Statesville, located in Iredell County, North Carolina, serves as the county seat and is a constituent of the Charlotte metropolitan area in the United States.
A passenger train went off the tracks on the Bostian Bridge, which was 300 feet long, on August 27, 1891. Seven cars plunged off the bridge, resulting in the deaths of approximately 30 individuals.
Statesville encompasses 24.4 square miles, with 24.2 square miles consisting of land and 0.1 square miles consisting of water, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. Fourth Creek drains the northern region, while Third Creek drains the southern region, with both creeks flowing east and merging just before meeting the South Yadkin River in Cooleemee.
Statesville experiences a humid subtropical climate, similar to the rest of North Carolina, but its elevated position results in relatively lower temperatures compared to the surrounding region. Summer months bring hot and humid weather, accompanied by mild nights, while winters are generally cool, with chilly nights and occasional snowfall. The area is prone to intense thunderstorms during the summer, with wind speeds reaching up to 60 mph and gusts of up to 95 mph.
In the city, there were 28,419 individuals, 10,628 households, and 6,536 families living there according to the 2020 census of the United States.
The Governor Zebulon Vance House and Museum, once the residence of Vance at the close of the American Civil War, is managed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Additional museums in the area are the Iredell Museums, Heritage Museum, and The Children’s Museum.
From 1939 to 1969, Statesville housed several minor league baseball teams, primarily known as the Statesville Owls.
Statesville is part of the Iredell–Statesville School District, which encompasses several schools within the city limits. These schools include East Iredell Elementary, N.B. Mills Elementary, Oakwood Middle School, Pressly Elementary, Statesville Middle School, and Statesville High School. Additionally, there are schools serving Statesville residents that are located outside the city limits, such as Cloverleaf Elementary School, East Iredell Middle School, and Third Creek Elementary School.
The Statesville Record & Landmark is a newspaper that is published every day and mainly focuses on providing news to the residents of Iredell County in Statesville.
The northeastern part of Statesville is where Interstate 40 and Interstate 77 meet, while US 21, US 64, and US 70 pass through the city’s central area.
List of significant individuals includes various names such as a former Major League Baseball player, a soprano singer, an NFL defensive back, a Naval aviator and Brigadier general, a stock car racing driver, the First Lady of North Carolina, an Archbishop, a lawyer and politician, an American Revolution patriot and delegate to the Continental Congress, a NASCAR driver, an NFL linebacker, a former Major League Baseball pitcher and coach, a populist representative, a writer, and a Major League Soccer player.