museum
NASCAR Hall of Fame
Interactive entertainment attraction honoring NASCAR's greatest drivers with racing simulators and historic stock cars.
1 km · about 5 min drive
North AmericaUnited StatesNorth Carolina
Charlotte
North Carolina, United States · North America
About Charlotte
Charlotte is worth a stop: 20 minutes from Matthews, 1km from NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Charlotte is in North Carolina, United States, with about 910,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Matthews, about 16 km away.
Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. With a population of 874,579 at the 2020 census, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., seventh-most populous city in the South, and second-most populous city in the Southeast (after Jacksonville, Florida). The Charlotte metropolitanRead more
area, with an estimated 2.88 million residents, is the 21st-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and lies at the center of an 18-county combined statistical area with an estimated population of 3.47 million as of 2024. Charlotte is the county seat of Mecklenburg County.
Charlotte is named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who became queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland in 1761. It was inhabited by the Catawba people, whose trading paths along the Great Wagon Road became the city's first streets, before Eurpean settlers arrived in the 18th century. Charlotte was incorporated in 1768. Local leaders and signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence in 1775, one of the first such declarations that eventually led to the American Revolution. Railroads turned Charlotte into a regional trading hub after the American Civil War, and by 1910 it had surpassed Wilmington as North Carolina's largest city. Throughout the 2020s, it has remained one of the fastest-growing major cities in the United States.
Charlotte has a humid subtropical climate. It is located several miles east of the Catawba River and southeast of Lake Norman, the largest human-made lake in North Carolina. Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake are two smaller human-made lakes located near the city. As of 2024, 66% of the city's area is occupied by green spaces. The city ranks as the greenest in North America and 28th in the world. Charlotte is home to the corporate headquarters of Bank of America, Honeywell, Truist Financial, and the East Coast headquarters of Wells Fargo, which, when combined with other Charlotte-based financial institutions, makes the city the second-largest banking center in the nation.
Charlotte's notable attractions include three major league professional sports teams, the Carolina Panthers of the NFL, the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA, and Charlotte FC of MLS. The city is also home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Opera Carolina, Charlotte Symphony, Charlotte Ballet, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, Mint Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Billy Graham Library, Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte Museum of History, Carowinds amusement park, and U.S. National Whitewater Center. Residents of Charlotte are referred to as "Charlotteans".
Where to Stay in Charlotte
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Charlotte?
Within an hour or so of Charlotte: NASCAR Hall of Fame (1 km), Carowinds (16 km), Charlotte Motor Speedway (20 km).
Where is Charlotte?
Charlotte is in North Carolina, United States, about 16 km from Matthews.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 911,311
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Region
- North Carolina
- Timezone
- America/New_York
- Coordinates
- 35.2271, -80.8431
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United States
AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.
Full driving guide for United StatesTags
Worth the detour from Charlotte
3 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Carowinds
Theme park straddling the North and South Carolina border with record-breaking coasters and a massive waterpark.
16 km · about 20 min drive
racetrack
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Heart of NASCAR country in Concord, NC, offering speedway tours and the chance to drive a stock car at racing speed.
20 km · about 25 min drive
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