Mooresville, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mooresville, North Carolina
Town
Main Street
Flag Seal Logo
Nickname(s):  Race City USA
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Iredell
Established	March 3, 1873
Named for	John Franklin Moore
Government
• Type	Council-Manager government
Area
• Total	26.58 sq mi (68.84 km2)
• Land	26.51 sq mi (68.66 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.17 km2)
Elevation	840 ft (260 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	50,193
• Estimate  (2022)	52,656
• Density	1,893.29/sq mi (731.00/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	28115, 28117
Area code(s)	704, 980
FIPS code	37-44220
GNIS feature ID	2406189

Mooresville is a town in Iredell County, North Carolina. It is part of the growing Charlotte metropolitan area. In 2020, about 50,193 people lived there. This makes it the largest town in Iredell County. Mooresville is located about 25 miles north of Charlotte.

Mooresville is famous for being home to many NASCAR racing teams and drivers. It also has an IndyCar team and companies that make racing parts. This is why it's called "Race City USA". The main office for Lowe's Corporation is also in Mooresville. You can also find the NASCAR Technical Institute here.

History of Mooresville

Early Settlers and Deep Well

The area that became Mooresville was first settled by families from England, Germany, and Scotland-Ireland. They came from places like Rowan County, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Many of these families wanted new land for farming. Some early families, like the Wilsons and Davidsons, arrived in the mid-1700s. They formed small communities. These communities grew into a place called "Deep Well." This name came from a large natural well in the area.

Many families started big farms, mostly growing cotton. By the 1850s, some of these farms became large plantations. One important farmer, Major Rufus Reid, had a large property called Mount Mourne Plantation. This plantation was named after the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. Other historic plantation homes in the area include the Johnson-Neel House and the Cornelius House. On these large farms, enslaved African Americans were forced to work.

The Railroad and Town Growth

In 1856, a railroad track was built across the land of a local farmer named John Franklin Moore. Moore was a small farmer who decided to build a depot on his land. He encouraged others to help start a small village there in the late 1850s. This little village was first known as "Moore's Siding."

The Civil War slowed down the town's growth. The railroad tracks were even removed to help the Confederate army. After the war, the tracks were put back. Moore's Siding slowly began to grow again.

Mooresville Becomes a Town

Soon after the Civil War, John Franklin Moore realized the village needed to become an official town. So, Mooresville was officially made a town in 1873. Moore helped start the first brick factory in Mooresville. He also built some of the first brick buildings on Main Street. He passed away in 1877, but his wife, Rachel Summrow Moore, continued to help the town develop.

In 1883, the railroad lines were rebuilt through the town with a new depot. The railroad helped the town grow a lot. More growth came with the first water plant in the early 1890s. A library was started in 1899, and a phone company began in 1893. The first of many textile mills opened in 1900.

In 1938, an artist named Alicia Weincek painted a mural called North Carolina Cotton Industry. She painted it in the town's post office. She won a competition from the WPA to create this artwork.

Selma Burke, a famous sculptor, was born and grew up in Mooresville. She was important during the Harlem Renaissance. She created a sculpture of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This sculpture was later used for the image on the United States dime.

Geography of Mooresville

Mooresville is located in the southern part of Iredell County. Interstate 77 runs along the western side of the town. You can get on I-77 from Exits 31 to 36. I-77 goes south towards South Carolina and north towards Virginia. The county seat, Statesville, is just north of Mooresville.

Lake Norman, which is part of the Catawba River, is about 3 to 8 miles west of the town center. Mooresville is about 27 miles north of Charlotte. It is also about 16 miles south of Statesville.

The United States Census Bureau says Mooresville covers about 26.58 square miles (68.84 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Population and People

Mooresville's Population in 2020

In 2020, the 2020 United States census counted 50,193 people living in Mooresville. There were 14,233 households and 9,866 families in the town.

Arts and Culture

Mooresville is known as "Race City USA" because of its strong connection to racing. More than 60 NASCAR teams and racing-related businesses are based here. An IndyCar team also calls Mooresville home. The town has two museums about cars and racing. These are the Memory Lane Motorsports and Historical Automotive Museum. There is also the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Historic Places to Visit

Mooresville has several historic places. These include the Mount Mourne Plantation and the Johnson-Neel House. There are also important historic districts. These districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• Mooresville Historic District: This area includes many of the old shops and buildings downtown.
• Mooresville Mill Village Historic District: This is a neighborhood with older homes near where a mill used to be.
• South Broad Street Row: This district has old homes, some of which are now used for businesses.

Education

Public Schools in Mooresville

Mooresville has schools managed by two different districts.

Mooresville Graded School District

• East Mooresville Intermediate School
• Mooresville High School
• Mooresville Intermediate
• Mooresville Middle
• Park View Elementary
• Rocky River Elementary
• Selma Burke Middle
• South Elementary

Iredell-Statesville Schools

• Coddle Creek Elementary
• Lake Norman Elementary
• Lakeshore Elementary
• Shepherd Elementary
• Woodland Heights Elementary

Charter Schools

• Pine Lake Preparatory School
• Langtree Charter School

Community College

Mooresville also has a campus of Mitchell Community College. The main campus for this college is in Statesville.

Transportation and Highways

Several major roads go through or near Mooresville.

• I-77: This interstate runs along the western side of Mooresville.
• US 21: This highway runs next to I-77 on the western side of town.
• NC 3: This road goes through downtown Mooresville. Its number honors the famous NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt.
• NC 115: This highway also passes through downtown Mooresville.
• NC 150: This road goes through the northern part of Mooresville.
• NC 152: This highway also goes through downtown Mooresville.
• NC 801: This road passes through the northeastern side of Mooresville.

You can get to Mooresville from Interstate 77 at several exits. Exit 36 leads to NC 150 and downtown. Exits 33 and 42 connect to US 21. Exit 42 also connects to NC 115. Other exits like 31 (Langtree Road) and 35 (Brawley School Road) also link I-77 to Mooresville.

The I-77 Express Lanes start at Exit 36. They continue south through towns like Davidson and Cornelius. They end in Uptown Charlotte.

Lake Norman Airpark

The Lake Norman Airpark is located near Lake Norman. It's about 5 miles northwest of downtown Mooresville. It has a runway that is 3,100 feet long. This airpark is a "fly-in community" where people can live and keep their planes close by. It has almost 50 lots for homes.

Notable People from Mooresville

Many well-known people have lived in or are from Mooresville.

• Greg Anderson, a champion drag racer
• Greg Biffle, NASCAR driver
• Ryan Blaney, NASCAR driver
• Nicole Briscoe, ESPN host
• Ryan Briscoe, INDYCAR driver
• Selma Burke, famous sculptor and artist
• Kurt Busch, NASCAR driver
• Kyle Busch, NASCAR driver
• Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver
• Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Fame driver
• Jeffrey Earnhardt, NASCAR driver
• Kerry Earnhardt, NASCAR driver
• Chase Elliott, NASCAR driver
• Jeff Gordon, retired NASCAR driver
• Matt Gould, racing driver
• Tanner Gray, NHRA and NASCAR driver
• Hayes Grier, social media personality
• Nash Grier, social media personality
• Will Grier, NFL quarterback
• Dan Jansen, retired speed skater
• Michael Jordan, basketball legend whose 23XI Racing team is based in Mooresville
• Kasey Kahne, NASCAR driver
• Joel Kauffman, NASCAR driver
• Brad Keselowski, NASCAR driver
• David Levine, ARCA and NASCAR driver
• Jason Line, NHRA champion
• Joey Logano, NASCAR driver
• John J. Mack, investment banker
• Olindo Mare, NFL kicker
• J. B. Mauney, professional bull rider
• Jack Melchor, venture capitalist
• John Franklin Moore (1822–1877), founder of Mooresville
• Melissa Morrison-Howard, Olympic bronze medalist in hurdling
• Joe Nemechek, NASCAR driver
• John Hunter Nemechek, NASCAR driver
• Thomas O'Keefe, musician
• Julius Peppers, NFL defensive end
• Jim Popp, Canadian Football League General Manager
• Will Power, INDYCAR driver
• Riki Rachtman MTV TV Radio host
• Charles Robinson, WWE referee
• Reed Sorenson, NASCAR driver
• Ricky Steamboat, former professional wrestler
• Guenther Steiner, former Team Principal for Haas F1
• J.R. Sweezy, NFL offensive guard and Super Bowl champion
• Forrest Thompson, former MLB pitcher
• Curt White, former Olympic weightlifter

Sister City

Mooresville has one sister city. This is a special friendship between two cities in different countries.

• Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany – This city is home to the Hockenheimring, a famous racetrack. This friendship started in 2002.

See also

In Spanish: Mooresville (Carolina del Norte) para niños