Hickory, North Carolina
Hickory, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
Union Square in Downtown Hickory | |
| Motto: "Life Well Crafted." | |
Location in North Carolina | |
| Coordinates: 35°44′26″N 81°19′20″W / 35.74056°N 81.32222°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| Counties | Catawba, Burke, Caldwell |
| Incorporated | 1870 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Hank Guess |
| • City manager | Warren Wood |
| Area | |
| 31.14 sq mi (80.66 km2) | |
| • Land | 31.04 sq mi (80.40 km2) |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,158 ft (362 m) |
| Population (2022) | |
| 44,084 | |
| • Density | 1,401.05/sq mi (540.95/km2) |
| • Urban | 201,511 (US: 191st) |
| • Urban density | 1,731.6/sq mi (668.6/km2) |
| • Metro | 368,347 (US: 151st) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 28601-28603 |
| Area code | 828 |
| FIPS code | 37-31060 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2404693 |
| Website | www |
Hickory is a city in western North Carolina primarily located in Catawba County. The 25th most populous city in the state, it is located approximately 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Charlotte.
Hickory's population in the 2022 United States Census Bureau estimate was 44,084. Hickory is the main city of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 368,347 in the 2022 census, and is included in the larger Charlotte-Concord, NC Combined Statistical Area with a population of 3,387,115 in 2022.
In 2014, Reader's Digest named the Hickory metro area as the 10th best place to live and raise a family in the United States. Forbes ranked the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton MSA the third best MSA in the country for business cost in the same year. The Hickory MSA was described by Smart Growth America in 2014 as being the country's most sprawling metro area. In 2023, Travel and Leisure rated Hickory as the most beautiful and affordable place to live in the U.S.