“N” is for North Charleston

“N” is for North Charleston (Charleston County; 2020 population 113,886). The city once called the “North Area” by residents of Charleston has been much affected by its proximity to the older “city by the sea.” The irony is that the former service area and suburb, incorporated as recently as 1972--with even its name subordinated to Charleston--is the third largest city in South Carolina and the economic and geographic center of the state’s largest metropolitan area. In 1901 a United State naval base and shipyard located to the area and North Charleston grew with the navy yard. The area survived the closure of the naval base with the steady growth of a broad-based industrial and service economy. Today, North Charleston is home to the Charleston International Airport, two colleges, and a regional coliseum and convention center.