Cornelius, North Carolina

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.

History
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.

Geography
Cornelius is located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County. The town is approximately located 20 mi north of Charlotte.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.1 sqmi, of which 11.8 sqmi is land and 0.3 sqmi (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.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 31,412 people, 12,307 households, and 7,853 families residing in the town.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 11,969 people, 5,113 households, and 3,374 families living in the town. The population density was 1,415.5 /mi2. There were 5,716 housing units at an average density of 676.0 /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, the median household income in 2010 was $83,789.

School system
The citizens of Cornelius, NC, attend the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Elementary schools include Cornelius Elementary and JV Washam Elementary. Middle schools include Bailey Middle School. William A. Hough High School is the zoned high school. Hough opened in August 2010 and currently serves over 2,000 students.

Private schools

 * Grace Covenant Academy
 * New Beginnings Christian Academy
 * Phoenix Montessori Academy

Libraries
Cornelius is served by a branch of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The library is located in the heart of Cornelius, on Catawba Avenue just east of exit 28 on I-77. 35.48329°N, -80.86408°W

Notable people

 * Erika Brown, Olympic swimmer
 * Vicky Bruce, professional women's soccer player
 * Kevin Conway, professional stock car racing driver
 * Amber Cope, NASCAR driver
 * Jerry K. Crump, soldier in the United States Army; received Medal of Honor during the Korean War
 * Blaine Donahue, professional stock car racing driver
 * Christian Elder, NASCAR driver
 * Mark Fields, NFL cornerback
 * Erik Jones, NASCAR driver
 * Michael Jordan, Hall of Fame NBA basketball player (resident)
 * Steve Letarte, sportscaster and former NASCAR crew chief
 * Joey Logano, NASCAR driver (resident)
 * Leilani Munter, former professional race car driver and environmental activist
 * Ricky Rudd, NASCAR driver
 * Daniel Steedman, soccer player
 * Jeff Tarte, politician
 * Thom Tillis, politician and businessman
 * Brian Voss, PBA and United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame bowler
 * Scot Walters, NASCAR driver
 * Hoyt Wilhelm, MLB pitcher and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame