WELCOME TO METROPOLITAN CHARLOTTE
The multi-county region that encompasses Metropolitan Charlotte is one of the fastest-growing in the Mid-Atlantic and in the nation. The city of Charlotte serves as a dynamic and cosmopolitan hub of this vast area, which also includes two counties beyond the South Carolina state line. Charlotte is the largest, most accessible city between the national capital of Washington DC and Dallas. Offering a location that is convenient to traveling in any direction, the city has earned the nickname of “International Gateway to the South.” Transportation efficiencies add to the livability factor, from the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport to a well-planned interstate highway network. Both Interstate 77 and 85 link the Charlotte metro area to cities in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. To the north, Interstate 40 offers an important east-west corridor for coast-to-coast travel.
Progressive, well-supported educational facilities ensure quality public and private schools on every academic level. From preschool through graduate school, this region offers easy access to well-managed learning environments that include industrial training and continuing education. Career and vocational programs combine with college-track degrees on the campuses for regional community colleges. The main campus for the Central Piedmont Community College is located in Charlotte, although other campuses and other community college systems are strategically located throughout the vast metropolitan area. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has matured over the decades to assume a leading position as a research-intensive doctoral institution. The lovely UNC Charlotte campus is graced by woodlands, manmade lakes, celebrated gardens, and grand architecture to enrich the region visually as well as intellecturally and culturally. Some of the regional private colleges include Barber-Scotia College, Belmont Abbey College, Catawba College, Davidson College, Gardner-Webb University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Livingstone College, Pfeiffer University, Queens College, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and Wingate University.
State-of-the-art healthcare services and facilities in Metropolitan Charlotte are anchored by well-managed major health systems like Carolinas Healthcare. This network of hospitals, clinics, and specialty units is anchored by the flagship campus of the Carolinas Medical Center. CMC enjoys a peerless reputation for excellence in advanced care, named Charlotte’s preferred hospital by the National Research Corporation for nearly a decade. One of the largest public hospital system in the nation, Carolinas Healthcare serves patients from western North Carolina, South Carolina, and throughout the Southwest. Offering more than 860 total beds, the Carolinas Medical Center is the region’s Level I trauma center and Level IV neonatal intensive care provider. CMC is also the home of Levine Children’s Hospital, the largest pediatric hospital between Atlanta and Washington, DC. Other leading hospitals and medical centers are strategically located throughout the suburbs and rural areas, ensuring access to everything from routine to advanced care close to home.
