Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the 19th-largest city in the United States. It is the largest city between Philadelphia and Jacksonville. In 2008, Charlotte's population was estimated to be 671,588.

Called the Queen City, Charlotte is named in honor of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg, who had become queen consort of King George III the year before the city's founding. A second nickname derives from later in the 18th century. During the American Revolutionary War, British commander General Cornwallis occupied the city but was driven out soon afterwards by hostile residents, prompting him to write that Charlotte was "a hornet's nest of rebellion," leading to another city nickname: The Hornet's Nest. This is also reason for the City's former NBA team the Charlotte Hornets.

In 2008, the Charlotte metropolitan area had an estimated population of 1,675,495 . The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of a wider thirteen-county labor market region or combined statistical area that has an estimated population (as of 2008) of 2,491,650. In 2008, Charlotte was chosen the "Best Place to Live in America" by relocate-america.com in its annual ranking, based on factors including employment opportunities, crime rates, and housing affordability. It was also named #8 of the 100 "Best Places to Live and Launch" by CNNMoney.com - cities picked for their vibrant lifestyles and opportunities for new businesses.

Charlotte has become a major U.S. financial center, and, based on assets, both the nation's largest and third largest financial institutions call the city home (Bank of America and Wachovia, respectively). Bank of America' headquarters, along with other regional banking and financial services companies, are located primarily in the uptown financial district. Thanks in large part to the expansion of the city's banking industry, the Charlotte skyline has mushroomed in the past two decades and boasts the Bank of America Corporate Center, the tallest skyscraper between Philadelphia and Atlanta. The 60-story postmodern gothic tower, designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli, stands 871 feet tall and was completed in 1992.

The following Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the Charlotte metropolitan area, in order of their rank: Bank of America, Wachovia , Lowe's in suburban Mooresville, Nucor (steel producer), Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive, Family Dollar, Goodrich Corporation, and SPX Corporation (industrial technology). Other major companies headquartered in the Metro Charlotte include Time Warner Cable (a business unit of Fortune 500 company Time Warner), Continental Tire North America (formerly Continental/General Tire), Muzak, Belk, Harris Teeter, Meineke Car Care Centers, Lance, Inc, Bojangles', Carlisle Companies, LendingTree, Compass Group USA, Food Lion, and the Carolina Beverage Corporation (makers of Cheerwine, Sun Drop, and others) in suburban Salisbury. Also, neighboring Gastonia is home to the Parkdale Mills world headquarters.

Charlotte is also a major center in the US motorsports industry, with NASCAR having multiple offices in and around Charlotte. Approximately 75% of the NASCAR industry's employees and drivers are based within two hours of downtown Charlotte. Charlotte is also the future home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, expected to be completed in 2009. The already large presence of the racing technology industry along with the newly built NHRA premier dragstip, zMAX Dragway at Concord which is located just north of Charlotte in Concord, NC, is influencing some of the top professional drag racers to move their shops from more expensive areas like California to the Charlotte area as well.

The center city/uptown area of Charlotte has seen remarkable growth over the last decade. Numerous residential units continue to be built uptown, including over 20 skyscapers either under construction, recently completed, or in the planning stage. Many new restaurants, bars and clubs now operate in the Uptown area. In 2006, Courtside was the first new residential skyscraper to open in Uptown Charlotte. Several other towers were completed in 2007. Several projects are transforming the Midtown Charlotte/Elizabeth area.