consists of members affiliated with Atrium 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. Mecklenburg County contains seven municipalities including
6860-399: The four independent municipalities within its borders: Atlantic Beach , Baldwin , Jacksonville Beach , and Neptune Beach . The term county equivalents is used by the United States Census Bureau to describe divisions that are comparable to counties but called by different names: Consolidated city-counties are not designated county equivalents for administrative purposes; since both
6958-461: The general law of the state or by a charter specific to that county. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments. Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission , board of supervisors , commissioners' court , county council , county court , or county legislature . In cases in which
7056-575: The geographically largest cities in the world, though often with population densities far below those of most urban areas. There are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U.S., including Augusta–Richmond County; the City and County of Denver, Colorado; the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii ; Indianapolis–Marion County, Indiana ; Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida ; Louisville–Jefferson County, Kentucky ; Lexington–Fayette County, Kentucky ; Kansas City–Wyandotte County, Kansas ; Nashville–Davidson County, Tennessee ; New Orleans–Orleans Parish, Louisiana ;
7154-405: The judicial branch of the state government rather than county governments. In many states, the county controls all unincorporated lands within its boundaries. In states with a township tier, unincorporated land is controlled by the townships. Residents of unincorporated land who are dissatisfied with county-level or township-level resource allocation decisions can attempt to vote to incorporate as
7252-560: The least extensive county equivalent is Kingman Reef , with a land area of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ). In some states, a municipality may be in only one county and may not annex territory in adjacent counties, but in the majority of states, the state constitution or state law allows municipalities to extend across county boundaries. At least 32 states include municipalities in multiple counties . Dallas , for example, contains portions of five counties, while numerous other cities comprise portions of four counties. New York City
7350-416: The legislative power to enact laws for the county; it has the executive power to oversee the executive operations of county government; and it has quasi-judicial power with regard to certain limited matters (such as hearing appeals from the planning commission if one exists). In many states, several important officials are elected separately from the board of commissioners or supervisors and cannot be fired by
7448-674: The matter to the states. Subsequently, state constitutions conceptualized county governments as arms of the state. Louisiana instead adopted the local divisions called parishes that dated back to both the Spanish colonial and French colonial periods when the land was dominated by the Catholic Church . In the twentieth century, the role of local governments strengthened and counties began providing more services, acquiring home rule and county commissions to pass local ordinances pertaining to their unincorporated areas . In 1955, delegates to
7546-514: The next most common source of county names are geographic features and locations, with some counties even being named after counties in other states, or for places in other countries, such as the United Kingdom (the latter is most common in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies in the case of the United Kingdom, or in places which had a large number of immigrants from a particular area for other countries). The most common geographic county name
7644-424: The official record of all real estate transactions. Other key county officials include the coroner / medical examiner , treasurer , assessor , auditor , comptroller , and district attorney . In most states, the county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. However, except in major emergencies where clear chains of command are essential, the county sheriff normally does not directly control
7742-416: The papers and memorabilia related to the career of the well-known 20th century evangelist, Billy Graham . Two major healthcare providers exist within Mecklenburg County, Atrium Health , and Novant Health . The two healthcare systems combined offer 14 emergency departments throughout Mecklenburg County, including a psychiatric emergency department and two children's emergency departments. Two hospitals in
7840-448: The police departments of city governments, but merely cooperates with them (e.g., under mutual aid pacts). Thus, the most common interaction between county and city law enforcement personnel is when city police officers deliver suspects to sheriff's deputies for detention or incarceration in the county jail. In most states, the state courts and local law enforcement are organized and implemented along county boundaries, but nearly all of
7938-548: The purchase. The stock has lost over 95% of its value, far worse than many remaining newspaper companies. On February 13, 2020, The McClatchy Company and 54 affiliated companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York . The company cited pension obligations and excessive debt as the primary reasons for the filing. On March 7, 2020,
8036-532: The region offer trauma services with one level I trauma center and one level II . Atrium Health , legally Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority, is the public hospital authority of the county. The residents of Mecklenburg County are provided emergency medical service by MEDIC, the Mecklenburg EMS Agency. All emergency ambulance service is provided by MEDIC. No other emergency transport companies are allowed to operate within Mecklenburg County. In
8134-454: The region. From 1927 to 2016, The Charlotte Observer was headquartered at 600 South Tryon Street. The facility included editorial offices, management offices, advertising offices, production, plus a large printing facility with a tunnel and underground railway system to feed paper to the presses. In 2016, the editorial offices moved to the NASCAR building on South Caldwell Street. The old facility
8232-578: The relationship between counties and incorporated cities. The powers of counties arise from state law and vary widely. In Connecticut and Rhode Island , counties are geographic entities, but not governmental jurisdictions. At the other extreme, Maryland counties and the county equivalent City of Baltimore handle almost all services, including public education , although the state retains an active oversight authority with many of these services. Counties in Hawaii also handle almost all services since there
8330-492: The requirements of the North Carolina Constitution of 1868 , Mecklenburg County was divided into 15 townships . 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: County (United States) In the United States , a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of
8428-546: 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 in 2012. The county swung even further in favor of Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, with both beating Obama's 2008 total. However, Republicans continue to retain some strength in local races. The major industries of Mecklenburg County are banking , manufacturing , and professional services, especially those supporting banking and medicine . Mecklenburg County
8526-796: The specific governmental powers of counties may vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships , municipalities , and unincorporated areas . Certain municipalities are in multiple counties ; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs . Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties , or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities . Conversely, counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island , eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties , and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions. The United States Census Bureau uses
8624-541: The state of South Carolina . In 1768, most of this area (the part of Mecklenburg County west of the Catawba River ) was designated Tryon 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 the American Revolutionary War , in 1792 the northeastern part of Mecklenburg County
8722-541: The state's French and Spanish colonial periods. Before the Louisiana Purchase and granting of statehood, government was often administered in towns where major church parishes were located. Of the original 19 civil parishes of Louisiana that date from statehood in 1807, nine were named after the Roman Catholic parishes from which they were governed. The structure and powers of a county government may be defined by
8820-421: The substantive and procedural law adjudicated in state trial courts originates from the state legislature and state appellate courts. In other words, most criminal defendants are prosecuted for violations of state law, not local ordinances, and if they, the district attorney, or police seek reforms to the criminal justice system, they will usually have to direct their efforts towards the state legislature rather than
8918-399: The term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names. Louisiana parishes, the organized boroughs of Alaska, independent cities, and the District of Columbia are equivalent to counties for administrative purposes. Alaska's Unorganized Borough is further divided into 11 census areas that are statistically equivalent to counties. In 2024,
9016-459: The third to win it with a majority since Franklin Roosevelt 's last campaign in 1944. In 2008, the county swung dramatically to support Barack 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 since 1976. At
9114-514: The village of Dorf Mecklenburg . Mecklenburg County was formed by English colonists in 1762 from the western part of Anson County , both in the Piedmont section of the state. It was named in commemoration of the marriage of King George III to Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , for whom the county seat Charlotte is named. Due to unsure boundaries, a large part of south and western Mecklenburg County extended into areas that would later form part of
9212-413: 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. The per capita income for the county was $ 27,352. About 6.60% of families and 9.20% of the population were below
9310-545: Was demolished and redeveloped into office space. The paper was founded in 1886 as the Charlotte Chronicle. The Chronicle was sold to Joseph Caldwell in 1892, and began appearing as the Charlotte Daily Observer on March 13, 1892. It was purchased by Knight Newspapers in 1955. Knight merged with Ridder Publications to form Knight Ridder in 1974. The Observer eventually became the fourth-largest newspaper in
9408-440: Was dissolved by the District of Columbia Organic Act . Jefferson County , for Thomas Jefferson , is next with 26. The most recent president to have a county named for him was Warren G. Harding , reflecting the slowing rate of county creation since New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912. The most common names for counties not named after a president are Franklin (25), Clay (18), and Montgomery (18). After people,
9506-464: Was established in 1837 in Charlotte and continued operations until 1913. The original building was moved from its original site and redeveloped as a museum . In 1917, during World War I , Camp Greene was established west of Charlotte as an army training camp. In 1919, after the end of WWI, it was decommissioned. Around the 1930s and 1940s, the population began to rapidly increase. During this time, Carolinas Medical Center and Charlotte College (now
9604-524: Was taken by the North Carolina legislature for Cabarrus County . Finally, in 1842 the southeastern part of Mecklenburg County was combined with the western part of Anson County to form Union County . The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was allegedly signed on May 20, 1775, and if the document is genuine, Mecklenburg County was the first part of the Thirteen Colonies to declare independence from Great Britain. The "Mecklenburg Resolves" were adopted on May 31, 1775. Mecklenburg continues to celebrate
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