World-class museums and professional sports venues make their home in the heart of this lively, developed downtown. Charlotte might be just a midsize city, but it’s got big city credentials—and plenty of fun attractions to go with it. There’s no substitute for being there in person, so choose to go to your people and plan for an amazing time in Charlotte.
A City for All Seasons
Charlotte is hardly a winter wonderland, but from December through February, temperatures drop into the 50s. On very cold nights, light blankets of snow sometimes drape the city. You’ll find spring and fall conditions mostly pleasing with temperatures in the 70s. Rain is very common, particularly in March and August—Charlotte nets a whopping 40 inches of precipitation year-round—but the skies are generally sunny and clear throughout the summer. Temperatures can soar into the 90s, but the city is often spared the hot, humid conditions of its southern counterparts.
What to See
Cheer on Charlotte’s home teams as you watch an NFL or NBA game. If you feel the need for speed, get your motor running with a visit to the massive NASCAR Hall of Fame. Scream your lungs out on coasters at Carowinds, a nearly 400-acre amusement park, and float with the family in the lazy river or wave pool at the neighboring waterpark, Boomerang Bay. Burn some calories while seeking some adventure at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, a 700-acre public facility with whitewater rafting and kayaking courses. History buffs can catch a glimpse of what day-to-day life was like during the Reconstruction period at the Levine Museum of the New South.
A Money and Motorsports Metropolis
With its thriving financial services industry, the “Queen City” certainly looks as rich as royalty. Charlotte hosts the nation’s second biggest banking center, including the Bank of America headquarters and the major offices of Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo. NASCAR rules Charlotte’s sports scene, from packed crowds at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to a 61,000-square-foot racing research facility. Seventy-three percent of North Carolina’s motorsports jobs—including drivers, pit crew mechanics and engineers—are based in Charlotte.
From Wings to Wheels
Interstates 77 and 85 link Charlotte with scores of major cities from across the country. Leave your car parked once you arrive—Uptown, home to most major attractions, is pedestrian-friendly and LYNX, the city’s light-rail system, covers other popular regions. Charlotte Douglas International Airport, 15 minutes east of Uptown, buzzes with constant activity. Offering service to over 130 destinations, it launches 650 daily flights and serves as the hub for US Airways. Amtrak’s Carolinian/Piedmont train (with service to New York, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia) and the Crescent line (which runs between NYC and New Orleans) both arrive and depart daily.