Cornelius, NC Road Trips
Plan drives from Cornelius, NC with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.
Photo: Mark Stebnicki
Trip Routes
2
Longest Drive
241.8 mi
City of Greenville, NC
Quickest Drive
4h 12m
Rocky Mount, NC
Plan Around Cornelius, NC
Continue From Cornelius, NC
Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.
Trips from Cornelius, NC
Cornelius, NC by the Numbers
Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Population
32,009
Median Income
$114,688
Median Home Value
$512,400
Median Age
44.8
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.
Cornelius, NC at a Glance
Founded
1893
Elevation
804 ft
Area
12 mi²
Notable People from Cornelius, NC
A sampling of people born in Cornelius, NC.
Andrea Stinson
1967
American basketball player
City data from Wikidata (Q2028004), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Cornelius, NC
Cornelius is a small town in central North Carolina. It is a northern suburb of Charlotte, located inside the northern boundary of Mecklenburg County. It is on Lake Norman and offers the opportunity for outdoor activities such as boating and hiking.
Cornelius has many parks on the shores of Lake Norman and a small downtown with a few sights. 1 Never Forget 9/11 Monument, 19729 S Main St (NC-115 just south of downtown.). 24 Hours. Free. (updated Jul 2025) Jetton Park, 19000 Jetton Rd, ☏ +1 980 314-1001, [email protected]. A lakefront park featuring walking trails, a beach, picnic areas, and a playground. Free. (updated Jul 2025) Ramsey Creek Park, 18441 Nantz Road, ☏ +1 980-314 1000. Park on Lake Norman featuring a beach. Also features a playground and dog park. (updated Jul 2025)
Lake Norman Miniature Golf (LKN Mini Golf), 18639 Statesville Rd, ☏ +1 704 892-9800. M-Tu 10 AM-9PM Th-Sa 10AM-9PM Su 12-8PM. Miniature golf course with 18 holes. Also features laser tag, rock climbing, and axe throwing. Concessions including snowballs are available. Ages 4-10 – $6.50. Ages 13-64 – $8.25. (M-F non-holiday open-4pm) – ($7.00). Ages 3 & Under – 1 free per paid admission.. (updated Jul 2025) United Escapes of America - Lake Norman, 19501 W Catawba Ave (Second floor of building.), ☏ +1 704 707-9222, [email protected]. S - Th 11:30AM - 9PM, F - Sa 10AM - 10PM. Escape Room. $28+ per person. (updated Jul 2025)
Tenders (PDQ Cornelius: Tenders), 18341 Statesville Rd, ☏ +1 704 895-6017. 11AM-10PM. First appearance of the chicken from PDQ. $10-20 per person. (updated Jul 2025) Hello, Sailor, 20210 Henderson Rd, ☏ +1 704 997-5365. 11AM-9PM. $20-30 per person. (updated Jul 2025)
Microtel Inn & Suites, 20820 Torrence Chapel Rd, ☏ +1 704 895-1828. Lake Norman Hotel, 19901 Holiday Ln, ☏ +1 704 892-3854. Hampton Inn-North, 19501 Statesville Rd, ☏ +1 704 892-9900. Econo Lodge Lake Norman, 20740 Torrence Chapel Rd, ☏ +1 704 892-6473. Comfort Inn Lake Norman, 19521 Liverpool Pkwy, ☏ +1 704 897-7623. Microtel Inn-Lake Norman, 20820 Torrence Chapel Rd, ☏ +1 704 831-6186. Comfort Inn-Lake Norman, 20740 Torrence Chapel Rd, ☏ +1 704 892-3500.
I-77 is the main Interstate highway through the area. Exit 28 provides access to most locations in the town. US-21 and NC-115 also run through the town. The CATS Express 77x - North Mecklenburg is the primary bus route to the town from Charlotte and other nearby places. The nearest commercial airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport about half an hour's drive to the south.
Cars are the primary form of transportation but biking is also common and many parts of the town can be easily traversed by foot.
Travel tips adapted from Cornelius (North Carolina) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
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