The town of Midland is located in southern Cabarrus County in North Carolina, USA, in the south-central portion of the state, in the region known as the Piedmont. The name of the town is derived from its location approximately one-half way between Charlotte and Oakboro on the railroad line.
Visitors and new residents to the area are often surprised to learn the local pronunciation of the town's name. In local parlance, "Midland" is pronounced as a spondee, with nearly equal verbal emphasis on both first and last syllables. Other Midlands around the country, including those in Texas and Michigan, are generally pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable. While Midlanders may refer to "MID-lind," Texas, they themselves live in "MID-LAND," North Carolina.
US Hwy 601 and N.C. 24/27 are the major highways. At this writing (October 2005) there is one traffic signal in the town at the intersection of Hwy. 601 and State Road 24/27, which is north of Midland proper and was once known locally as "Hell's Half Acre." The U.S. Postal Service has maintained a post office in Midland for many years (Zip code 28107), and rural mail routes extend from Midland into portions of four counties.
Midland began as a railroad town about 1913 with the arrival of rail service. The town is now incorporated, as of 2000. Prior to Midland's becoming a railroad village, a community named Garmon existed in the area and appears on an 1864 map of North Carolina.
Formerly, the economy of Midland was essentially agricultural with some textile-related manufacturing jobs. With the growth of Charlotte, N.C. to the west, farming has played a decreasing role in the economic life of the town. Increasingly, Midland has become a bedroom community for those commuting to work in nearby Charlotte and Concord. For many years, there were very few "outsiders" moving to Midland, but over the past two decades, many people with no familial roots in the area have settled there. New residents are attracted to the area for its lower taxes, less expensive housing and real estate prices, and a more rural flavor than that which is to be found in Charlotte or the surrounding larger communities.
The Reed Gold Mine, site of the first discovery of gold in the United States, is located east of the town. The Reed Gold Mine is now an historic site under State management and is open to the public. Visitors to the mine can tour a museum with extensive information and displays on North Carolina gold mining, and can walk through several hundred feet of mine tunnels. The area was an important gold mining center in the 19th century; however, gold mining activity in the region predates the founding of Midland.
The climate in Midland is temperate, with chilly winters and hot summers. Thunderstorms are frequent in warmer weather. Severe weather occurs occasionally, and a few tornadoes have been recorded in Midland and its vicinity. Snow accumulations occur on occasion in the winter, and anywhere from zero to three significant accumulations of snow might reasonably be expected in an average winter. Accumulating snows generally melt away between snow events, and there is no consistent snowpack in winter. Pleasantly warm daytime temperatures may be experienced into November. Rainfall averages 40-45 inches per year.
The town sits approximately 500-550 feet above sea level. The land is gently rolling with no especially high points. The most common soil type is a red clay. The area is drained by the Rocky River, which is relatively small and generally shallow. Trees are abundant. There are no significant lakes in the town. Coordinates for Midland are 35°13′38″N, 80°30′03″W. The town is located approximately 249 air miles northeast of Atlanta, 526 miles southwest of New York City, 614 miles southeast of Chicago, and 650 miles north of Miami. From Midland, it is 2423 air miles to the Equator and 3792 miles to the North Pole.
During the past two decades, new businesses have tended to locate north of Midland near the intersection of Hwy 601 and State Road 24/27. Midland has an increasing number of businesses owing mainly to companies locating in the town which, with improved highways, is now more convenient to Charlotte and surrounding areas. Essential services remain limited. A physician's office is now located in Midland, but hospitals with emergency services are located in Concord and Charlotte. A few family-type restaurants and food stands may be found in Midland. A bank is located in the town. Automobile fuel and repairs are available. A public elementary school is located near the town, and a middle school and a high school serving the area are located near Concord. There are no military installations in the area.
Nearby communities include the settlement of Cabarrus, also known as Cabarrus Station, a former railroad stop like Midland. Also nearby are the communities of Locust and Stanfield, located in adjoining Stanly County, N.C., and only a few minutes' drive from Midland by automobile. These communities are similar to Midland in many ways, but Locust does now have a chain supermarket and some other nationally-branded businesses.
Transportation to Midland is limited to automobile traffic. The town is no longer served by passenger rail service, and there is no public general aviation airport within 15-20 miles. Commercial flights to the area are usually handled through the airport at Charlotte, approximately one hour's drive to the west. Charlotte's airport has several hundred passenger flights per day with nonstop service to many locations in North America as well as service to Europe and the Caribbean basin. Some air passengers also use the airport at Greensboro, N.C., or at Raleigh/Durham, although these latter airports are two hours or more travel time by automobile. The closest seaports are located along the Atlantic Ocean approximately 165 air miles east of the town.
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