| Official Name: | Cornelius, North Carolina |
| Named For: | Joe B. Cornelius[1] |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Carolina |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Mecklenburg |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Woodrow Washam |
| Leader Title1: | Chief of Police |
| Leader Name1: | Kevin Black |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1893 |
| Established Title1: | Incorporated |
| Established Date1: | 1905 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 33.98 |
| Area Land Km2: | 32.78 |
| Area Water Km2: | 1.20 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 13.12 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 12.66 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.46 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 31412 |
| Population Density Km2: | 958.23 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 2481.79 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | −5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 742 |
| Coordinates: | 35.4725°N -80.8814°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 28031 |
| Area Code: | 704 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 37-14700[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2406314 |
Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 24,866 at the 2010 census.
Potts Plantation in Cornelius was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The Town of Cornelius, the second youngest of Mecklenburg County's six incorporated towns, was founded in 1893, but not incorporated until March 4, 1905. The town's origin has been traced by many historians to a dispute over cotton weighing.[4]
Cornelius is located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County. The town is approximately located 20miles north of Charlotte.[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.1sqmi, of which 11.8sqmi is land and 0.3sqmi (3.20%) is water. Cornelius is one of three towns in Mecklenburg County located north of Charlotte. Along with its sister towns – Davidson and Huntersville – Cornelius serves as a suburb to Charlotte.
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 25,017 | 79.64% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 1,957 | 6.23% | |
| Native American | 42 | 0.13% | |
| Asian | 757 | 2.41% | |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.02% | |
| Other/Mixed | 1,327 | 4.22% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,307 | 7.34% |
At the 2000 census,[3] there were 11,969 people, 5,113 households, and 3,374 families living in the town. The population density was 1415.5/mi2. There were 5,716 housing units at an average density of 676/mi2. The racial makeup of the town was 91.65% White, 5.62% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.79% of the population.
Of the 5,113 households 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 27.0% of households were one person and 5.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.87.
The age distribution was 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.9 males.
According to Claritas Market Statistics,[6] the median household income in 2010 was $83,789.
The citizens of Cornelius, NC, attend the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.[7] Elementary schools include Cornelius Elementary[8] and JV Washam Elementary.[9] Middle schools include Bailey Middle School.[10] William A. Hough High School is the zoned high school.[11] Hough opened in August 2010 and currently serves over 2,000 students.
Cornelius is served by a branch of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.[12] The library is located in the heart of Cornelius, on Catawba Avenue just east of exit 28 on I-77.35.4833°N -80.8641°W