The town of Cornelius, the second youngest of Mecklenburg County’s six
incorporated towns, was founded in 1893 but not incorporated until March
4, 1905. The Town’s origin has been traced by many historians to a
dispute over cotton weighing.
As a gateway to Lake Norman, Cornelius has become an attractive
residential location with 21,000 residents. The popular area around Lake
Norman has spawned numerous residential and commercial developments to
serve its growing population.
Just north of Cornelius is Davidson, the home of Davidson College.
Residents enjoy cultural and sporting events offered by the college, as
well as the amenities of Lake Norman and the town’s New England-flavored
main street.
The town has a little fewer than 10,000 residents. About 1,700 students
attend Davidson College, one of America’s premier liberal-arts schools.
Fifteen miles north of Charlotte and easily accessible by I-77,
Huntersville is home to about 40,000 people. Birkdale, one of
Huntersville’s most popular areas, is a 52-acre mixed use development
modeled after a New England sea coast town. It offers apartments,
single-family homes, shopping, dining, movies, live entertainment in
warm weather and a splash fountain that will entertain the kids for as
long as you can stand it. Huntersville is also home to several historic
sites including Latta Plantation Park, a large nature preserve and home
to the restored antebellum Latta Plantation.
Lake Norman is home to three bustling towns: Cornelius, Davidson and
Huntersville. These unique towns present a wide array of leisure
amenities for visitors and guests including upscale shopping, year-round
golfing, fishing and other water activities.
Created in 1963 by Duke Energy, Lake Norman is 34 miles long with 520
miles of shoreline. Lake Norman offers numerous attractions to explore.
Lake Norman is just north of Charlotte, and the mountains and coast are
only a short drive away.
The Lake Norman area offers a mild, four-season climate. Located in the
central part of North Carolina, the area is partially protected by the
western mountain ranges from cold air. Fall tends to be the area’s
driest season, with July tending to be the wettest month. Average
temperatures range from the high 30s to mid 50s in the winter and high
80s and mid 90s in the summer.
Mooresville is located in southern Iredell County in the Piedmont region
of North Carolina. The Town’s location between the Charlotte
metropolitan area and the city of Statesville, the County seat, has
created diversified employment opportunities. The Town is the municipal
center of the Mooresville-South Iredell region, an area that boasts Lake
Norman, the state’s largest man-made lake by surface area with 520
miles of shoreline.
The Town has experienced significant residential and commercial growth
in recent years.Census figures reflect an increase of approximately 100%
in the Town’s population between 1990 and 2000. The estimated
population in 2007 was 26,689.
The Town’s employment base is diversified including corporate
headquarters, manufacturing, medical, governmental and retail
activities. Known as Race City USA, the Town attracts new and expanding
investments by numerous NASCAR teams. Mooresville’s downtown area offers
a variety of goods and services including retail, governmental services
and the community’s Charles Mack Citizen Center.
University City, home to UNC Charlotte and University Research Park,
began to blossom in the late 1980s. The area is one of Charlotte’s
largest employment centers, with many technology and banking firms with
offices in University Research Park and nearby business parks. Housing
in this area is a great mix of single-family and multifamily choices.
This area also has some of Charlotte’s best choices for apartments,
condominiums, town homes and patio homes that serve college students and
young professionals.
Retail development is booming in this area, with more than 3 million
square feet of stores centered on W.T. Harris Boulevard and I-85,
including the new IKEA. The region’s largest outlet mall, Concord Mills,
lies just over the Cabarrus County line along I-85. Northlake Mall is
located at the I-77 and W.T. Harris Boulevard junction.