54 Reasons North Carolina is the Superior Carolina!

North Carolina is hands-down the crown jewel of the Carolinas, leaving its southern neighbor in the dust when it comes to history, natural beauty, and cultural influence. From the iconic Outer Banks to the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina offers landscapes and attractions that South Carolina just can’t match. Covering all 50 states from California to Florida to Iowa to New Jersey, we’ll dive into what makes the Tar Heel State superior — from being the true birthplace of flight to leading in higher education, tech innovation, and top-notch barbecue. For anyone who wants to understand why North Carolina is simply a cut above, this list says it all!

What is North Carolina known for?

1. The Research Triangle! Basically a nerd paradise, with three big universities — Duke University, University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State — creating a science-fueled Bermuda Triangle of innovation. At its core is the Research Triangle Park (RTP), where some of the smartest people in biotech, tech, and pharmaceuticals hang out, probably drinking way too much coffee and creating more ways for tech to middle-manage our lives. It’s where you go if you want to find a groundbreaking startup or accidentally walk into a conference on robots and/or full of robots.

2. First in Flight! The very first successful powered aircraft flight took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, by brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright. This groundbreaking invention quite literally changed the world, opening the skies and redefining the potential of what humanity could achieve in travel, exploration, and beyond. North Carolina is so proud of this fact that they even put it on their licenses plates.

3. College basketball! College basketball in North Carolina is passionate and iconic, with both the men’s and women’s teams dominating the scene. Duke’s men’s team has won five national championships, and UNC’s men’s team has claimed six, with Michael Jordan famously leading UNC to a title in 1982. The rivalry between these schools is fierce, and don’t forget the success of the women’s programs at NC State, Duke, and UNC, which consistently compete at the highest levels. Basketball in North Carolina is a deeply ingrained part of the state’s culture.

Early history of North Carolina facts

4. The Hardaway Site in Baldin, North Carolina is the location of the earliest discovered human settlements on present-day North Carolina land, going back to around 8000 BCE.

5. For about 2,500 years until white people came along in the 1500s, the Mississippian culture of Native Americans — including groups like Croatan and Chowanoke and Roanoke — inhabited North Carolina in a period of time known as the Woodland Period, where the peoples made huge advances in pottery, agriculture, and building settlements, creating civilization pillars that colonizers were all too happy to take advantage of.

6. Giovanni da Verrazzano was probably the first white guy to explore North Carolina in 1524. He explored a lot of the Northeastern coast and the expedition actually landed at Cape Fear, North Carolina.

7. In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh attempted to found the very first permanent English settlement in North America called Roanoke Colony. When the colony was visited five years later in 1590, everyone was totally fucking gone with no trace at all of them to be found. The fate of over 100 colonist remains unknown to this day and we call this the Lost Colony.

8. One of the missing colonists was Virginia Dare. While the date and cause of her death is unknown, she was the very first English person born in an American English colony on August 18, 1587.

9. In 1712, the Province of North Carolina as divided and separated from South Carolina became official.

10. North Carolina was one of the 13 original colonies to declare their independence from Britain in 1776.

11. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state of the Union.

12. As a slave state that wanted the right to own Black people, North Carolina seceded from the Union on May 20, 1861.

13. North Carolina rejoined the Union in 1868, after they ratified a brand-new state constitution that officially prohibited slavery.

What famous people are from North Carolina?

14. John Coltrane was a pioneering jazz saxophonist and composer who profoundly influenced the genre with his innovative playing and spiritual depth. Works like A Love Supreme pushed the boundaries of jazz, blending complex harmonies, improvisation, and a deeply personal exploration of spirituality. Coltrane’s contributions to jazz have left a lasting legacy that would be impossible to overstate, inspiring countless musicians and reshaping the direction of modern music. He was born in Hamlet, North Carolina on September 23, 1926.

15. The groundbreaking jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk was a key figure in the bebop movement known for his improvisational style and complex, dissonant harmonies. One of the most influential figures in the history of jazz, records like Round Midnight and Monk’s Dream are classics of the genre.

16. Several members of the baseball Hall of Fame were born in North Carolina, including Gaylord Perry (Williamston), Luke Appling (High Point), Enos Slaughter (Roxboro), Hoyt Wilhelm (Huntersville), Catfish Hunter (Hertford), Rick Ferrell (Durham), and Buck Leonard (Rocky Mount). Clearly something was in the water in South Carolina in the early-mid 20th century.

17. Pam Grier rose to fame for starring in a slew of 1970s action and blaxploitation films in the 1970s, including Coffy and Foxy Brown. She was also the title character in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. She was born May 26, 1949 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

18. The singer-songwriting Tori Amos, whose albums include Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink, and Boys for Pele, is known for her emotionally charged piano-driven music and bold, confessional lyrics that tackle themes of feminism, religion, and personal trauma. She was born Myra Ellen Amos in Newton, North Carolina on August 22, 1963.

19. Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, but his roots in North Carolina are well-known. The family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina when Jordan was pretty young, and he was famously unable to make the high school basketball team as a sophomore. He was eventually awarded a scholarship University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and making the NCAA All-American First Team twice and the rest, as they say, is history.

20. While Michael Jordan is clearly the most well-known basketball player to be from North Carolina, the state boasts several Hall of Fame players who were born in the state proper: James Worthy (Gastonia), Walt Bellamy (New Bern), Bobby Jones (Charlotte), Sam Jones (Laurinburg), Bob McAdoo (Greensboro), and Walter Davis (Pineville).

21. Nina Simone was an iconic singer, pianist, and civil rights activist whose powerful voice and genre-blending music spanned jazz, blues, classical, and folk. Known for her deeply expressive performances and songs like “Mississippi Goddam” and “Feeling Good,” Simone used her music as a tool for social change while addressing issues of race, identity, and injustice. Her artistry and activism have left an indelible mark on both music and the civil rights movement, making her a lasting symbol of resilience and empowerment. She was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina on February 21, 1933.

22. The novelist Tom Robbins authored the popular Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and the beloved Still Life with Woodpecker. He was born on July 22, 1932 in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

23. Sylvester Ritter — much more well-known as the Junkyard Dog — was one of the most popular and charismatic pro wrestlers of his era, and the rare Black star that was often billed at the top of the promotion. He was born December 12, 1952 in Wadesboro, North Carolina.

What are the state symbols of North Carolina?

24. North Carolina elected the Venus flytrap as the official carnivorous plant of the whole state in 2005. You can find this lil guy in plant stores all over the world but its actually only native to certain subtropical parts of North and South Carolina.

25. Milk! It supposedly does a body good. It’s also the official beverage of North Carolina since 1987, and Arkansas and Delaware and Kentucky and Louisiana and Maryland and Minnesota and Mississippi and Nebraska and New York and Oklahoma and Oregon and Pennsylvania and South Dakota and Tennessee and Vermont and Virginia and Wisconsin all also have milk as a state symbol.

26. Louisiana, Alabama, and North Carolina all have the sweet potato as their state vegetable.

27. In 1963, North Carolina named the good ol’ pine tree as the official state tree. While states like New Mexico and Nevada and Montana and Minnesota and Michigan and Maine and Idaho and Arkansas have specific species of pine as state symbols, North Carolina just has the regular plain pine tree.

28. In 1979, the eastern box turtle was name the official reptile of North Carolina, something they have in common with Tennessee.

29. In addition to the pine tree being North Carolina’s state tree, they also named the Fraser Fir as the official Christmas tree in 2005 after a group of 8th-graders at Harris Middle School in Spruce Pine realized the economic influence the fir has on the state.

30. There are only four breeds of dogs that are completely, totally, uniquely American — at least according to the American Kennel Club — and the Plott hound is one of them. It’s named for this German immigrant dude named Jonathan Plott who bred this kind of hound in North Carolina around 1750, and in 1989 the state made it their official dog.

31. North Carolina named the strawberry as the official state red berry in 2001, and they also named the blueberry as the official blue berry that same year. Strawberries are also a state symbol for Delaware, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, and blueberries are symbols for Maine, Minnesota, and New Jersey.

32. In 1943, North Carolina officially declared the Northern cardinal as the official state bird. They have this in common with Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Where should I visit in North Carolina?

33. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it’s a must-visit for any dedicated fan of the NASCAR experience. The museum features interactive exhibits, memorabilia, and historic race cars, loving curated to celebrate the history and heritage where visitors can admire the legends and view classic cars. Vroom vroom!

34. The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro features more than 2,600 acres committed to the conservation of animals and education the public about them makes this one of the immersive natural habitat replications of any zoo in the country. There’s a lot to like here for animal lovers, but if you love animals so much you have mixed feelings about zoos in general, we don’t blame you.

35. Gamers nostalgic for a certain era of arcades will love the Asheville Pinball Museum, located in an old hotel that was built in 1924 and eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of the pinball machines here are equally as historic, with units going as far back as the 1940s. For a flat fee, visitors can play all the pinball they want to their heart’s content.

36. In Raleigh, you’ll find the North Carolina Museum of Art, which houses one of the best and most diverse collections in the Southeastern United States, from ancient artifacts from Egypt to Mesoamerica, as well as works from bigwigs like Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Raphael, Paul Rubens, and Andrew Wyeth.

37. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is named for the dude who was elected as the first Black mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina in 1983. The center celebrates, preserves Black art, history, and culture while amplifying Black narratives and voices. Supporting the Gantt Center means championing Black artists, embracing diversity in the arts, and contributing to an inclusive cultural landscape that values all stories.

38. The Cryptozoology & Paranormal Museum in Littleton, North Carolina, is a modest yet quirky and intriguing destination dedicated to the unexplained. Local cryptozoologist Stephen Barcelo’s carefully curated collection includes casts of Bigfoot prints that Barcelo made himself, and he even offers guided tours of the supposedly haunted spots in Littleton.

39. Robert Moog invented the Moog synthesizer in 1964, and rock-n-roll hasn’t been quite the same since, with the new-fangled instrument being used from The Beatles to Donna Summer to the Beastie Boys. Downtown Asheville, North Carolina is home to the Moogseum, and offers music-loving visitors fascinating insights into music technology.

Fun, cool, interesting & weird North Carolina facts

40. In 1916 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, the very first standardized miniature golf course was created, and an American pastime was born.

41. In 1893, this dude Caleb Bradham had a drugstore in New Bern, North Carolina where he created a concoction that he called Brad’s Drink. Five years later in 1898, it was renamed Pepsi-Cola, and an iconic foodstuff was born.

42. Purple honey is a real actual thing that really actually exists, and you can find it in the Sandhills of North Carolina, and some claim that it even tastes purple. No one is exactly sure what the secret ingredient is that causes the bees to produce purple honey, tho it’s very possible that it has something to do with the relatively higher amount of aluminum in the nectar of North Carolinian flowers.

43. You may have heard the term “bunk” to describe something nonsensical or bullshit, and named for the 1820s Buncombe County congressperson Felix Walker who often made rambling speeches without much substance. Kissing the Bunkum Stone in Asheville, North Carolina supposedly gives the gift of loquacity, according to local legend.

44. The so-called Brown Mountain Lights are mysterious orbs of light that appear sporadically on Brown Mountain in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina, with sightings dating back centuries. In 1922, United States Geological Survey scientist George R. Mansfield investigated the phenomenon and determined that most sightings were caused by train headlights, car lights, and brush fires, which eased public concern. However, despite this explanation, the lights still occasionally reappear, keeping the legend alive and sparking curiosity among locals and visitors alike.

45. There are three colleges that claim to be the oldest public university in the United States, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of them. Each one has their own basis for this claim, and UNC’s claim is that they were the first public institution of higher learning in the country to open in 1795, and the only public institution to give degrees in the 18th century.

46. Pirate lore enthusiasts will find plenty to enjoy in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, a popular destination and location for smugglers and plunderers in the early 1700s. The shallow waters accompanied by high sandbars allowed pirate ships to sneak into remote areas unseen, and the lack of government in North Carolina allowed them to get away with a lot. Blackbeard, perhaps the most famous pirate ever, died in battle in Ocracoke, North Carolina in 1718.

47. The famous professional wrestler André the Giant made a home at a ranch in Ellerbe, North Carolina where he tried to accommodate his unusual size with the extra space and to get away from the public eye. When he passed away in 1993, about 17 pounds of his ashes — three times as much as a normal person’s — were scattered on the ranch.

Topography & geography of North Carolina

48. North Carolina borders Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina, and Tennessee, as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

49. At 53,819 total square miles of land and water, North Carolina is the 28th-biggest state.

50. Mount Mitchell is the highest elevation point in the state of North Carolina at 6,684 feet above sea level. The lowest elevation point is the Atlantic Ocean, which is, ofc, zero feet above sea level.

51. The east-west length of North Carolina is exactly 500 miles, and it’s 184 miles from north to south.

52. Raleigh has been the capital of North Carolina since 1792 and was named for the colonizer Sir Walter Raleigh.

53. Other major cities in North Carolina include Durham, Asheville, Wilmington, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem.

54. North Carolina has exactly 100 counties, with Wake County being the largest.

Cover Image Credit: Image by David Mark from Pixabay

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