University City | |
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Nickname(s): U-City, University Area, University | |
Coordinates: 35°21′25″N80°45′11″W / 35.357°N 80.753°W | |
Country | United States |
State | North Carolina |
County | Mecklenburg County |
City | Charlotte |
Council Districts | 2, 4 |
Government | |
• City Council |
|
Population (2012) [2] | |
• Total | 160,000 |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Zip Code | 28213, 28262, 28269 |
Area code(s) | 704, 980 |
Website | University City Partners |
Quality of Life Dashboard |
University City (sometimes University Area or U-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 (NC 49) and W.T. Harris Boulevard (NC 24). Interstate 485 and US 29 (N. Tryon Street) 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.
University City is home to the University Research Park (located on the other side of I-85), one of the largest research parks in the state, and the PNC Music Pavilion. IKEA opened a store in University City on February 18, 2009. [3] This is the first and only IKEA in the Carolinas.
University City is also one of six Municipal Service Districts in Charlotte. [4]
University City has an estimated population of more than 160,000 within its unofficial borders, which includes parts of Charlotte, Concord and Harrisburg. Were it to be separated from the rest of Charlotte as its own city, University City would be North Carolina's seventh largest city.
Following the opening of the LYNX Blue Line in 2019, University City has seen an increase in development, similar to that of South End. As of 2020, the corridor following the Blue Line has 338,000 square feet of office space, 200 hotel rooms, 3,200 apartments, and an entertainment district anchored by a Topgolf location. [5] On July 1, 2020, Centene Corporation announced a 130-acre, $1 billion East Coast headquarters campus in University City. [6]
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 U.S., 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 U.S. Metrolina is part of a sixteen-county market region or combined statistical area with a 2020 census-estimated population of 2,846,550.
Kannapolis is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties, in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte and is a suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The city of Kannapolis was incorporated in 1984. The population was 53,114 at the 2020 census, which makes Kannapolis the 19th most populous city in North Carolina. It is the home of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, the Low-A baseball affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, and it is the hometown of the Earnhardt racing family. It is also the headquarters for the Haas F1 racing team. The center of the city is home to the North Carolina Research Campus, a public-private venture that focuses on food, nutrition, and biotech research.
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 city.
Cabarrus County is a county located in the south-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 225,804. The county seat is Concord, which was incorporated in 1803. Cabarrus County is included in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Concord is the county seat and most populous city in Cabarrus County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 105,240. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second-most populous city in the Charlotte metropolitan area and is the 10th most populous city in North Carolina and 287th most populous city in the U.S.
Harrisburg, a northeastern suburb of Charlotte, is a city in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was estimated to be 16,576 as of 1 July 2019.
Gastonia is the most populous city in and county seat of Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. It is the second-largest satellite city of the Charlotte area, behind Concord. The population was 80,411 in the 2020 census, up from 71,741 in 2010. Gastonia is the 13th most populous city in North Carolina. It is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area.
U.S. Route 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for 1,036 miles (1,667 km) from Pensacola, Florida, to the western suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland in the Southern United States, connecting the Florida Panhandle to the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. The highway takes on an overall northeast-southwest direction, from its southern terminus at US 90 and US 98 in Pensacola to its northern terminus at Maryland Route 99 (MD 99) in Ellicott City, Maryland.
South End is a high density commercial and residential neighborhood and edge city in Charlotte, North Carolina, known for its vibrant mix of residential, commercial, and industrial development. The neighborhood is located just south of Uptown Charlotte, the city's central business district, and is bounded by the major thoroughfares of South Boulevard, East/West Boulevard, and Interstate 277. It is also one of six Municipal Service Districts in 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.
North Carolina Highway 49 (NC 49) is a 177.8-mile primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It traverses much of the Piedmont region, connecting the cities of Charlotte, Asheboro, and Burlington.
I-485/South Boulevard is a light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The elevated island platform is the southern terminus stop along the Lynx Blue Line and includes the second largest park and ride operated by Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). Serving both Carolina Pavilion and Sterling neighborhood in the immediate area, it also serves commuters from Pineville, Ballantyne, and the South Carolina border towns.
East/West Boulevard is a light rail station in Charlotte, North Carolina. The at-grade dual side platforms are a stop along the Lynx Blue Line and serves South End and nearby Dilworth and Wilmore neighborhoods.
Central North Carolina, also known as the Piedmont, is a region of North Carolina. It is located between the Mountains to the west and the Coastal Plain to the east. It is the most populous region of the state, containing Charlotte, the state capital of Raleigh, and Greensboro. These cities form the Piedmont Crescent region, much of which parallels I-85. The geography of the Piedmont primarily consists of rolling hills. Historically the region has been known for furniture and textile manufacturing.
U.S. Route 29 is a United States highway that runs for 168 miles (270 km) from the South Carolina state line, near Blacksburg, to the commonwealth of Virginia, near Danville. It is signed with north–south cardinal directions, but is actually a north-east and south-west diagonal highway throughout the state. The route serves the North Carolina Piedmont, including the cities of Charlotte, Salisbury, High Point, and Greensboro. From Salisbury to Greensboro, US 29 spends roughly a third of its length in the state being concurrent with US 70.
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.
This article is intended to give an overview of transportation in North Carolina.
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.
JW Clay Blvd/UNC Charlotte is a light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located on North Tryon Street at JW Clay Boulevard in University City. The station consists of a single island platform in the street's median, connected via pedestrian overpass to both sides of North Tryon Street and to an adjacent parking garage. The parking garage charges a flat weekday fee for all riders that do not have a one-day, weekly or monthly pass. JW Clay Blvd/UNC Charlotte station is west of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte campus and is near Jerry Richardson Stadium. The station opened on March 16, 2018.