75 Interesting Facts About North Carolina You Should Know Visual Story

Introduction Discover 75 interesting facts about North Carolina and get to know this US state. From... See all Facts

The state capital of North Carolina is Raleigh

FACT 1 The first interesting fact about North Carolina is that Raleigh was named the state's capital... See all Facts

North Carolina is known as the "Tar Heel State"

FACT 2 North Carolina has plenty of nicknames, but "Tar Heel State" is the most popular. While... See all Facts

The Wright brothers completed their first flight in Kitty Hawk

FACT 3 One of the really cool facts about North Carolina is that The Wright brothers, who... actionsports/Depositphotos.com See all Facts

North Carolina's license plate boasts "first in flight"

FACT 4 Because of the famous Wright Brothers mentioned in the fact above, North Carolina's license plates... See all Facts

North Carolina is the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola

FACT 5 Another interesting thing about North Carolina is that it's the birthplace of Pepsi-Cola. Caleb Davis... Al.geba/Depositphotos.com See all Facts

The Outer Banks area is nicknamed "The Graveyard of the Atlantic"

FACT 6 The Outer Banks area of North Carolina is absolutely beautiful, but it has had its... See all Facts

Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run in North Carolina

FACT 7 He might have been born in Baltimore, but iconic baseball player Babe Ruth made history... See all Facts

The state is home to the oldest public university in the United States

FACT 8 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill claims to be the nations' oldest public... See all Facts

North Carolina grows more sweet potatoes than any other state

FACT 9 Because the land is rich and the climate is hot and moist, North Carolina can... See all Facts

Krispy Kreme was founded in North Carolina

FACT 10 In 1937, Vernon Rudolph bought a secret recipe from a New Orleans chef and opened... See all Facts

Virginia Dare was the first English child born in the Roanoke colony

FACT 11 Virginia Dare was born August 18, 1587, in Roanoke colony, present-day North Carolina. She was... See all Facts

The North Carolina ice hockey team is called "The Hurricanes"

FACT 12 Because North Carolina is prone to hurricanes, the ice hockey team renamed themselves The Carolina... See all Facts

High Point in North Carolina is the furniture capital of the world

FACT 13 The North Carolina town of High Point is home to many international furniture companies, which... See all Facts

Dellview, North Carolina, is one of the smallest US towns

FACT 14 With just 13 residents (as of a 2010 census), Dellview in North Carolina is one... See all Facts

Putt-Putt Golf was created in North Carolina

FACT 15 One of the little known facts about North Carolina is that in Fayetteville in 1954... See all Facts

North Carolina's state song is called "The Old North State"

FACT 16 Written by William Gaston, North Carolina chose "The Old North State" as their state song... See all Facts

Many famous jazz artists have come from North Carolina

FACT 17 Despite the home of jazz music widely being considered to be New Orleans, Louisiana, many... See all Facts

North Carolina is the 28th largest state

FACT 18 With the state's total area a whopping 52,669 sq miles, North Carolina is the 28th... See all Facts

North Carolina is often referred to as just Carolina

FACT 19 One of the fun historical facts about North Carolina is that despite the existence of... See all Facts

The whole state of North Carolina is divided by a fall line

FACT 20 A line of erosion runs through the center of North Carolina, dividing the state between... See all Facts

North Carolina is home to a UNESCO site

FACT 21 Stretching across both Tennessee and North Carolina, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a... See all Facts

It's the 9th most populous state

FACT 22 A little-known fact about North Carolina is that it is the 9th most populous state... See all Facts

North Carolina was known as the moonshine state

FACT 23 There are many funny facts about North Carolina, but a favorite is that the state... See all Facts

North Carolina has the largest Native American population east of the Mississippi

FACT 24 Around 100,000 Native Americans still live in North Carolina today - this is the largest... See all Facts

The Northern Cardinal is the state bird

FACT 25 North Carolina picked the Northern Cardinal as the state bird in 1943 - the Cardinal... See all Facts

The Venus Flytrap plant is native to North Carolina

FACT 26 While the Venus Flytrap is native to the east of both North and South Carolina... See all Facts

North Carolina's Museum of Art was the first state art museum

FACT 27 While planning for the states' art museum began in 1924 with the creation of the... See all Facts

Plenty of authors have come from North Carolina

FACT 28 As well as jazz musicians, many famous authors began their life in North Carolina, including... See all Facts

People from North Carolina love to barbecue meat

FACT 29 There are two styles of barbecue in North Carolina: Eastern and Lexington. Eastern barbecue involves... See all Facts

Fort Bragg has the largest military base in the US

FACT 30 To the west of Fayetteville, Fort Bragg boasts the largest military base in the whole... See all Facts

North Carolina was one of the original colonies

FACT 31 Alongside Maryland, Virginia, and New York, North Carolina was one of the original colonies that... See all Facts

Raleigh is home to 3 major museums

FACT 32 State capital Raleigh boasts 3 major art, history, and science museums: The North Carolina Museum... zimmytws/Depositphotos.com See all Facts

North Carolina has produced some brilliant NBA players

FACT 33 Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, and John Wall have all called North Carolina home at one... See all Facts

The state motto is "Esse Quam Videri"

FACT 34 One of the brilliant historical facts about North Carolina relates to the state motto, "Esse... See all Facts

North and South Carolina used to be one colony

FACT 35 North Carolina and South Carolina were both one colony called Carolina until 1729 - this... See all Facts

Whitewater Falls are the highest in the east of the US

FACT 36 Whitewater Falls is a beautiful series of waterfalls spanning across North and South Carolina. At... See all Facts

North Carolina has a very unique lake that attracts visitors

FACT 37 White Lake, near Elizabethtown, is a small town with a picturesque lake in North Carolina... See all Facts

The state is home to the tallest dam in the Eastern United States

FACT 38 Fontana Dam, in Graham County, is home to the tallest dam in the east of... See all Facts

The Lost Colony outdoor drama in Albemarle celebrates Virginia Dare

FACT 39 Originally only scheduled to run for one summer, The Lost Colony outdoor drama was so... See all Facts

Grandfather Mountain is a UN-recognised International Biosphere Reserve

FACT 40 Grandfather Mountain, which sits at the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has the... See all Facts

North Carolina didn't have a state flag until 1861

FACT 41 North Carolina remained flagless until 1861, when the state convention voted to join the confederacy... See all Facts

North Carolina is obsessed with Cheerwine

FACT 42 You won't need to travel far in North Carolina to find Cheerwine - the drink... See all Facts

Dinosaur bones have been found in North Carolina

FACT 43 Washington Caruthers Kerr first discovered dinosaur bones in North Carolina in 1869, when he visited... See all Facts

Emeralds are naturally occurring in North Carolina

FACT 44 A cool fact about North Carolina is that emeralds have been mined plenty of times... See all Facts

The named state beverage is milk

FACT 45 Despite the popularity of Cheerwine, North Carolina's state beverage is actually milk. But North Carolina... See all Facts

The tallest lighthouse in North Carolina is Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

FACT 46 Situated on the Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is not only the tallest lighthouse in... See all Facts

Bald Head Island has banned cars

FACT 47 Situated just a twenty-minute ferry ride away from mainland North Carolina, Bald Head Island is... See all Facts

The Miracle of the Hudson plane was on show here

FACT 48 The infamous flight 1549, which landed on the Hudson River moments after departing for North... See all Facts

North Carolina's state flower is Flowering Dogwood

FACT 49 Flowering Dogwood was named the official flower of the state in 1941. It's one of... See all Facts

Many astronauts have trained in North Carolina

FACT 50 Over the years, North Carolina has produced many astronauts, including Michael J. Smith and Charles... See all Facts

Vicks VapoRub is from North Carolina

FACT 51 Another successful company to come from North Carolina is Vicks VapoRub. If you're not familiar... See all Facts

Mt. Olive is famous for its New Year's Eve pickle drop

FACT 52 In what is quite possibly the weirdest and most wonderful celebration ever, the Mt. Olive... See all Facts

Havelock, North Carolina has the largest air base in the Marine Corps

FACT 53 Another fascinating historical fact about North Carolina is that Marine Air Corps Station at Cherry... See all Facts

The largest mansion in America is in North Carolina

FACT 54 The 8000-acre Biltmore Estate is situated in Asheville, North Carolina. Boasting an incredible 250 rooms... fotoluminate/Depositphotos.com See all Facts

Texas Pete Hot Sauce is actually from North Carolina

FACT 55 Despite its confusing name, the infamous Texas Pete Hot Sauce is from North Carolina. It's... See all Facts

The state has its own House of Mugs

FACT 56 House of Mugs is one of the most interesting places in North Carolina - a... See all Facts

There are 100 counties in North Carolina

FACT 57 North Carolina has currently got 100 counties, although this is due to some pretty recent... See all Facts

North Carolina is known for its research triangle

FACT 58 The research triangle is the name for an area in Piedmont where three major research-based... C5Media/Depositphotos.com See all Facts

The largest city in North Carolina is Charlotte

FACT 59 Raleigh may take the title of the state capital, but stretching across 771km2, Charlotte is... See all Facts

North Carolina is bordered by 4 states

FACT 60 North Carolina is bordered by South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia, with the Atlantic ocean... See all Facts

North Carolina has the largest natural habitat zoo in the world

FACT 61 One of the most random facts about North Carolina is that it is home to... See all Facts

Raleigh is nicknamed the "Smithsonian of the south"

FACT 62 Because there are plenty of free museums and exhibitions dotted around the city, Raleigh has... See all Facts

Many Nobel Prize winners have studied at UNC

FACT 63 The University of North Carolina is no stranger to a Nobel Prize winner. The alumni... See all Facts

Raleigh has a rare, double-sided city flag

FACT 64 Raleigh, North Carolina, is one of only 450 cities to proudly display its own city... See all Facts

Mount Mitchell is the highest point in North Carolina

FACT 65 Reaching an elevation of 6,684 ft, Mount Mitchell is the highest point in North Carolina... See all Facts

The first gold rush in the country was in North Carolina

FACT 66 One of the most interesting things about North Carolina is that the state was actually... See all Facts

North Carolina is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame

FACT 67 Charlotte is famed for its NASCAR motor speedway and even has its very own Hall... See all Facts

North Carolina produces a lot of Christmas trees

FACT 68 With around 1,300 growers, North Carolina produces a lot of Christmas trees (more than most... See all Facts

North Carolina's Harriette Thompson was the oldest woman to run a marathon

FACT 69 At 92 years old, Harriette Thompson became the oldest woman ever to complete a full... See all Facts

Winston and Salem combined in 1913

FACT 70 Although they were previously two separate places, the town of Winston and the city of... See all Facts

Many famous actors have come from North Carolina

FACT 71 North Carolina has graced us with some very popular celebrities, including Zach Galifianakis, Emily Procter... See all Facts

Blackbeard often visited North Carolina's coastline during the 1700s

FACT 72 Although he is said to have ironically met his fate there, it's thought that Blackbeard... See all Facts

Three presidents have come from North Carolina

FACT 73 President James Polk, President Andrew Jackson, and President Andrew Johnson all came from North Carolina... See all Facts

Asheville has the most breweries per capita in the US

FACT 74 Boasting around 100 local beers and counting, Asheville is the place to go if you... See all Facts

North Carolina produces a lot of American Idol finalists

FACT 75 This list ends with the king of fun facts about North Carolina. The state produces... See all Facts

In Summary

Conclusion With all these fascinating facts about North Carolina, it's easy to see why it is... See all Facts

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