What Concord is actually like
Concord was first settled around 1750 by German Lutheran and Scots-Irish Presbyterian farmers and officially incorporated in 1806 as the seat of newly formed Cabarrus County — the name itself, meaning "to bring into harmony," was chosen to settle a dispute between the two founding groups over where the county seat should sit. Its most unusual founding-era story belongs to Warren Clay Coleman, a formerly enslaved entrepreneur who in 1897 established what historians believe was the first cotton mill in the United States owned and operated by Black Americans, an achievement that came under severe strain after the 1898 Wilmington massacre destabilized Black-owned businesses statewide. The 1876 Cabarrus County Courthouse, still standing and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, anchors Concord's historic downtown along North and South Union Street.
Concord is now an independent city of roughly 110,000 people — the 10th-most-populous in North Carolina — sitting in its own county (Cabarrus) rather than inside Mecklenburg. It's defined nationally by two things: Charlotte Motor Speedway, which broke ground in 1959 and opened in 1960, briefly carried the "Lowe's Motor Speedway" name from 1999–2009 before reverting, and today seats about 95,000 for NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 and Bank of America 400; and Concord Mills, a 1.36-million-square-foot outlet mall that opened in September 1999 and marked its 25th anniversary in 2024. Housing is far more traditional and suburban than Charlotte's urban core — a mix of 19th- and 20th-century homes along the historic Union Street corridor plus a large share of newer single-family subdivisions absorbing Charlotte-metro overflow growth. Buyers skew toward families and move-up buyers wanting more house and yard for the money than Mecklenburg County offers, plus a NASCAR-industry workforce concentrated near the Speedway.
Listings in Concord
Getting around
Concord is a car-first city — there's no light rail or CATS service connecting it to Charlotte, so the roughly 27-mile, 30–35 minute I-85 drive to Uptown is the default commute. Downtown Concord's historic Union Street core has genuine walkability around the courthouse square, but the newer subdivisions and the Speedway/Concord Mills retail corridor are spread out and built for driving. Concord–Padgett Regional Airport offers limited discount commercial service, but most residents still fly out of CLT for full commercial service.
Concord FAQ
Is Concord part of Charlotte, or its own city?
Its own independent city, and its own county — Cabarrus, not Mecklenburg. It's about 27 highway miles from Uptown Charlotte via I-85, close enough to be culturally tied to the metro but administratively and politically separate, with its own city government, school district, and tax base.
Is Charlotte Motor Speedway actually in Charlotte?
No — despite the name, it's in Concord, beside U.S. Route 29. Ground broke in 1959 and the track opened for its first race in 1960; it now seats around 95,000 for marquee NASCAR events like the Coca-Cola 600. It briefly went by "Lowe's Motor Speedway" from 1999–2009 before reverting to its original name.
What's the story with Concord Mills — is it still open?
Yes — a 1.36-million-square-foot outlet mall that opened in September 1999 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024, with new retailers still opening since.
What kind of housing does Concord actually have — is it all new subdivisions?
It's a mix: a historic core of 19th- and 20th-century homes along North and South Union Street near downtown, plus a much larger share of newer single-family subdivisions built during the metro's growth boom — more single-family and more owner-occupied than Charlotte's urban core.