Welcome to Charlotte Dickens Mitchener

CATAWBA COUNTY

County Offices
100 A South West Boulevard
Newton 828-465-8200
https://www.catawbacountync.gov

Chamber of Commerce
1055 Southgate Corporate Park SW
Hickory 828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

Services
Offering eight diverse municipalities and a blend of small-town friendliness with urban amenities, Catawba County is a popular relocation choice within Metropolitan Charlotte. Three excellent school districts and more than 40 public schools reflect the county’s commitment to provide the finest educational opportunities from preschool through graduate school and continuing education. A number of private institutions—both parochial and independent—provide additional alternatives to interested parents. Two institutions of higher learning are located in Catawba County, a private liberal arts college and a public community college. Combining the liberal arts with professional studies, Lenoir-Rhyne College provides a solid foundation in the arts, humanities, social sciences, language, religion, and natural sciences. Catawba Valley Community College provides a rich variety of educational opportunities that include vocational and career programs, a two-year college transfer program, and continuing education. Other choices close to home include Appalachian State University in Boone, Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, and Western Carolina University in Cullowhee.

Healthcare services and facilities in Catawba County are state of the art, anchored by two outstanding hospitals and encompassing an expansive professional community as well as a network of supportive institutions. Catawba Valley Medical Center is the region’s largest not-for-profit community hospital, dedicated to the health and well being of the residents of Catawba Valley. In 2001 the medical center was honored as a “Magnet Hospital” by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Only the 32nd institution to seek and attain this level of excellence, the hospital garnered the distinction on the merits of patient care. The hospital operates a number of family practice centers throughout the county, including Catawba, Claremont, Hickory, Maiden, and Denver. The other leader within this region is Frye Regional Medical Center, respected throughout Western North Carolina for combining the latest in medical technology with quality care.

Lifestyle
Nestled along the rolling Catawba River in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Catawba County provides a panoramic backdrop for the beauty of all four seasons. Newcomers will discover the best of all worlds, including beautiful neighborhoods, a low cost of living, cultural diversity, a vast array of recreational opportunities, and cultural enrichment. New businesses as well as new residents are avidly discovering this thriving area. Internationally known as a center of furniture manufacturing, this area is also the nation’s center for the manufacture and development of fiber optics and telecommunications cable. Preserving the openness and natural beauty of the area is the lucrative agricultural industry and Grade A dairies. The result is an area that appeals to every taste and lifestyle, from the simple country live to upscale amenities and exclusive housing developments.

Three lakes, lushly wooded shorelines, and a mild climate sheltered by mountain splendor encourage every imaginable outdoor adventure. Catawba County is home to everything from lush golf courses and fishing tournaments to minor-league baseball and motor car racing thrills at the Hickory Motor Speedway. More than 25 public parks offer trails, picnic areas, lake access, horseback riding, biking, and playgrounds. Residents of all ages will find sports leagues, civic groups, hobby clubs, and a wide variety of recreational programs from arts and crafts to sports.

Festivals and celebrations dot the calendar. Aficionados of the arts can enjoy the symphony, theatre, and choral performances close to home as well as important galleries and centers for the visual arts. The Hickory Museum of Art is one of the oldest in the state, renowned for its concentration of American art from the 19th to the 20th century. The Newton-Conover Civic & Performance Place, providing both performance space and an art gallery, has emerged as one of the region’s most attractive and essential venues. Families will appreciate the blend of education with fun at the Catawba Science Center, a hands-on museum for all ages. From the farm to the elegance of artistic expression, Catawba County is the home for all reasons.

Catawba
Municipal Offices
828-241-2215
https://www.townofcatawbanc.org

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

Established in 1893, the quaint historic Town of Catawba is situated in the extreme eastern section of the county near the small developments of Balls Creek, Bandys Crossroads, Sherrils Ford, and Terrell. Originally named Catawba Station, the community began as a railroad stop between Asheville and Salisbury. Highway 70 provides easy access to Interstate 40 for commuters. This small and close-knit community enjoys close proximity to Claremont, which is home to a thriving industrial sector that has emerged as an important regional employment center. While residents of Catawba enjoy the benefits of an intimate, small-town atmosphere, they have quick and easy access to all that Catawba County offers. Institutions of higher education, major shopping malls and retail plazas, cultural attractions, fine museums, lakefront recreation, lush parks, golf courses, and racing venues are just a few of the possibilities for filling leisure hours.

Claremont
Municipal Offices
828-466-7255
http://cityofclaremont.org

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

Borrowing the essence of a children’s story, Claremont has chosen the slogan, “The Little City That Could” as its catch phrase. Boasting a rich history that dates back to 1880, the community has repeatedly proven its spirit and determination over the decades as it has met the challenges posed by economic growth and residential comfort. Located in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, this active community is sure to continue on the path of change and evolution. After many years of planning, the city opened a branch of the Catawba County Library System to serve its modest population that numbers less than 1,200. This unique community opens its doors to more than 7,000 daytime residents who are employed in the impressive number of businesses and firms located in Claremont. In a microcosm of Manhattan, the city welcomes people who travel a considerable distance to their jobs in Claremont.

Conover
Municipal Office
828-464-1191
https://www.conovernc.gov

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

The community of Conover manages to balance industrial, commercial, and transportation sectors for a strong local economy that continues to fuel new residential development. The city readily recognizes that the commitment, friendliness, and ambition of its residents are the foundation of its success and supports quality growth and expansion. Major developments like the Cline Plantation has provided hundreds of attractive new housing options, complete with associated amenities and services that include a new elementary school. Other recent additions like Piper’s Ridge single-family development combines with premier enclaves like the Rock Barn Golf Community with its $7 million clubhouse to provide a full range of housing opportunities. Rock Barn also features a $2 million swimming pool and tennis facility and a world-class golf course designed by legendary Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Those who are looking for a progressive community that enjoys a health and increasingly diversified economy will find a residential haven in Conover.

Hickory
Municipal Offices
828-323-7400
https://www.hickorync.gov

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

Standing in a class of its own as the regional center for employment, culture, entertainment, healthcare, and education, the City of Hickory is enjoying phenomenal growth and expansion. The completion of the Hickory Ridge Shopping Center represented a $15 million investment in an already booming local economy. With 60 percent of the nation’s furniture produced within a 200-mile radius of Hickory, the town attracts shoppers as well as those who are looking for a serene getaway. Historic sites and museums, discovery trails that are off the beaten path, performing arts productions, and old-fashioned Southern hospitality ensure an exceptional quality of life. Community theater, choral groups, musical concerts, the Hickory Museum of Art, Western Piedmont Symphony, and the talented groups of Lenoir-Rhyne College are just a few of the highlights in this active and balanced community. Newcomers will appreciate the natural beauty of the surrounding countryside, nestled in the lush foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Lake Norman
County Offices
704=201-5262
https://lakenorman.com

Chamber of Commerce
704-892-1922
https://www.lakenormanchamber.org

The breathtaking Lake Norman area provides a scenic permanent home as well as a premier vacation destination. Created in the 1950s when Duke Power built a dam on the Catawba River, this natural paradise offers a resort lifestyle and many luxurious homes that enjoy 520 miles of shoreline stretching around the historic towns of Davidson, Cornelius, and Huntersville. Residents enjoy casual or fine dining, a variety of entertainment, golfing on championship greens, and fishing or boating on sparkling lake waters. Many newcomers to this area were vacationers who fell under the spell of its natural beauty and recreational opportunities. Residents can enjoy the best of all worlds with a resort environment and lakefront property in a community based on water sports that is balanced by the amenities and advantages of the surrounding cities. Dubbed as “North Carolina’s Inland Sea,” Lake Norman sparkles like an aquamarine jewel under brilliant blue skies to attract sports enthusiasts from across the nation. North Carolina’s largest lake offers an open channel where the sounds of nature are broken only by the occasional whine of a cast fishing line. Fishing boats, sail boats, and riverboats find a welcome home in this aquatic paradise.

Maiden
Municipal Offices
828-428-5000
http://maidennc.com/

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

The strategic location of the community of Maiden to Highway 321 as well as Interstates 40 and 85 have made it ideal for residential, commercial, and industrial development. Nestled in North Carolina’s industry-rich Piedmont region, Maiden plays an integral role within a four-county interdependent economic area recognized as one of the fastest-growing areas in the state in recent decades. Within this outstanding region, Maiden boasts a number of obvious advantages. The community not only offers a low tax rate but it offers an enviable location as the closest community to the leading metropolitan area of Charlotte as well as Douglas International Airport. Maiden is also the closest community to the renowned Lake Norman recreational paradise. This advantageous location places Maiden in the center of the region’s most celebrated location for outdoor adventure but also in close proximity to Charlotte’s world-class cosmopolitan attractions.

Newton
Municipal Offices
828-695-4300
http://www.newtonnc.gov/

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

Incorporated in 1844, the City of Newton is ideally located just four miles east of Hickory. Providing a small-town setting and a hometown environment for its residents, the community offers easy access to region’s finest cultural and recreational amenities. Residents enjoy employment opportunities close to home in the region’s major furniture manufacturing operations as well as in the diversified base of business and industry that continues to expand in this flourishing area. Beautiful golf courses, private country clubs, swimming pools, tennis courts, sports field and courts, lake fishing, boating, water sports, horseback riding, hiking, biking, and camping are all available close to home for quality leisure activities. Nearby Hickory serves as a center for cultural attractions and retail opportunities.

Sherrills Ford
County Offices
828-465-8200
https://www.catawbacountync.gov

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

The unincorporated community of Sherrills Ford is located near the western shore of Lake Norman in the eastern quadrant of the county. Whether you choose this panoramic lake recreational area as a place to live or to play, you will discover a small-town setting in Sherrills Ford. In spite of the growth trend prevalent in recent years, this area has managed to retain its original close-knit spirit. Since downtown Charlotte is an easy 20-minute commute from the lake, many who choose to live in Sherrills Ford are commuters to employment centers in the city. Others consider this scenic area with its premier recreational amenities as a weekend retreat. Excellent public and private schools serve the area, including the nearby University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Lake Norman Medical Center enjoys a state-of-the-art facility in Mooresville. The trend in residential communities in this area is a “hometown atmosphere” that provides recreational facilities, shops, restaurants, and services linked by sidewalks and greenways.

St. Stephens
County Offices
828-465-8200
https://www.catawbacountync.gov

Chamber of Commerce
828-328-6111
https://catawbachamber.org/

The growing unincorporated community of St. Stephens is advantageously located to the amenities in the leading community of Hickory and the outstanding recreational opportunities associated with Lake Hickory. Newcomers can choose from majestic estates to authentic bungalows in this emerging area. Lush parks, walking trails, picnic areas, lake access, horseback riding paths, playgrounds, sports fields, league play, water sports, camping, golfing, and tennis are all available close to home. The YMCA of Catawba Valley expands the facilities and locations for youth sports, aquatics, and family activities. Museums, cultural attractions, and major educational institutions are within minutes of a St. Stephens address.