Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is a lively city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat and had a population of around 299,000 in the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in North Carolina. Many people live in the surrounding area, with the Greensboro–High Point metropolitan area having about 801,000 residents.

The city was planned in 1808 around a central courthouse square to make it easier for people to reach the county courts. Today, three major highways—Interstate 40, Interstate 85, and Interstate 73—meet in Greensboro, helping connect the city to other places.

Greensboro has many interesting places to visit, such as the Greensboro Science Center and the International Civil Rights Museum. The city also holds fun yearly events like the North Carolina Folk Festival and Winter Wonderlights. Sports fans can enjoy games at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, home to teams like the Greensboro Grasshoppers and the Greensboro Swarm.

History

See also: Timeline of Greensboro, North Carolina

Early history

Long ago, the area that became Greensboro was home to the Saura people. They spoke a Siouan language. Other groups had lived there for thousands of years, often near water.

Quaker families from Pennsylvania, passing through Maryland, arrived around 1750. They started religious meetings in 1751 and, by 1754, had formed a community. The city was later named after Major General Nathanael Greene, who led American forces at the Battle of Guilford Court House.

Greensboro grew slowly. By 1821, it had 369 people. In the 1840s, it became a stop on a new railroad, which helped it grow.

Civil War and last days of the Confederacy

During the Civil War, Greensboro was not heavily affected until the very end. In 1865, Confederate leaders moved there after leaving Virginia. It was the last place where the entire Confederate government met together. Later, North Carolina’s capital was briefly moved to Greensboro before the war ended.

Industrialization and growth

After the Civil War, the city began to grow with new factories, especially in textiles. By 1900, Greensboro was a key center for textile manufacturing. The city also developed with new buildings and universities, including North Carolina A&T State University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Civil rights movement

Main article: Greensboro sit-ins

In the 1960s, students from North Carolina A&T State University led important protests for equal rights. In 1960, four students sat at a lunch counter that refused to serve Black customers, sparking protests. These actions helped change laws and attitudes about racial equality.

21st century

Greensboro remains an important center for textiles and transportation. The city continues to grow and adapt while keeping its history alive.

Geography

Greensboro is a city in North Carolina. It covers an area of 136.65 square miles, with a little over 131 square miles of land and about 5 square miles of water. The city sits in the rolling hills of North Carolina's Piedmont area, halfway between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains to the west and the Atlantic beaches and Outer Banks to the east.

Important roads, called Interstates, meet in Greensboro. The city is close to other places: it is 29 miles east of Winston-Salem, 54 miles west of Durham, 77 miles northwest of Raleigh, 90 miles northeast of Charlotte, and 201 miles southwest of Richmond, Virginia.

Neighborhoods and districts

Downtown

Downtown Greensboro has seen new buildings and homes built in recent years. One new building is First National Bank Field. The Southside area downtown has been renewed with places to walk, small blocks, and local shops.

Four Seasons/Coliseum area

The Four Seasons Town Centre is a large shopping place with many stores. Nearby is the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center and a big hotel. The Greensboro Coliseum is a place where many events happen, like sports, music, and shows.

Triad Airport area

In 1998, a big company built a place to sort packages at Piedmont Triad International Airport. In 2015, a plane company got approval to build planes in Greensboro. In 2022, building started on a factory for very fast planes, and it was finished in June 2024.

Climate

Greensboro has warm, humid summers and cool, short winters. Winter temperatures can drop below freezing, and snow sometimes falls. Summer temperatures can feel very hot and sticky. Thunderstorms happen often in spring and summer.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Greensboro had 299,035 people. By 2024, the number grew to about 307,381. This makes Greensboro the third-largest city in North Carolina and the 69th-largest in the United States. The Greensboro–High Point area has about 801,000 people. It is the largest city in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region, which has about 1.7 million residents.

Greensboro is a diverse place. In 2020, about 41.42% of people identified as black or African American, and 38.6% were non-Hispanic white. Smaller groups included 5.04% Asian, 0.33% Native American, 0.04% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 4.4% of mixed or other races, and 10.17% Hispanic or Latin American.

Many people in Greensboro practice Christianity, with Baptist and Methodist groups being the largest. Other Christian groups include Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Latter-Day Saints, Lutheran, and others. After Christianity, Islam and Judaism are practiced by smaller numbers of people. Very few follow Eastern religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism.

Economy

Greensboro and the area around it have long been known for textiles, tobacco, and furniture. The city's central location makes it a popular place for families and businesses. It is also important for logistics, with FedEx having regional operations there. In December 2021, Toyota Motor North America announced plans to build a large battery plant in Greensboro.

Greensboro is home to many important companies, such as the Honda Aircraft Company, HAECO Americas, ITG Brands, Kayser-Roth, Mack Trucks, Cone Health, Volvo Trucks of North America, Qorvo, the International Textile Group, The Fresh Market, Cook Out, Ham's, Biscuitville, Fusion3, Wrangler, Kontoor Brands and Columbia Forest Products. The city is also a key location for Lincoln Financial Group.

City leaders are working to attract new businesses in areas like nanotech, high-tech, aviation, and transportation. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University opened a joint research park called Gateway University Research Park.

Arts

Greensboro has a lively arts scene.

• The Carolina Theatre of Greensboro is a performance place in downtown Greensboro since 1927. After updates in the 1990s, it hosts groups like the Greensboro Ballet and the Community Theatre of Greensboro.
• City Arts puts on music and theater shows by groups such as the Livestock Players and the Greensboro Children’s Theatre. These groups often perform in the OPUS Concert Series and the summer “Music for a Sunday Evening in the Park” series.
• The Community Theatre of Greensboro has been performing plays and musicals for over 45 years. Its Studio Theatre is in the Greensboro Cultural Center.
• The Eastern Music Festival brings over 100 summer performances, from big orchestra music to small group shows and recitals by musicians from around the world. The festival also includes the Fringe Festival with unusual and experimental music and performances.
• Elsewhere Collaborative is a special museum inside a former thrift store on South Elm Street in downtown Greensboro. This museum changes all the time, with new objects and artists. It hosts events and performances.
• The Greater Triad Shag Club is a group that loves the Carolina shag dance. The club meets monthly at Thirsty’s 2 in Greensboro.
• Greensboro Ballet and School of Greensboro Ballet: The ballet company puts on many shows, including a special December performance of The Nutcracker. The School of Greensboro Ballet is a nonprofit ballet school.
• The Greensboro Cultural Center is home to many art and performance groups, galleries, rehearsal spaces, a sculpture garden, a restaurant, and an outdoor stage for performances.
• The Greensboro Mural Project helps people work together to paint murals about important topics, making the city beautiful.
• The Greensboro Opera Company is a regional opera group started in 1981. It began with one opera each fall and has grown to include more shows. The company uses local and visiting singers and a full orchestra.
• The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, led by conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky, is well-known and has been featured on National Public Radio’s Performance Today. The orchestra plays classical and popular music concerts and offers educational programs for children.
• The Mattye Reed African American Heritage Collection at North Carolina A&T State University has a famous collection of African culture, with over 3,500 art and craft pieces from more than 30 African countries, as well as from New Guinea and Haiti.
• Stagelights Theater Company is a youth theater program that helps children enjoy acting, dancing, and music. It was started in 2010 by Pamela Kinter. Students learn to perform and work together. Stagelights puts on many musicals each year and offers classes in drama, dance, music theater, voice, and private instrument lessons.
• The Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts is a large performance space that opened in November 2021. It will host many famous shows in 2022, including Wicked, Hamilton, The Lion King, and Mean Girls.
• Triad Stage is a nonprofit theater group based in downtown Greensboro. All of its shows are performed in Greensboro using local and national performers. The theater has won many awards.
• The Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro has one of the best collections of modern and contemporary art in the Southeast. It includes works by famous artists such as Henri Matisse, Willem de Kooning, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol.
• Weaver Academy is a high school for students talented in the arts. Students can watch plays, musicals, art shows, and concerts on its downtown campus. The school has many successful former students, including Isaac Cole Powell.

Attractions

• Bicentennial Garden was made in 1976 to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial. The garden has walking paths, outdoor sculptures, and a pavilion. It is across the street from The Bog Garden.
• Blandwood Mansion and Gardens is the old home of a former North Carolina governor. Today it is a museum showing important architecture and history. It is the earliest example of Tuscan Italianate style in the country.
• The Bog Garden has a boardwalk through plants and animals that live in wet areas. It is off Hobbs Road.
• Carolyn & Maurice LeBauer Park opened in downtown Greensboro in 2016, next to the library and the Greensboro Historical Museum.
• The downtown Elm Street area has many antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, and clubs. People often visit for the First Friday events each month.
• First National Bank Field is where the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball team plays. It opened in 2005 and also hosts outdoor events and concerts in the summer.
• Green Hill Cemetery is Greensboro’s oldest public cemetery. It covers a big area next to downtown and is still used for burials, but people can walk or drive through it.
• Greensboro has many miles of hiking trails around lakes, Guilford Military Park, and downtown. Some trails are also good for biking.
• The Greensboro Arboretum was created by Greensboro Beautiful and the City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department. The site has many different plant collections and special gardens.
• Greensboro Center City Park is a small park next to the Greensboro Cultural Center. It has a fountain and artworks by artists from North Carolina.
• The Greensboro Children’s Museum (GCM) offers hands-on exhibits and special events for children from birth to age ten.
• The Greensboro Coliseum Complex is a group of buildings used for many events such as sports, concerts, theater, education, and conventions. It has hosted big events like the Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament and professional hockey games. Famous performers like Elvis Presley and Usher have played there. The coliseum was built in 1959 and has been updated many times.
• The Greensboro Science Center is a science museum and planetarium where families can explore and learn through hands-on activities. The zoo reopened in summer 2007 after being renovated.
• Guilford Courthouse National Military Park marks the site of the Battle of Guilford Court House, which happened on March 15, 1781. This battle was important in the Revolutionary War because it weakened the British army. The battlefield looks mostly the same, with stone memorials added in the early 1900s.
• Hagan Stone Park is a big wildlife park and campground run by the city of Greensboro. It has lakes, camp shelters with grills, and playgrounds. The park is open daily until sunset, weather permitting.
• The International Civil Rights Center and Museum opened in 2010 in the former F. W. Woolworth building where the Greensboro sit-ins took place. The museum remembers these important events and other moments in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe has many rides, including a tall water slide called Daredevil Drop, and family rides. The park has two themed areas and is the largest water park in the Carolinas.
• Woods of Terror is a haunted theme park near Greensboro.
• World War Memorial Stadium was one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the country before it was replaced in 2005. It was built in 1926 to honor people who died in World War I. The stadium is still used for college baseball and special events. It was home to the Greensboro Bats minor-league team until the team moved to the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Retail

Greensboro has many different shops, from big national stores to local boutiques and galleries. Four Seasons Town Centre is a three-level indoor shopping mall off of I-40. Friendly Center is an open-air shopping area off Friendly Avenue, with a large Harris Teeter supermarket and a movie theater. The Shoppes at Friendly Center next door has upscale shops and restaurants. On Market Street is Fanta City International Mall, a small mall with items from around the world. Traditional shopping centers are mainly on the West Wendover corridor near I-40 and on Battleground Avenue on the city’s northwest side. Large stores are grouped near the old Carolina Circle Mall on the northeast side and further south along the Urban Loop (I-85, I-73). On New Garden Road, there are many shops near the Bryan Blvd interchange.

Sports

Greensboro does not have any top-level professional sports teams. But it has hosted many important games and teams. The Greensboro Grasshoppers are a minor league baseball team and play at First National Bank Field. The city is also home to the North Carolina Fusion U23 soccer team, which plays in the summer.

Two local universities, North Carolina A&T Aggies and UNC Greensboro Spartans, have strong sports programs. Greensboro is known for hosting many tournaments and is called "Tournament Town." It has held basketball tournaments, figure skating championships, and the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four once. The city also has a roller derby league called Greensboro Roller Derby, which plays at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Government

Greensboro has a council–manager style of government. The council has nine members, including the mayor, who are elected every four years. Five members represent different parts of the city, and three are chosen by everyone in the city.

As of February 2026, Marikay Abuzuaiter is the mayor, and Trey Davis is the city manager. The city council includes other leaders who help make decisions for the community.

Greensboro was the first city in the South to let its residents help decide how some of the city’s money is used. This process, called participatory budgeting, began in 2016. People voted on projects like art murals, improvements to bridges, and a bus tracking app for the whole city.

See also: List of mayors of Greensboro, North Carolina

Education

Greensboro has many places for students to learn. There are several colleges and universities, including Bennett College, Elon University School of Law, Greensboro College, Guilford College, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and ECPI University. For students who want to study for two years before moving on, there is Guilford Technical Community College.

The public schools in Greensboro are run by Guilford County Schools. There are about 71,000 students in these schools. Greensboro has a very old high school called Grimsley High School, which opened in 1899. There is also a special school called Weaver Academy for students who love the arts and technology. Greensboro is also home to The Early College at Guilford, which helps students start college early.

There are many private schools in Greensboro too, such as Greensboro Day School and Our Lady of Grace Catholic School. Some students choose to attend boarding schools like the American Hebrew Academy or the Oak Ridge Military Academy.

Media

See also: List of newspapers in North Carolina, List of radio stations in North Carolina, and List of television stations in North Carolina

Newspapers

The Greensboro News & Record is the main newspaper in Greensboro. It is owned by Lee Enterprises. Other papers include the Triad Business Journal for business news, and the Carolina Peacemaker for the African-American community. There are also free papers like Yes! Weekly, Triad City Beat, Greensboro Latino, and Qué Pasa that share local news.

Broadcast television

Greensboro is part of the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point area for TV. It has many TV stations, including WFMY-TV for CBS, WGHP for Fox, and WXII-TV for NBC. There are also stations for PBS, ABC, and other networks.

Radio

Greensboro has many radio stations. Some FM stations include WNAA-FM for different kinds of shows, WPAW-FM for country music, and WQMG-FM for urban music. AM stations include WPET-AM for religious shows and WWBG-AM for Spanish music.

Documentaries

Some documentaries about Greensboro include 88 Seconds in Greensboro, which aired on PBS, and February One, about a 1960 sit-in by the Greensboro Four. There are also films about other events in the city.

Infrastructure

Public safety

Police department

The Greensboro Police Department has about 787 officers and other staff. In March 2024, an officer said the department needed more officers to reach its goal.

Fire department

The Greensboro Fire Department helps with fires and emergencies in the city. Guilford County EMS helps with medical care in Greensboro and nearby areas.

Hospitals

Greensboro has several hospitals, including Cone Health Behavioral Health Hospital, Moses Cone Hospital, and Wesley Long Hospital.

Transportation

Greensboro uses Piedmont Triad International Airport, which is busy and serves nearby cities. Amtrak trains connect Greensboro to many places, including New York and Charlotte. The Greensboro Transit Authority runs buses in the city.

The Greensboro Greenway is a bike trail being built around downtown.

Interstate Highways

• I-40
• I-73
• I-74
• I-85
• 
  Future I-685
• 
  I-785 / Future I-785
• I-840

Interstate 40 is the main east-west highway in Greensboro. I-40 and I-85 connect different parts of the city and nearby areas. The Greensboro Urban Loop is a beltway around the city, with several highways on it. Some roads in downtown Greensboro are important for travel.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro has been home to many famous people. They have done important work in areas like arts, sports, and public service. The city is still a place where inspiring stories begin.

Sister cities

Greensboro has special friendships with three cities around the world. These partnerships help build friendship and work together between different places. The cities are:

• Montbéliard, Doubs, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France.
• Buiucani sector, Chişinău, Moldova
• Yingkou, Liaoning, China