# Midland, North Carolina

Midland is a town in southern Cabarrus County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Charlotte region of North Carolina, Midland is a 30-minute commute to uptown Charlotte. The name of the town is derived from its location approximately halfway between Charlotte and Oakboro on the railroad line. The population was 4,684 as of the 2020 census, up from 3,073 in 2010.
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.

## History

Midland began as a railroad town about 1913 with the arrival of rail service via the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR). Prior to this, a community named Garmon existed in the area (a few miles to the east) around the Garmon Mill begun by Michael Garmon in the late-1700s, and Garmon appears on an 1864 map of North Carolina. Another community located to the west, Cabarrus Station, also predated Midland as a railroad stop, and is now within the town's municipal limits. Midland was incorporated in 2000.
Formerly, the economy of Midland was agricultural with some textile-related manufacturing jobs. With the growth of Charlotte 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.
The Reed Gold Mine, site of the first discovery of gold in the United States, is located east of the town. The mine is now a historic site under state management and is open to the public. 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 Bethel Church Arbor, John Bunyan Green Farm, and Robert Harvey Morrison Farm and Pioneer Mills Gold Mine are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

## Geography

The town is in southern Cabarrus County, about 22 miles (35 km) by road east of Charlotte. The town sits at approximately 500 to 550 feet (150 to 170 m) above sea level. The land is gently rolling with no especially high points.
US Highway 601 and NC 24/27 are the major highways. US 601 leads north 14 miles (23 km) to Concord, the Cabarrus county seat, and south 17 miles (27 km) to Monroe, while Highways 24 and 27 lead east 19 miles (31 km) to Albemarle and west into Charlotte.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Midland has an area of 13.3 square miles (34 km$^2$), all land. Muddy Creek flows through the town just south of its center, leading southeast to the Rocky River, which passes just east of the town. Via the Rocky River, Midland is within the watershed of the Pee Dee River.

## Climate

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 (1,000–1,100 mm) per year.

## Demographics
### 2020 census

Midland racial composition :
| Race | Number | Percentage |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 3,343 | 71.37% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 580 | 12.38% |
| Native American | 17 | 0.36% |
| Asian | 47 | 1.0% |
| Other/Mixed | 241 | 5.15% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 456 | 9.74% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 4,684 people, 1,182 households, and 912 families residing in the town.

## Economy

Corning operates a large-scale fiber-optic cable manufacturing plant in Midland that underwent a $50M expansion in 2012. Intertape Polymer Group announced in 2016 that they would build a $49M advanced manufacturing plant for the e-commerce sector north of the Corning plant.