Matthews, North Carolina

In the early 19th century, the early settlement that would become Matthews was unofficially named Stumptown for the copious amount of tree stumps left from making way for cotton farms. The community's name later changed to Fullwood, named after appointed area postmaster John Miles Fullwood. The establishment of a sawmill and the cotton and timber industry helped Fullwood change into a town. Prior to the first train arriving on December 15, 1874, Fullwood acted as a stagecoach stop between Charlotte and Monroe. The town was incorporated into a municipal corporation in 1879 and was renamed Matthews for Edward Watson Matthews, a prominent resident, and director of the Central Carolina Railroad, which would later become known as the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.[4][5] The Seaboard Air Line fell into Seaboard On July 1, 1967. Seaboard then merged with Chessie System to create CSX (Chessie Seaboard X)

Matthews is located at 35°7′1″N 80°42′59″W (35.116851, −80.716409).[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.2 square miles (45 km²), all of it land.

Novant Health Matthews Medical Center in Matthews

As of the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, there were 26,901 people, 11,349 households, and 7,904 families in the town. According to the Census Bureau of 2000, the population density was 1,557.1 people per square mile (601.2/km²). There were 138 housing units at an average density of 572.7 per square mile (221.1/km²). According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, The racial makeup of the town was 82.3% White, 10.1% African American or Black, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 3.7% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.8% of other race, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.3% of the population.

There were 7,904 households, of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.4% were married/couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.4% of households were one person and 8.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.

The age distribution was 29.9% under the age of 19, 3.2% from 20 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 11% 65 or older. The median age was 40.3 years.

The median household income was $77,981 and the median family income was $88,600. Males had a median income of $65,909 versus $44,665 for females. The per capita income for the town was $35,250. About 2.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Matthews is in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system and a small portion is in the Union County Public School system. Schools include Matthews Elementary, Crown Point Elementary, and Elizabeth Lane Elementary; Crestdale Middle; David W. Butler High School. Union County Public Schools include Antioch, Weddington, Wesley Chapel, and Indian Trail Elementaries; Weddington Middle, and Weddington High School. Public charter schools include Matthews Charter Academy and Socrates Academy. Religious schools nearby include Covenant Day School, Charlotte Christian School, Carmel Christian, Blessed Sacrament Academy, and Greyfriars Classical Academy.

Matthews is served by a branch of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.[7] The library is located on the first floor of the Matthews Town Hall and is one of the most active in the system.

Companies with headquarters in Matthews include:

• Family Dollar Stores, a store chain.[8]
• Harris Teeter, a grocery store chain.
• Pokertek, a gaming device manufacturer.

Matthews is home to professional soccer club Stumptown Athletic, named after the suburb's nickname. It was founded in 2019 and plays in US Soccer's third division, the National Independent Soccer Association. Its home stadium is the 5,000 capacity Sportsplex at Matthews.

Matthews is twinned with:

• Sainte-Maxime, Var, France

• Jamar Adams, former NFL safety[9]
• Daniel "Chipp" Bailey, former sheriff
• Tyler Barnhardt, actor
• J. Curtis Blackwood Jr., former Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly[10]
• Jarrett Boykin, former wide receiver in the NFL and CFL
• Ty Buttrey, MLB pitcher[11]
• Dion Byrum, former cornerback in the NFL[12]
• Tricia Cotham, former Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives[13]
• Brooklyn Decker, model and actress best known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue[14]
• Jahwan Edwards, running back in the NFL
• Riley Ferguson, NFL quarterback
• Casey Kirwan, eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series driver
• Jordan Lloyd, winner of the reality TV show Big Brother 11[15] and contestant on Big Brother 13 and The Amazing Race 16
• Jerry Reary, NASCAR driver
• Channing Stribling, cornerback in the NFL and the AAF

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Matthews.

• Town of Matthews official website
• Matthews Chamber of Commerce
• Matthews Historical Foundation