Undergraduate Catalog
2005 - 2007

 

FAST FACTS

• The Charlotte MSA – comprised of 5 North Carolina counties including Anson, Cabarrus, Gaston, Mecklenburg and Union – hosted more than 14 million visitors during calendar year 2002. Mecklenburg County ranks first in travel impact, the economic impact of domestic tourism on our county on an annual basis, among North Carolina's 100 counties. (3)

• The population of the city of Charlotte is estimated at 615,000 with more than 1.5 million residents in the metro area. (1)

• The 21st largest city in the United States, Charlotte is the largest trading center in the southeast, second largest financial center in the United States, and the center of the nation's fifth largest urban region. (2)

• Visitors to Charlotte find comfort in more than 30,000 hotel rooms in its metro area, with more than 4,100 within walking distance of the Charlotte Convention Center.

• Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the national hub of US Airways, carries on average more than 500 flights a day and has more flights per capita than any other airport in the nation. In 2002, Charlotte/Douglas enplaned more than 23.5 million passengers. US Airways offers service to more than 100 cities, with direct daily service to London and Mexico City.  Lufthansa began daily service from Charlotte to its Munich hub in 2004. (4)

• Charlotte is the largest and most accessible city between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA.  More than 55% of the United States population lives within a 2-hour flight of Charlotte and 6 million people live within a 100-mile radius. (2)

• Charlotte offers drivers convenient access to the Queen City by way of its highly efficient and growing interstate highway system. I-77 and I-85 connect Charlotte to cities in the Northeast, Southwest, and Midwest. Convenient I-40, less than one hour north, provides an important east/west link with coast-to-coast access. (2)

• Charlotte is a sports enthusiast's dream! World-class professional sporting events are held in Charlotte throughout the year, many of which call Charlotte home:  NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 and NEXTEL All-Star, the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, WNBA Charlotte Sting, NFL Carolina Panthers, AAA Charlotte Knights, and even our own ice hockey and soccer teams, the ECHL Charlotte Checkers and AW Charlotte Eagles.
   

• Amtrak provides daily passenger rail service to the north and south with connections to the east/west lines accessing most of the United States, as well as its Piedmont train to Raleigh and Carolinian train to New York. (2)

• Charlotte's key attractions include Paramount's Carowinds theme and water park, Discovery Place science center and OMNIMAX Theatre and the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.

• More than $970 billion in financial assets are managed in the Charlotte region, home to the headquarters of the largest (Bank of America) and fourth largest (Wachovia) bank holding companies in the country. (2)

• Visitors can experience Charlotte's Center City by riding the Gold Rush rubber-wheeled trolley service, or ride the rails and take a relaxing guided tour of Charlotte when you climb aboard Streetcar # 85 – an electric streetcar built in the Queen City in 1927. During this two-mile jaunt through Historic South End and the Center City, hear about Charlotte's rise as an industrial and financial center and note the many historic landmarks along the route. Hop off to enjoy antique shopping and fine dining. The trolley showcases Charlotte's growing, diverse community and introduces many to smart city planning and transit. Charlotte's vintage trolleys animate the city center, connecting thriving urban neighborhoods with business and entertainment, creating a moving, changing classroom for exploring science, technology and the story of Charlotte's past and future.

• On the heels of trolley service, Charlotte's new rapid transit system, scheduled for completion in 2006 will provide light rail service along a ten-mile corridor from Center City Charlotte south to I-485, north of Pineville. A unique feature is the plan to share a length of track with the Charlotte Trolley. The South Corridor Light Rail Transit line is projected to attract approximately 16,100 riders per day, and will require 15 light rail vehicles. A combination of local, state and federal funds is proposed to fund the project.

• The Charlotte region is comprised of 16 counties, including two counties in South Carolina, with the city of Charlotte serving as the hub.

• The U.S. Conference of Mayors has bestowed the honor of "Most Livable City" upon Charlotte.  Additionally, the non-profit Partners for Livable Communities decided Charlotte was one of the four of "America's Most Livable" this decade. (2)
   

• Fortune Magazine named Charlotte the city with the # 1 "Pro-Business Attitude" in America. Charlotte ranks fifth in the number of Fortune-headquartered companies; more than 300 of the Fortune 500 businesses have an office in Charlotte.

• Site Selection Magazine placed Charlotte # 1 in foreign business growth; there are more than 500 foreign-owned firms in Charlotte.

Photos courtesy of Visit Charlotte.  For more information about accommodations, entertainment, culture, recreation, and shopping in Charlotte,  please visit  www.visitcharlotte.com. 

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