SafekipediaCabarrus County, North Carolina
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
Cabarrus County is a place in the south-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The main town, called the county seat, is Concord.
One of the most exciting events in the county’s history happened in 1799 when a boy named Conrad Reed found gold in Little Meadow Creek. This discovery led to the creation of the Reed Gold Mine, now a National Historic Landmark.
Before the Civil War, the land in Cabarrus County was mostly used for small farms. By 1860, the area began to grow with the help of textile mills that turned cotton into cloth. After a railroad was built, more mills were added. A special mill called the Coleman Manufacturing Company was started in 1897 by Warren Clay Coleman and others. This mill remained important to the area’s economy for many years, and in 2015, the Coleman-Franklin-Cannon Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
History
Cabarrus County was created on December 29, 1792, from Mecklenburg County. It is located in the Piedmont and was named after Stephen Cabarrus from Chowan County, who was a leader in the North Carolina House of Commons.
Before settlers arrived, the Catawba Indians lived in the area. Later, people from Germany and Scotland settled there. They could not agree on where to put the county's main town. Finally, they chose a central spot and named it Concord, meaning "peace." Concord became the official town in 1806.
In 1799, a young boy named Conrad Reed found a large piece of gold in a stream on his family's farm. This discovery was the first known gold find in America and started gold mining in the area. The mine where he found the gold later became a famous historic site.
Geography
Cabarrus County is in the south-central part of North Carolina. The county covers about 364 square miles, mostly land with a little water.
The county is in the gentle, rolling hills of the Carolina Piedmont. The eastern part includes the western edge of the Uwharrie Mountains. The land slopes down toward the southeast. The largest river is the Rocky River, which starts in Iredell County and flows into another river far away.
The weather is mild, with warm summers and cool winters. Sometimes there are thunderstorms in summer and a little snow in winter, but it doesn’t snow often.
State and local protected areas/sites
- Buffalo Creek Preserve
- Reed Gold Mine
- Pharr Family Preserve Trail
Major water bodies
See also: Category:Rivers of Cabarrus County, North Carolina
- Adams Creek
- Back Creek
- Black Run Creek
- Black Run Reservoir
- Coddle Creek
- Don T. Howell Reservoir
- Dutch Buffalo Creek
- Jennie Wolf Creek
- Keasler Lake
- Lake Concord
- Lake Fisher
- Little Buffalo Creek
- Rocky River
Adjacent counties
- Rowan County – north
- Stanly County – east
- Union County – south
- Mecklenburg County – west-southwest
- Iredell County – north
Demographics
2020 census
In 2020, Cabarrus County had 225,804 people. The average age was 37.6 years. About one in four people were younger than 18, and one in eight were 65 or older. For every 100 girls and women, there were 94 boys and men.
The people in Cabarrus County include many different groups. Most are White, with smaller numbers of Black or African American, Asian, and others. Some people are also Hispanic or Latino. Most people live in towns and cities, while some live in the countryside.
2000 census
In 2000, there were 131,063 people living in Cabarrus County. The average age was 35 years. About one in four people were younger than 18, and about one in ten were 65 or older. For every 100 girls and women, there were 97 boys and men.
Most people in Cabarrus County come from families with roots in places like Scotland, Ireland, Germany, or England. In 2000, African-American people made up a little more than 12 percent of the population.
Religion
Many people in Cabarrus County follow Protestant faiths. There is also a small Jewish community and two Catholic churches. Nearby Charlotte has Eastern Orthodox and Islamic communities.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 5,094 | — | |
| 1810 | 6,158 | 20.9% | |
| 1820 | 7,248 | 17.7% | |
| 1830 | 8,810 | 21.6% | |
| 1840 | 9,259 | 5.1% | |
| 1850 | 9,747 | 5.3% | |
| 1860 | 10,546 | 8.2% | |
| 1870 | 11,954 | 13.4% | |
| 1880 | 14,964 | 25.2% | |
| 1890 | 18,142 | 21.2% | |
| 1900 | 22,456 | 23.8% | |
| 1910 | 26,240 | 16.9% | |
| 1920 | 33,730 | 28.5% | |
| 1930 | 44,331 | 31.4% | |
| 1940 | 59,393 | 34.0% | |
| 1950 | 63,783 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 68,137 | 6.8% | |
| 1970 | 74,629 | 9.5% | |
| 1980 | 85,895 | 15.1% | |
| 1990 | 98,935 | 15.2% | |
| 2000 | 131,063 | 32.5% | |
| 2010 | 178,011 | 35.8% | |
| 2020 | 225,804 | 26.8% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 249,725 |  | 10.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 | |||
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 1980 | Pop 1990 | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 1980 | % 1990 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 72,978 | 84,964 | 106,030 | 127,526 | 133,781 | 84.96% | 85.88% | 80.90% | 71.64% | 59.25% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 12,116 | 12,805 | 15,778 | 26,660 | 41,687 | 14.11% | 12.94% | 12.04% | 14.98% | 18.46% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 135 | 303 | 385 | 497 | 598 | 0.16% | 0.31% | 0.29% | 0.28% | 0.26% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 148 | 370 | 1,160 | 3,460 | 11,933 | 0.17% | 0.37% | 0.89% | 1.94% | 5.28% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | x | x | 22 | 60 | 122 | x | x | 0.02% | 0.03% | 0.05% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 33 | 10 | 120 | 290 | 1,108 | 0.04% | 0.01% | 0.09% | 0.16% | 0.49% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | x | x | 948 | 2,751 | 9,312 | x | x | 0.72% | 1.55% | 4.12% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 485 | 483 | 6,620 | 16,767 | 27,263 | 0.56% | 0.49% | 5.05% | 9.42% | 12.07% |
| Total | 85,895 | 98,935 | 131,063 | 178,011 | 225,804 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Government and politics
Cabarrus County is part of the Centralina Council of Governments. It is run by a group of five leaders called the Board of Commissioners. Voters across the county choose them to serve for four years. A County Manager helps with the county's daily work.
The county keeps records of land and property. These records help people find information about land ownership. There is a special center for young people called the Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center. It is part of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and is located near Concord.
In past elections, Cabarrus County has often voted for Republican candidates. However, in the 2024 gubernatorial election, Josh Stein, a Democrat, won the county.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 1,054 | 41.20% | 1,499 | 58.60% | 5 | 0.20% |
| 1884 | 990 | 34.24% | 1,893 | 65.48% | 8 | 0.28% |
| 1888 | 933 | 34.90% | 1,659 | 62.07% | 81 | 3.03% |
| 1892 | 679 | 22.95% | 1,419 | 47.97% | 860 | 29.07% |
| 1896 | 996 | 30.13% | 2,250 | 68.06% | 60 | 1.81% |
| 1900 | 1,112 | 42.15% | 1,485 | 56.29% | 41 | 1.55% |
| 1904 | 1,254 | 44.71% | 1,509 | 53.80% | 42 | 1.50% |
| 1908 | 1,821 | 53.07% | 1,610 | 46.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1912 | 389 | 10.48% | 1,738 | 46.83% | 1,584 | 42.68% |
| 1916 | 2,314 | 52.40% | 2,080 | 47.10% | 22 | 0.50% |
| 1920 | 5,148 | 53.82% | 4,418 | 46.18% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 3,510 | 43.08% | 4,449 | 54.60% | 189 | 2.32% |
| 1928 | 6,548 | 57.35% | 4,869 | 42.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 3,444 | 28.76% | 8,465 | 70.68% | 68 | 0.57% |
| 1936 | 2,825 | 18.68% | 12,297 | 81.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 2,579 | 17.97% | 11,776 | 82.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 4,233 | 31.83% | 9,064 | 68.17% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 4,294 | 33.48% | 5,059 | 39.44% | 3,473 | 27.08% |
| 1952 | 15,053 | 62.22% | 9,140 | 37.78% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 14,462 | 66.85% | 7,173 | 33.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 15,678 | 64.36% | 8,680 | 35.64% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 13,178 | 52.50% | 11,921 | 47.50% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 13,226 | 52.35% | 5,501 | 21.77% | 6,538 | 25.88% |
| 1972 | 18,384 | 76.45% | 5,336 | 22.19% | 328 | 1.36% |
| 1976 | 12,455 | 50.57% | 12,049 | 48.92% | 126 | 0.51% |
| 1980 | 15,143 | 59.19% | 9,768 | 38.18% | 674 | 2.63% |
| 1984 | 22,528 | 72.54% | 8,477 | 27.29% | 53 | 0.17% |
| 1988 | 22,524 | 67.67% | 10,686 | 32.11% | 74 | 0.22% |
| 1992 | 21,281 | 51.75% | 13,513 | 32.86% | 6,329 | 15.39% |
| 1996 | 23,035 | 55.76% | 14,447 | 34.97% | 3,828 | 9.27% |
| 2000 | 32,704 | 66.23% | 16,284 | 32.98% | 393 | 0.80% |
| 2004 | 40,780 | 67.05% | 19,803 | 32.56% | 241 | 0.40% |
| 2008 | 45,924 | 58.88% | 31,546 | 40.45% | 524 | 0.67% |
| 2012 | 49,557 | 59.30% | 32,849 | 39.31% | 1,160 | 1.39% |
| 2016 | 53,819 | 57.69% | 35,521 | 38.08% | 3,949 | 4.23% |
| 2020 | 63,237 | 53.94% | 52,162 | 44.50% | 1,828 | 1.56% |
| 2024 | 63,746 | 53.03% | 54,494 | 45.34% | 1,962 | 1.63% |
Transportation and communications
Interstate 85 goes through the northern part of Cabarrus County from southwest to northeast. The area has many roads, such as U.S. highways U.S. Route 52, U.S. Route 29, 601, and NC highways 73, 24/27, 200, 49, and 3.
The Concord-Padgett Regional Airport is west of Concord. People can fly from airports in Charlotte or the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. There is train service to Kannapolis with Amtrak.
You can make phone calls almost everywhere in the county, using wired or wireless services. Many places have cable TV. Cabarrus County gets radio and TV broadcasts from the Greater Charlotte area.
Major highways
Major infrastructure
Education
The Cabarrus County School System provides education for most of the county, except for some parts of Kannapolis, where the Kannapolis City Schools operate. This school system is known for good student success and a safe learning environment.
The county is also home to Barber-Scotia College, the Cabarrus College of Health Sciences, and a branch of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Nearby in Mecklenburg County, UNC Charlotte is close enough for residents to easily reach by Highway 49. The Cabarrus County Public Library system has six locations to serve the community.
Healthcare
Concord, the county seat of Cabarrus County, provides important medical care through Atrium Health Cabarrus. This hospital has a 24-hour emergency department and a trauma center to help people when they need urgent care.
Media
Cabarrus County has a few places to get news and listen to music. You can read the Concord-Kannapolis Independent Tribune in print or online, and there is also a weekly paper called The Weekly Post. For music, radio station WEGO 1410 AM plays songs from the 60's and 70's. Another station, WTIX, broadcasts from a tower near Poplar Tent Road in Concord and has its studios in the Hidden Plaza on Church Street North in Concord.
Attractions
Cabarrus County has some fun places to visit. One of them is the Reed Gold Mine, where people found gold for the first time in the United States in 1799.
You can also find the Concord Mills Mall in the county, and nearby there is a Great Wolf Lodge across Interstate 85.
NASCAR
The western part of Cabarrus County has a big racing complex in Concord. It is home to the Charlotte Motor Speedway. This famous track holds two big NASCAR races each year. Other tracks like the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway and zMAX Dragway also have exciting events.
Many important race teams are based in the county. These include Hendrick Motorsports, RFK Racing, Legacy Motor Club, and Trackhouse Racing in Concord. There is also the Haas Factory Team in Kannapolis, and Hyak Motorsports and Wood Brothers Racing in Harrisburg. In 2008, a special wind tunnel called Windshear opened in Concord to help race teams and car makers test their vehicles.
Communities
Cabarrus County has several places where people live. The largest city and the county seat is Concord. Another big place is Kannapolis, which also stretches into another area called Rowan. There is also a town named Locust, though most of it lies in Stanly.
Other towns in the county include Harrisburg, Midland, and Mount Pleasant. The county is split into twelve areas known as townships, each with its own name and number. Some of these townships share names with the towns, like Kannapolis, Rimertown, Gold Hill, Mt Pleasant, and Midland.
There are also smaller places without their own local government, such as Fisher Town, Georgeville, Odell School, Rimertown, and Rocky River.
Images
Related articles
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