Mooresville, North Carolina should not be confused with Morrisville, North Carolina.
| Official Name: | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Nickname: | Race City USA |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Mooresville, NC Town Logo.png |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Logo |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Carolina |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Iredell |
| Government Type: | Council-Manager government |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Chris Carney |
| Leader Title2: | Town Manager |
| Leader Name2: | Jim Landon (Interim) |
| Leader Title3: | Town Commission |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | March 3, 1873 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 68.84 |
| Area Land Km2: | 68.66 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.17 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 26.58 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 26.51 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.07 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 50193 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1893.29 |
| Population Density Km2: | 731.00 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 840 |
| Coordinates: | 35.5847°N -80.8267°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 28115, 28117 |
| Area Code: | 704, 980 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 37-44220[2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2406189 |
| Named For: | John Franklin Moore |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Est: | 52656 |
Mooresville is a town located in the southwestern section of Iredell County, North Carolina, United States, and is a part of the fast-growing Charlotte metropolitan area. The population was 50,193 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous municipality in Iredell County. It is located approximately north of Charlotte.
Mooresville is best known as the home of many NASCAR racing teams and drivers, along with an IndyCar team and its drivers, as well as racing technology suppliers, which has earned the town the nickname "Race City USA". Also located in Mooresville is the corporate headquarters of Lowe's Corporation and Universal Technical Institute's NASCAR Technical Institute.
The area that would develop into the town of Mooresville was originally settled by English, German, and Scots-Irish families who moved into the area from nearby Rowan County, as well as from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Many were seeking new lands on which to establish farms. Many of the early families such as the Wilsons, Davidsons, Cowans, Sherrills, Torrances, and others came to the area as early as the mid-1700s. They formed small communities that eventually grew into the community known as "Deep Well", which took its name from a large natural well that was found in the area.
Many of these families established large farms, primarily of cotton, which grew into small plantations by the 1850s. Major Rufus Reid was the most prominent planter in the area, enslaving 81 African Americans on over of land. His property was known as Mount Mourne Plantation, named after the Mourne Mountains of County Down in Northern Ireland. Several other historic plantation homes are set in the area as well, including the Johnson-Neel House, the Cornelius House, Forest Dell Plantation, and the colonial era Belmont Plantation.
In 1856, a railroad was placed on a ridge that crossed the land of a local farmer by the name of John Franklin Moore. A small-scale planter, Moore set up a depot on his land, and encouraged others to help establish a small village on the location in the late 1850s. The little village, known as "Moore's Siding", was born. The Civil War hampered developments, with the railroad tracks being removed to aid the Confederate efforts in Virginia. After the war, the tracks were returned, and Moore's Siding slowly began to prosper.
Shortly after the Civil War, John Franklin Moore saw the need for the village to incorporate into a town. The town was incorporated as Mooresville in 1873. Moore helped to establish the first brick factory in Mooresville, and built some of the first brick buildings on Main Street. He died in 1877, and his wife, Rachel Summrow Moore, continued the development of the town.
In 1883 the railroad lines were run back through the town with the addition of a new depot.[3] The railroad brought growth to the town, which continued with the addition of the first water plant in the early 1890s, the establishment of a library in 1899, a phone company in 1893 and the first of many textile mills in 1900.[4]
In 1938, artist Alicia Weincek painted the mural North Carolina Cotton Industry in the town's post office, having won a WPA competition for the commissioned work. The Mooresville Moors were a minor league baseball team who played in the Class D North Carolina State League from 1937 to 1942. The league ceased operations for two seasons due to World War II but was reorganized in 1945.
Selma Burke, a prominent sculptor during the Harlem Renaissance who was born and raised in Mooresville, created the bust of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the Four Freedoms plaque on the Recorder of Deeds building in Washington, D.C. The bust would later be used for the image on the United States dime.
On December 11, 2014, Duke Energy, to repair a rusted, leaking pipe, received approval from North Carolina to dump coal ash (containing arsenic, lead, thallium and mercury, among other heavy metals) from the Marshall Steam Station 10miles west of Mooresville into Lake Norman.[5]
On October 3, 2015, Duke reported that a sinkhole had formed at the base of the Marshall Steam Station dam on Lake Norman. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says Duke placed a liner in the hole and filled it with crushed stone.[6]
Mooresville is located in southern Iredell County. Interstate 77 passes through the western side of the town, with access from Exits 31 through 36. I-77 leads south to the South Carolina border and north to the Virginia line. Statesville, just to the north, is the county seat. Lake Norman, on the Catawba River, is 3miles8miles west of the town center. Mooresville is located north of Charlotte and south of Statesville.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Mooresville has a total area of 54.3km2, of which 54.2km2 are land and 0.1km2, or 0.24%, are water.[7]
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 35,046 | 69.82% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 5,462 | 10.88% | |
| Native American | 119 | 0.24% | |
| Asian | 2,606 | 5.19% | |
| Pacific Islander | 23 | 0.05% | |
| Other/Mixed | 2,525 | 5.03% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,412 | 8.79% |
In the 2000 census, there were 18,823 people, 7,139 households, and 5,082 families residing in the town. The population density was 1281.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 7,741 housing units at an average density of 527.1sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 81.54% White, 14.23% African American, 0.36% Native American, 1.66% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.55% of the population.
There were 7,139 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,943, and the median income for a family was $51,011. Males had a median income of $39,524 versus $24,939 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,549. About 5.6% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
Mooresville is branded as "Race City USA".[8] The town is home to more than 60 NASCAR teams and racing-related businesses, as well as an IndyCar team. Mooresville features two automotive museums: the Memory Lane Motorsports and Historical Automotive Museum, and the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame. The Mooresville Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official resource for travelers.
In addition to a number of historic sites including Mount Mourne Plantation, Johnson-Neel House, Cornelius House, and Espy Watts Brawley House, Mooresville is home to the following historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
The town of Mooresville is run in a Commission-Manager style of municipal government with the Town Manager being Randy Hemann. The Mooresville Board of Commissioners is presided by Mayor Miles Atkins and can be presided over by Mayor Pro Tempore and Ward 4 Commissioner Lisa Qualls in the event of Atkins’ absence.
See main article: Mooresville Graded School District. Schools located in Mooresville operated by Mooresville Graded School District include:[10]
Schools located in Mooresville operated by Iredell-Statesville Schools include:[11]
Mooresville is the location of a campus of Mitchell Community College, whose main campus is in Statesville.
The following highways pass through or around Mooresville:
Exit 36 from Interstate 77 provides access to NC 150 and downtown Mooresville. Exits 33 and 42 from Interstate 77 provide access to US 21, while Exit 42 also connects with NC 115. Exits 31 (Langtree Road) and 35 (Brawley School Road) also connect I-77 with Mooresville.
The I-77 Express Lanes begin at Exit 36, and continue south through the Mecklenburg County towns of Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville before terminating in Uptown Charlotte.
Lake Norman Airpark is located on the edge of Lake Norman and is northwest of downtown Mooresville, offering a 3100feet runway. A thriving "fly-in community", Lake Norman Airpark is home to almost 50 lots. Tie-downs and fuel are available. The airport is owned by the surrounding Lake Norman Airpark Owners Association.
Mooresville has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International: