Everything About Concord, North Carolina

History

Concord has a long and storied history dating back to the 1700s. The city was incorporated in 1806 and named after the Revolutionary War battle that marked the beginning of the end for the British. In 1780, Concord was the site of a decisive Patriot victory over the British that helped spark their eventual surrender at Yorktown.

After the Revolutionary War, Concord continued to grow steadily as a center of trade and agriculture. It was located conveniently along several major transportation routes, which brought economic growth to the city. Concord served as a trading hub for the surrounding cotton farming area up through the antebellum period leading into the Civil War. The city also had a thriving railroad industry, which further cemented its status as an important regional commercial center.

During the Civil War, Concord was largely spared from major battle and destruction thanks to a negotiated surrender of the city to the Union Army early on during General Sherman’s Carolina campaign in 1865. However, the economic and social fallout from the war took a major toll on Concord like much of the post-war South.

Concord steadily rebounded during the 20th century as local textile and manufacturing industries began to thrive again. Its population doubled from just under 5,000 residents in 1900 to over 10,000 by the 1950s. This growth trajectory has continued up through the present, as Concord has swelled to over 94,000 residents today.

Geography

Concord is located just northeast of Charlotte in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. It spans a total land area of 61.8 square miles at an elevation ranging between 650 to 900 feet above sea level.

The city sits in a transitional zone between the Atlantic coastal forests to the east and the Piedmont forests to the west. As a result, Concord’s vegetation and landscape is characterized by a mix of rolling grasslands, small plains, deciduous oak forests, and pine flatwoods.

Waterways are not particularly prominent in the city, but Goose Creek and Browns Creek run through parts of Concord on their way to feed into the Yadkin River basin to the west. The largest water body wholly within the city is Lake Fisher, a small reservoir located in the northwest.

As the crow flies, Concord lies about 20 miles from Charlotte and 90 miles from Raleigh, the state capital. However, driving distances are a bit farther at about 25 miles to Charlotte and 95 miles to Raleigh owing to indirect connecting highways. Other nearby cities include Kannapolis, China Grove, Harrisburg, Mt. Pleasant, and Albemarle.

Geology

Geologically speaking, Concord sits atop an ancient bedrock base that formed up to a billion years ago out of granite, gneiss, schist, and volcanic rocks. On top of the volcanic bedrock foundation lies a layer of shale, sandstone, and conglomerates deposited up to 500 million years ago during the late Proterozoic and early Paleozoic eras when North Carolina was submerged under shallow seas.

Most recently during the Cretaceous period, the rise of the Appalachian Mountains led to the deposition of thick sand and clay sediments across the region. Subsequent erosion and soil formation processes over tens of millions of years resulted in the Piedmont landscape visible in Concord today characterized by gently rolling topography interspersed with steeper rocky ridges.

Tectonic forces have been relatively quiet in the Concord area for the last 30 million years. As a result, dramatic geologic activity like earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation seen in other parts of North America have largely spared the city which sits comfortably away from major fault lines or plate boundaries.

Neighborhoods

Concord features a diverse array of neighborhoods that offer residents plenty of choice in selecting the perfect place to put down roots. Some of the most prominent neighborhoods include:

Historic Downtown Concord: The lively mixed-use downtown area features stores, restaurants, churches, professional offices, and quaint homes centered around Union St and Corbin Ave. Historic landmarks like the county courthouse and numerous churches anchor this centrally-located district.

Beverly Hills / Elmhurst / Edgewood: Leafy residential streets spanning from NE Concord to W Concord dotted with charming craftsman bungalows, Tudor Revival homes, and newly built houses surrounding Jay M Robinson High School.

Harrisburg / Poplar Tent: Fast-growing suburban neighborhoods anchored by restaurants and big box stores around I-85 populated by many young families attracted by new construction homes and low taxes outside the city limits.

Enochville Avenue: Historic former streetcar suburb featuring stately early 20th century Victorian homes and churches running along the avenue leading to Uptown Charlotte in western Concord.

Albemarle Road: Bustling retail corridor lined with shopping centers, hotels, and casual eateries centered around Concord Mills mall – North Carolina’s largest outlet and value retail shopping destination.

Each neighborhood has its own distinctive local history and character for residents seeking convenience, community, suburban comfort, or historic architectural charm in their ideal place to live.

Climate

Concord features a humid subtropical climate characterized by relatively mild winters and hot, humid summers. Its inland Piedmont location keeps temperatures slightly cooler than coastal areas during summer and warmer than the mountains during winter.

On average, Concord sees high temperatures peak around 89 F in July with average lows bottoming out around 35 F in January. However, extremes can range from over 100 F down to single digits for brief periods during heat waves or cold snaps.

Precipitation is moderate and spread evenly throughout the year. Spring tends to be the wettest season while fall is often the driest. Snow is uncommon but possible during winter cold fronts with the city seeing about 3 to 6 inches of snow accumulation annually.

Thunderstorms are common during summer primarily in the afternoon hours. Though rare, tornadoes spawned by hurricanes or leading squall lines pose the most significant severe weather threat to the area. However, the overall weather risk profile is relatively mild compared to other regions like Tornado Alley or hurricane-prone coastal areas.

Demographics

Concord is currently home to an estimated 94,546 people as of 2019. Compared to North Carolina as a whole, Concord has seen faster population growth over the last two decades, ballooning by over 40% since 2000 in contrast to the statewide average of 21% over the same period.

In terms of racial and ethnic makeup, Concord is slightly less diverse than the state overall. The city is predominantly white at around 75% of the population with Blacks/African-Americans making up most minorities at 20%. Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders collectively account for less than 5%. Just 13% identify as Hispanic compared to 9.8% statewide.

The median household income sits at $50,674 which falls several thousand dollars short of the North Carolina median. About 14% of residents live below the poverty line.

Concord residents are relatively young on average compared to the rest of North Carolina. With a median age of 36.7 years old, over a quarter of the city’s population is under age 20 reflecting the many young families that call Concord home. Seniors make up just 15% of residents over age 65.

Economy

Concord possesses a diverse economic base anchored by motorsports, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, education, and technological innovation among other industries. Below is an overview of some major drivers:

Motorsports: As home to Lowes Motor Speedway and several NASCAR teams, Concord sits at the epicenter of stock car racing which brings tourist revenue and high-skill racing jobs to the area.

Manufacturing: Major employers producing valves, tires, steel tubes, and other industrial products employ thousands of skilled laborers in and around Concord especially in the north and west reaches.

Retail: Retail drives the service sector employing over a quarter of Concord’s workforce, concentrated heavily along US-29 and I-85 at Concord Mills and other shopping centers that draw visitors from around the region.

Technology: Emerging tech companies focused on motorsports performance analytics, IoT devices, and eSports centered around North Carolina Research Campus and other shared workspaces signal growth in skilled tech jobs.

Healthcare: Fast-growing Northeast Medical Center hospitals and clinics offer over 1,100 healthcare jobs in Concord as the aging population demands more medical services.

Education: Cabarrus County Schools headquartered in Concord employ over 3,500 to serve nearly 33,000 enrolled K-12 students across the district’s 48 schools.

Culture

Concord offers small town Southern charm combined with suburban growth. Below are some highlights of Concord’s culture:

Southern Hospitality: Concord residents pride themselves on embodying the warmth and welcoming nature that defines Southern hospitality from addressing strangers as “sir” or “ma’am” to joining newcomers for sweet tea on the porch.

Family Focus: The city revolves around family and faith-based communities reflected in church potlucks and youth sports leagues that bring neighbors together regularly as extended family. Sunday dinners, backyard barbecues, and holiday gatherings take priority.

Racing Heritage: With the heart of NASCAR in its backyard, racing culture runs deep as a source of identity and pride through races at the Speedway, hall of fame drivers, and gear shops found across Concord.

Agricultural Roots: Surrounded by cotton fields and farms, Concord still celebrates its agricultural heritage through events like fall harvest festivals and the North Carolina Strawberry Festival each spring.

Suburban Growth: While small town charm persists around Concord’s historic core, continued growth has shifted areas like Harrisburg and Poplar Tent towards chain restaurants and big box stores befitting many suburban communities today.

Colleges and universities

While no major colleges or universities call the city proper home, Concord sits a short drive from a number of higher education institutions including:

University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Large public research university 20 minutes from downtown Concord offering over 30,000 students Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral programs across 9 colleges from arts to engineering to health sciences.

Cabarrus College of Health Sciences: Small teaching college focused solely on degrees in nursing, occupational/physical therapy and related medical fields. The intimate campus sits just 5 minutes from downtown Concord.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College: Nearby community college based in Salisbury with a smaller second campus in Concord that provides two-year Associate’s degrees, career certificates and continuing education programs to over 25,000 students annually.

Stanly Community College: Another community college with a satellite campus in Concord offering Associate’s degrees, job training programs, and affordable higher education access to western Cabarrus county residents.

While not home to any major universities itself, Concord’s location right between the largest school in the state system (UNC Charlotte) and two thriving community colleges offers plenty of higher learning options just minutes outside the city.

Media

Residents of Concord stay informed through the following print, online, radio, and television outlets based in and around Cabarrus County:

The Independent Tribune: Local daily newspaper delivering community stories, high school sports coverage, event calendars, and more throughout Cabarrus County. Now published under the Gannett banner that also prints USA Today and local editions of The Charlotte Observer.

WFAE 90.7: NPR affiliate broadcasting syndicated public radio programming from studios at UNC Charlotte which also features some local Cabarrus-focused news briefs and events coverage mixed into the regular national lineup.

WGTL 88.1: Low-power Christian radio station based in Concord affiliated with the Moody Bible Institute providing religious programming to listeners around Cabarrus County.

Q98 Rocks: Popular commercial FM radio station on 98.3 owned by Beasley Media Group serving up a mix of classic and mainstream rock hits throughout the wider Charlotte metro.

WSOC (Channel 9) / WBTV (Channel 3): Major network affiliate stations based in Charlotte but covering breaking news, weather, and notable events in neighboring Cabarrus County as one unified metro viewing market for all intents and purposes.

Roadways

Concord sits at the intersection of three major transportation corridors that have fueled economic growth dating back to its early history. Today, expansions continue to keep pace with swelling suburbs. Key routes include:

I-85: Major 8-lane interstate connecting Atlanta to Richmond slicing through Cabarrus County with exits at nearly every major center of commerce including Concord Mills and the burgeoning suburban developments clustered around the highway.

US Route 29: Primary north-south highway running immediately east of downtown Concord towards Charlotte and the University area. US-29 connects Concord to Uptown as a vital commuter corridor that continues to see widening projects, traffic lights, and intersections improvements to accommodate growth.

NC Highway 49: Historically important route following in the footsteps of the old trading path and Native American trails winding northwest from Concord through China Grove towards Statesville. Though less traveled today beyond serving local traffic into Rowan County, NC-49 retains its place as the official state historical marker of the Gold Rush trail tracing early 19th century mining settlements.

Beyond the highways, Concord maintains nearly 1,000 lane miles of secondary arterials, residential streets, and rural routes stitching old and new neighborhoods together as development pushes outward from the urbanizing core towards the outskirts of Cabarrus County in all directions.

Major Landmarks

Some of the most notable and recognizable landmarks in Concord include:

Charlotte Motor Speedway: Concord’s claim to international fame, the 1.5 mile raceway complex hosts NASCAR’s longest and fastest events, drawing hundreds of thousands of racing fans from around the world to spend money locally across Cabarrus County.

Concord Mills Mall: Sprawling outlet shopping complex anchored by Bass Pro Shops, Dave & Buster’s, and other big box stores/restaurants that sees 13 million visitors annually as one of North Carolina’s highest grossing tourist destinations.

Historic Courthouse: Dating back to the 1920s, the classically columned, domed Cabarrus County Courthouse occupies a full city block as the governmental core housing the county library, legal offices, and inconveniently metered street parking.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Clock Tower: Soaring 190 foot tall clock tower featuring an elevator to an observation deck as well as a memorial courtyard and museum honoring local Vietnam War veterans.

Reed Gold Mine: Site of the first documented gold find in the United States back in 1799 with restored mining structures and guided tours that provide a window into Concord’s role in sparking the nation’s first gold rush.

From auto racing palaces to outlet empires to the site that changed American history, Concord punches above its weight in destination landmarks worth visiting for both locals and tourists alike.