South Mecklenburg & Ballantyne

The upscale suburban corridor south of I-485 within Mecklenburg County, centered on the Ballantyne master-planned community and extending through Pineville and Steele Creek. Ballantyne -- developed from the early 1990s -- is Charlotte's premier suburban edge city with a corporate campus, luxury retail, resort-style living, and excellent schools. Pineville (pop. 11,400+) sits at the I-77/I-485 interchange near Carolina Place Mall and Carowinds theme park. Steele Creek (pop. 76,000+ in the greater community area) spans a large swath of southwest Mecklenburg County between the airport and the South Carolina border. This region offers some of Charlotte's highest-rated public and private schools and direct Blue Line access from the I-485/South Boulevard station.