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| North Charleston, South Carolina | |||
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| Nickname(s): "South Carolina's Largest Shopping City" & "North Chuck" | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
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| State | South Carolina | ||
| Counties | Charleston, Dorchester | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | R. Keith Summey | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 62.1 sq mi (160.8 km²) | ||
| - Land | 58.5 sq mi (151.6 km²) | ||
| - Water | 3.5 sq mi (9.2 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - Total | 79,641 | ||
| - Density | 1,360.5/sq mi (525.3/km²) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Area code(s) | 843 | ||
| FIPS code | 45-508751 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 12250722 | ||
| Website: www.northcharleston.org | |||
North Charleston is a suburban city in Charleston and Dorchester counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, in the northern part of the Charleston, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 79,641 at the 2000 census. This ranks as 3rd in city limit populations within the state, after Columbia and Charleston. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, North Charleston is included within the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area and the larger Charleston-North Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Incorporated in June 1972, North Charleston had a population of 21,000 and an area of seven square miles. Since that time, the city has tripled its population to nearly 80,000 and now encompasses more than 62 square miles. Constant growth makes it easy to see why North Charleston has become South Carolina's third largest municipality.
Today, North Charleston is part of the Charleston metropolitan area, which attracts more than 2 million visitors annually. This thriving region boasts the North Charleston Coliseum, 13,500-seat coliseum, (home to the ECHL minor league hockey team, the South Carolina Stingrays, a convention center, a performing arts center with an adjacent hotel complex, in addition to many shopping facilities, malls, and restaurants.
According to the Congressional Quarterly Press' 2007 "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America," North Charleston is the seventh-most-dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants. FBI statistics show that the city's murder rate in 2006 was 31.9 per 100,000.
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History
From the 1600's until the Civil War, the area north of the City of Charleston was comprised primarily of plantations. The large plantations were continually subdivided into smaller farms as the population began moving northward. After the Civil War, phosphate fertilizer plants began to spring up, with extensive strip mining occurring between the Ashley River and Broad Path (Meeting Street Road).
Since the early 1900's, the North Area has been a planned industrial community with its growth geared directly to the industry, military, and business communities. The first industry in the North Area was E.P. Burton Lumber Company. In 1901, the United States Navy Shipyard was established. Shortly thereafter, the General Asbestos and Rubber Company built the world's largest asbestos mill under one roof.
In 1912, a group of Charleston businessmen formed a development company, bought the Burton tract, and began to lay out an industrial city. Park Circle was laid out, with areas reserved for industrial, commercial, and residential usage. Park Circle was planned as one of only two garden city models in the US and most of the original planning concept remains today. Some of the streets in North Charleston still bear the names of these pioneer developers: Durant, Buist, Mixon, Hyde, and O'Hear. During World War II, substantial development occurred as the military bases and industries expanded.
From World War II through the 1960's, many people in the community were unhappy about the way parts of the North Area were developing. They wanted the citizens in the area to have direct control over future development. As a means of bringing government closer to the people, an incorporation referendum was held on April 27, 1971. On June 12, 1972, after a series of legal battles, the South Carolina Supreme Court upheld the referendum results and North Charleston became a city with John E. Bourne Jr as its first Mayor.
Geography
North Charleston is located at (32.885379, -80.016881)3.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 62.1 square miles (160.8 km²), of which, 58.5 square miles (151.6 km²) of it is land and 3.5 square miles (9.2 km²) of it (5.70%) is water.
Coliseum
The North Charleston Coliseum is located in North Charleston near the Charleston International Airport. The coliseum is one of the biggest in South Carolina with 14,000 seats. The coliseum is home to the South Carolina Stingrays for hockey, and the Carolina Sandsharks for indoor football. The Charleston Lowgators and the Charleston Swamp Foxes used to be tenants at the coliseum. The coliseum also hosts many special events, concerts, and local graduations.
Transportation
North Charleston has many highways, including Interstate 26 and 526. US Highways 78 and 52 run through the city. State Highways 7 and 642 run through the city also. Charleston International Airport and Charleston Air Force Base are located in North Charleston. North Charleston is also a port and rail city. The privately owned Charleston Ports Authority located one of its piers in North Charleston. Cargo trains run through the city almost hourly.
Individual transportation in and around North Charleston is 99% automotive. There is now a sidewalk along Ashley Phosphate Road, but there is no shadecover and no buffer between it and the road. Each business is separated from the next so walking between them is discouraged and intersections are dangerous (for everyone but especially for pedestrians) due to the high volume of traffic and the lack of any real pedestrian signage.
The local bus system, CARTA, has a major hub in North Charleston and buses run throughout the area.
Demographics
As of the census1 of 2000, there were 79,641 people, 29,783 households, and 18,971 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,360.6 people per square mile (525.3/km²). There were 33,631 housing units at an average density of 574.5/sq mi (221.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 49.41% African American, 44.76% White, 0.44% Native American, 1.59% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.78% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population.
There were 29,783 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.0% were married couples living together, 22.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 13.4% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,307, and the median income for a family was $32,868. Males had a median income of $26,681 versus $20,718 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,361. About 19.9% of families and 23.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.8% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The city is run by an elected Mayor-council government system.
Mayor
- Current Mayor
- R. Keith Summey
- Previous Mayors
- John E. Bourne Jr.
- Robert Kinard
- Kenneth McClure (Interim Mayor)
Council Members
- Steve Ayer
- Jesse Dove
- Micheal Brown
- Sam Hart
- Rhonda Jerome
- Bobby Jameson
- Robert King
- Phoebe Miller
- Kurt Taylor
- Dorothy Williams
Police Department
Chief of Police: Jon R. Zumalt
The North Charleston Police Department was formed in 1973 with 19 officers and five support personnel. Today, the department employs over 300 sworn officers and 100 civilian employees.
North Charleston is divided into twelve zones and three bureaus. The North Bureau is located at City Hall, 4900 LaCross Rd., the South Bureau is located at 3401 Rivers Ave. and the West Bureau is located in the Festival Center shopping plaza at Ashley Phosphate and Dorchester Roads.
Sports
North Charleston is home to three Minor League teams who compete in the North Charleston Coliseum:
- The Carolina Sandsharks are an NIFL Indoor Football team.
- The North Charleston Lowgators/Charleston Lowgators played NBDL Basketball in North Charleston from 2001 to 2004, before relocating to Fort Myers, Florida.
- The South Carolina Stingrays are an ECHL Ice Hockey team.
See also
References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
External links
- City of North Charleston
- Charleston, SC Travel Guide and Vacation Planner - Non-profit site dedicated to providing information to travelers to the greater Charleston, SC area
- Travel Guide to Charleston and North Charleston - Traveler of Charleston
- North Charleston at the Open Directory Project
- North Charleston, South Carolina is at coordinates Coordinates:
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