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Kannapolis is one of the prime locations for living near Charlotte and Lake Norman, along with being in the NASCAR racing community.  Also Kannapolis is the site of a new NC Research Campus, look here for on campus residential housing, or here for on campus commercial properties.  Whether you are searching for your dream home, vacation home, or investment property, Kannapolis has plenty to offer.  The growth of the Kannapolis area has exploded in population, in 2000 the population of Kannapolis was 36,970 and in 2006 the population was 40,223 and continues to grow.  Kannapolis's demographics can be found here.  Kannapolis offers plenty of shopping opportunities, located near the town is Concord Mills shopping mall which is one of N.C. largest tourist destinations and the Carolina Mall, also it is located 20 minutes from the Northlake shopping mall and 30 minutes from the Birkdale shopping village.  The town is also conveniently located near shopping in the City of Charlotte and many retail shopping areas in the town of Salisbury and Huntersville.  Also within Kannapolis is the Cannon Village Home Furnishings Marketplace which offers 34 furniture, home décor, clothing and gift shops, a textile history museum and an annual traditional Christmas celebration.  There are plenty of restaurants in the Kannapolis area to choose from and they can be searched from here.  Check out Concord's Regional airport conviently located near I-85, or visit the huge Lowe's Motorsport Complex.

Check out Kannapolis's town calender of events, also the Kannapolis Events schedule, and the town parks to enjoy.  If you are interested in subscribing to E-Kannapolis the town's electronic newsletter click here.  Lake Norman provides water recreation opportunities for those to enjoy.  Mecklenburg County has three public access parks for boating located near the City of Kannapolis, Ramsey Creek Park is free, Blythe Landing is free, and Jetton Park has a small access fee.

Also Cabarrus County has several parks located near the City of Kannapolis, such as Frank Liske Park, North Cabarrus Park, and Camp T. N. Spencer Park.  Several Marina's are located on Lake Norman near the City of Kannapolis, Inland Sea Marina, Stutts Marina, All Seasons Marina, North Bridge Marina, Lake Norman Marina, Kings Point Marina, and Holiday Marina.  If you are a golf buff you will enjoy playing golf at the Cabarrus Country Club, Green Oaks Golf Course, Rocky River Golf Club, Kannapolis Country Club, Club at Irish Creek, Mallard Head Country Club, Peninsula Club, North Stone Club, Skybrook Golf Club, Highland Creek Golf Club, The Tradition Golf Club, Oak Hills Golf Course, Sunset Hils Golf Course, Warrior Golf Club, Fox Den Country Club, Statesville Country Club, Lakewood Golf Club, or the Birkdale Golf Club, also you will enjoy playing at the other local golf courses in the area.  Over 60 race teams are located in nearby Mooresville, along with other racing attractions such as Memory Lane Motorsports & Historical Automotive Museum, the NC Auto Racing Hall of Fame & Visitor Center, the Mooresville Dragway, PIT Instruction & Training, NASCAR Technical Institute, and the Pit Indoor Kart Track.  Other Kannapolis attractions include the Dale Earnhardt Tribute, a hometown tribute to the legendary stockcar driver, the Kannapolis Intimidators the class A affiliates of the Chicago White Sox, and the GI House, the only remaining prefabricated homes built by Cannon Mills for returning World War II veterans, it is filled with 1945 to 1950 artifacts and heirlooms. The museum located at 905 King Street is open to the public the first Sunday of each month from 2 to 5 pm, Veterans Day and Memorial Day. For more information call 704-933-9314.

The History of Kannapolis

The history of Kannapolis entered a new era on July 30, 2003 when Pillowtex officials announced the closing of their 16 facilities nationwide and in Canada. Because the decline of Pillowtex took over 20 years, the City had the opportunity to develop a strong local government and viable economy. As the company's headquarters, the City became the center of the largest lay-off in North Carolina history. 6,450 employees lost their jobs nationwide. Of the total displaced by the Pillowtex closure, 4,800 were in North Carolina. Over 3,984 of the employees lived in Rowan and Cabarrus counties and less than 1,500 within the city limits of Kannapolis.

The City prepared for the day the mill closed. In the mid-1990's, 10 square miles of land to the west of Kannapolis was identified as a growth area. The area was annexed in 1999 and is the location of Kannapolis Gateway Business Park, Biscayne Business Park, Stanley Works, Shoe Show, Dogwood Industrial Park, a development by development leaders Childress Klein and executive housing.

In 1998, City leaders launched an 18-month visioning process, Weaving A Shared Future. In this process, a community vision emerged to become the most dynamic and desirable community in the Piedmont that is attractive to families, loved for its neighborhoods, appreciated for its uniqueness and respected for its contribution to the economic vitality of the region. To achieve this vision, citizens identified economic development as the top priority for the City. Other priorities include parks and recreation, transportation and street improvements, and preserving history and heritage.

In 1906, James William Cannon bought several farms to build Cannon Mills Company. Under the guidance of James Cannon's son, Charles, Cannon Mills became the world's largest producer of household textiles and a household name. Kannapolis was built as a mill village of small craftsman style homes. The mill employees lived in the homes for a low rent and enjoyed free maintenance, low cost utilities, and free garbage collection and disposal while paying no taxes. The Cannon's also provided a YMCA, a hospital, a police department, scholarships, loans and jobs.
In 1982, California financier David Murdoch took over Cannon Mills. Murdock merged the mill in 1985 with Fieldcrest Mills Inc. creating Fieldcrest Cannon. In 1984, the citizens of Kannapolis voted to incorporate making the largest unincorporated area in the United States the 16th largest city in North Carolina. The Pillowtex Corporation purchased Fieldcrest Cannon in 1997.

In the past decade, a new a $4 million YMCA, a Senior Center, a Public Library, a baseball stadium for the Kannapolis Intimidators, a Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, and Kannapolis Gateway Businesses Park are examples of the successful partnerships that are improving the community, attracting new business and creating new jobs.  Kannapolis continues to grow due to its location to Charlotte and the Racing Industry, and its small town charm.

Education in the Kannapolis Area

Education in the Kannapolis area is of prime importance to the citizens of Kannapolis.  Below is listed some of the schools that a child in the City of Kannapolis may be assigned and their school reports, for private schools click here.  The first link is to the school's website and the second is to the school report card.  Also you can click here for the School Attendance Locator.