Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. With a population of 874,579 at the 2020 census, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., seventh-most populous city in the South, and second-most populous city in the Southeast (after Jacksonville, Florida). The Charlotte metropolitan area, with an estimated 2.88 million residents, is the 21st-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of an 18-county combined statistical area with an estimated population of 3.47 million as of 2024. It is the county seat of Mecklenburg County.
Between 2004 and 2014, Charlotte was among the country's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, with 888,000 new residents. Based on U.S. census data from 2005 to 2015, Charlotte tops the U.S.