Steele Creek | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 35°08′04″N80°58′43″W / 35.1345°N 80.9785°W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
County | Mecklenburg County |
City | Charlotte |
Council District | 3 |
Founded | 1760 [1] |
Annexed | 1987–Ongoing [2] |
Government | |
• City Council | Tiawana Brown [3] |
Area | |
• Total | 47 sq mi (120 km2) |
Elevation | 600 ft (200 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 76,301 [4] [lower-alpha 1] |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
ZIP code | 28273, 28278 |
Area code(s) | 704, 980 |
GNIS feature ID | 1001413 [5] |
Steele Creek is primarily considered to be a community and neighborhood in the southwestern part of Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. It is generally defined geographically by the original boundaries of Steele Creek Township. [6] Most of Steele Creek is within the city limits of Charlotte but the areas that have not yet been annexed are also recognized as a Township of North Carolina. [7]
The population of the Steele Creek community was 76,301 as of 2020, roughly two-thirds of which is located within the City of Charlotte. [4] [8]
The Steele Creek community derives its name from the small creek bearing the same name. It is believed that name "Steele" was the family surname of Scotch-Irish immigrants who settled in the area in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. [8] The region was eventually designated as Steele Creek Township, one of the original 15 Townships of Mecklenburg County. [6]
In 1959, the North Carolina State Legislature revised laws that govern how cities may annex adjacent areas, allowing municipalities to annex unincorporated lands without permission of those residents. [9] This change in North Carolina law led to adoption of an aggressive annexation policy by the City of Charlotte, which repeatedly expanded its borders by annexing land within Steele Creek Township, which had never been formally incorporated. [10]
Despite nearly two-thirds of Steele Creek being annexed by Charlotte, the region remained primarily rural farmland until the 2000s, when significant infrastructure improvements greatly accelerated the effects of suburban sprawl. The widening of NC 49, the replacement of the old Buster Boyd Bridge, and the opening of I-485, spurred tremendous growth in both residential and commercial development. Today Steele Creek is the fastest growing region of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County, with more than a 70% population boom between 2000 and 2007. [11]
Steele Creek has several subdivisions within its area, most of which are residential. Listed here are the most notable subdivisions:
The first school in Steele Creek was founded in the 1780s. [17] Today, Steele Creek is served by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) district. These include Olympic High, Palisades High, Kennedy Middle, Southwest Middle, Lake Wylie Elementary, Steele Creek Elementary, Winget Park Elementary, River Gate Elementary, Berewick Elementary, South Pine Academy and Palisades Park Elementary. [18]
Steele Creek is served by a branch of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. [19] The library is located on Steele Creek Road in front of Southwest Middle School.
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) offers local and express bus service in the area. [20]
Current routes:
Water and Trash pick-up is mostly serviced by the city of Charlotte, though third-party companies do service some developments in the area. Electricity is provided by Duke Energy, which holds a monopoly. Natural gas is provided by Piedmont Natural Gas, which holds a monopoly. Data/Telephone/Television service is all offered by AT&T, Charter Communications, Windstream Communications, and Comporium (Ayrsley area only).
Atrium Health Steele Creek is a healthcare pavilion that includes a 24-hour emergency department. Patients that require long-term care are transferred to another hospital, such as Atrium Health Pineville or Carolinas Medical Center. Outpatient services is also available at three Urgent Care centers: Atrium Health Urgent Care Steele Creek, Novant Health GoHealth Urgent Care–Berewick and Novant Health GoHealth Urgent Care–Steele Creek.
Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 15th-most populous city in the United States, the seventh-most populous city in the South, and the second-most populous city in the Southeast behind Jacksonville, Florida. The city is the cultural, economic, and transportation center of the Charlotte metropolitan area, whose 2020 population of 2,660,329 ranked 22nd in the United States. Metrolina is part of a sixteen-county market region or combined statistical area with a 2020 population of 2,822,352.
Mecklenburg County is a county located in the southwestern region of the 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 and the first county in the Carolinas to surpass one million in population. Its county seat is Charlotte, the state's largest community.
Pineville is a suburban town in the southernmost portion of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. Part of the Charlotte metropolitan area, it is situated in the Waxhaws district between Charlotte and Fort Mill.
Interstate 485 (I-485) is a 66.68-mile-long (107.31 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway encircling Charlotte, North Carolina. As a complete loop, it is primarily signed with "inner" and "outer" designations, though at some major interchanges, supplemental signage reflects the local compass orientation of the road. The entire route lies within Mecklenburg County.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is a local education agency headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the public school system for Mecklenburg County. With over 147,000 students enrolled, it is the second-largest school district in North Carolina and the eighteenth-largest in the nation. The system is best known nationally for its role as the respondent in the landmark 1971 Supreme Court decision Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
North Carolina Highway 51 (NC 51) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina entirely in Mecklenburg County. It connects the towns of Pineville, Matthews and Mint Hill.
North Carolina Highway 160 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The highway runs north–south, connecting the Steele Creek neighborhood of Charlotte, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and Uptown Charlotte.
Route 4 is an 18.6-mile (29.9 km) partial ring road located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Beginning and ending at Interstate 85 (I-85), it loops south around Uptown Charlotte along state-maintained secondary roads, connecting the Charlotte Douglas International Airport and several city neighborhoods including Madison Park, Myers Park, Windsor Park and Sugar Creek. The route is posted by the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT), using a modified pentagonal county road shield, with a green background and the city's crown logo above the number. The loop has a radius of about 4 miles (6.4 km), hence the number.
SouthPark is an area edge city in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Its name is derived from the upscale SouthPark Mall, which opened on February 12, 1970. At nearly 1.8 million square feet, SouthPark Mall is the largest shopping mall in Charlotte and all of the Carolinas. The area is geographically centered at the intersection of Fairview Road and Sharon Road in the south central sector of the city, about six miles south of Uptown Charlotte. In addition to being home to the mall, SouthPark is also a residential area and one of the larger business districts in Charlotte. SouthPark is typical of the mixed-use developments found in many larger cities.
University City is an edge city mostly within the city limits of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, surrounding the University of North Carolina at Charlotte campus. It is found in northeastern Mecklenburg County, southeast of Interstate 85 and predominantly along University City Boulevard and W.T. Harris Boulevard. Interstate 485 and US 29 also pass through the area. In 2019, the LYNX Blue Line was extended from Uptown Charlotte to University City. It is neighbored by the town of Harrisburg to the east and the city of Concord to the northeast. Attractions along University City's outskirts include Charlotte Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall. The area is managed and overseen by the University City Partners, one of the six Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte.
Eastland is a neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. The area is named after the former eponymous mall, that was demolished in 2014. Eastland is almost seven and a half miles from Uptown, Charlotte.
The transportation needs for the city of Charlotte, North Carolina are served by an expanding mass transit system, major airport, and several highways.
The Charlotte metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as Metrolina, is a metropolitan area of the U.S. states of North and South Carolina, containing the city of Charlotte. The metropolitan area also includes the cities of Gastonia, Concord, Huntersville, and Rock Hill as well as the large suburban area in the counties surrounding Mecklenburg County, which is at the center of the metro area. Located in the Piedmont, it is the largest metropolitan area in the Carolinas, and the fourth largest in the Southeastern United States. The Charlotte metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States.
Ray's Splash Planet is a Mecklenburg County, North Carolina funded water park located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The aquatic facility is operated by the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation department. Ray's Splash Planet is considered one of the largest indoor water parks in both of the Carolinas and is the largest water park in Charlotte, North Carolina, with over 29,000 square feet of space and using over 117,000 gallons of water at 87 degrees. The water is cleaned and sanitized through the use of chlorine, filtration and an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation system. There are multiple attractions including the Blue Comet, a three-story figure 8 slide, and other family friendly attractions like the Orbiter, Saturation Station, the Vortex, Meteor Showers, Moon Beach and the Sea of Tranquility. The water park also features a fitness center and gymnasium shared with the Irwin Academic Center, an educational center of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system. The first floor of the facility includes the pool area, locker rooms, birthday party classrooms and concessions stand. The second story includes the fitness center with an aerobics/dance studio. Access to the indoor gymnasium is also located on the second floor. Ray's Splash Planet is located on North Sycamore Street near Johnson & Wales University and is just off Interstate 77 in North Carolina in the Third Ward section of Uptown Charlotte. The water park opened on October 15, 2002 with help from Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation's partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Major competitors are Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina, Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, North Carolina and Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Little Sugar Creek Greenway is a linear park and stream restoration project in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. When completed it will consist of twenty miles of trails and paved walkways running from Cordelia Park just north of uptown Charlotte, then south through midtown Charlotte, and continuing all the way to the South Carolina state line. The Little Sugar Creek Greenway is a key part of the Cross Charlotte Trail (XCLT) and a segment in the Carolina Thread Trail, a regionwide network of trails that pass through 15 counties.
The Lynx Blue Line is a light rail line in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Opened in 2007, it was the first rail line of the Charlotte Area Transit System, and the first major rapid rail service of any kind in the state. The 26-station, 19.3-mile (31.1 km) line extends from its northern terminus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in University City through NoDa, Uptown, and South End, then runs along South Boulevard to its southern terminus just north of Interstate 485 at the Pineville city limits. The line carries an average of over 27,700 passenger trips every day and offers connections to the CATS' CityLynx Gold Line which opened in 2015.
Paw Creek is primarily considered to be a community and neighborhood in the northwest part of Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. It is generally defined geographically by the original boundaries of Paw Creek Township. Most of Paw Creek is within the city limits of Charlotte but the areas that have not yet been annexed are also recognized as a Township of North Carolina.
York Road, and recently referred to as Lower South End (LoSo) by redevelopers and businesses wanting to emulate the Charlotte neighborhoods of NoDa and South End, is a mixed-use development neighborhood of commercial, industrial, and residential in Charlotte, North Carolina. Located along South Tryon Street (NC 49), it is bounded by Woodlawn Road to the south, Bill Lee Freeway (I-77/US 21) to the west, Clanton Road to the north, and South Boulevard to the east.