Cornelius, NC GIS Map
Cornelius is a city in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, with a population of about 33,047. The map below shows its location, boundary and surrounding roads, with federal GIS layers you can turn on for the area.
- County
- Mecklenburg County
- Population
- 33,047
- Elevation
- 782 ft
- Coordinates
- 35.4868, -80.8601
- ZIP code
- 28031
- Land area
- 12.7 sq mi
- Time zone
- America/New York
About Cornelius, NC
Cornelius is a suburban town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. It is a major suburb of Charlotte and part of its metropolitan area. The population was 31,412 at the 2020 census, up from 24,866 in 2010.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cities Near Cornelius
- Huntersville, NC5 mi
- Mooresville, NC7 mi
- Kannapolis, NC13 mi
- Concord, NC17 mi
- Charlotte, NC18 mi
- Statesville, NC20 mi
- Gastonia, NC24 mi
- Salisbury, NC25 mi
Other Cities in Mecklenburg County
GIS Data for Cornelius, NC
The Cornelius map loads live federal GIS layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries for any address in Cornelius without a separate GIS login. Everything below is drawn from public U.S. government data.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland, water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Cornelius Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
32,783
Households
13,884
Median household income
$113,767
Median age
44 years
Median home value
$559,400
Median gross rent
$1,722/mo
Owner-occupied homes
69.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
62.2%
Below poverty level
5.4%
Land area
12.7 sq mi
Population density
2,583 / sq mi
County
ZIP codes in Cornelius
Cornelius Population Growth
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).
2010 Census
24,866
April 2020 (estimates base)
31,419
July 2024 estimate
34,366
Change 2010-2020
+26.4%
Change 2020-2024
+9.4%
Photos of Cornelius
Hover over a photo to see it larger. Tap on mobile.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, taken in or near Cornelius. Credits and licenses are shown in the larger view.
Soils of Cornelius
General soil map unit at the city center: Hiwassee-Cecil
Soil Properties
- Drainage class
- Well drained
- Hydrologic soil group
- B (moderate infiltration)
- Available water storage (0–150 cm)
- 19.3 cm
- Typical slope
- 5%
- Flooding frequency
- None
Soil Components
- Cecil17%
Ultisols · Typic Kanhapludults
- Cecil15%
Ultisols · Typic Kanhapludults
- Hiwassee13%
Ultisols · Rhodic Kanhapludults
- Hiwassee12%
Ultisols · Rhodic Kanhapludults
- Cecil6%
Ultisols · Typic Kanhapludults
- Chewacla6%
Inceptisols · Fluvaquentic Dystrudepts
Source: USDA NRCS U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2). General soil map data (1:250,000 scale) is not suitable for site-specific decisions.
Climate of Cornelius
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the Concord, Nc weather station, elevation 700 ft, 16.4 miles from the city center.
Warmest month
Jul · avg high 92°F
Coldest month
Jan · avg low 29°F
Annual precipitation
47.9 in
Annual snowfall
3.3 in
Average Monthly Temperatures (°F)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 53 | 57 | 64 | 74 | 81 | 88 | 92 | 90 | 84 | 74 | 64 | 56 |
| Avg low °F | 29 | 31 | 38 | 47 | 56 | 65 | 69 | 67 | 60 | 48 | 37 | 32 |
| Precip. in | 3.68 | 3.12 | 4.10 | 4.03 | 3.71 | 4.67 | 5.31 | 4.53 | 4.24 | 3.49 | 3.48 | 3.51 |
| Snow in | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Conditions at the station may differ from other parts of the city.
Natural Hazard Risk in Cornelius
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Mecklenburg County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 97.1 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- Inland FloodingRelatively High
- TornadoRelatively High
- Ice StormRelatively High
- LightningRelatively High
- HailRelatively High
- Heat WaveRelatively Moderate
- EarthquakeRelatively Moderate
- Strong WindRelatively High
- Winter WeatherRelatively High
- HurricaneRelatively Moderate
- Cold WaveRelatively Moderate
- LandslideRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- DroughtVery Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Cornelius FAQ
What county is Cornelius in?
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Cornelius, North Carolina is located in Mecklenburg County.
What is the population of Cornelius?
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Cornelius has a population of about 33,047, making it the number 32 of the 52 North Carolina cities listed on GIS Map.
What is the elevation of Cornelius?
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The elevation of Cornelius is approximately 782 feet (238 meters) above sea level at the city center.
What ZIP codes are in Cornelius?
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The ZIP code for Cornelius is 28031.
What time zone is Cornelius in?
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Cornelius is in the Eastern Time zone (America/New York).
How far is Cornelius from Raleigh?
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Cornelius is about 126 miles from Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, in a straight line.
How far is Cornelius from Charlotte?
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Cornelius is about 18 miles from Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina listed on GIS Map, in a straight line.
What cities are near Cornelius?
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Cities near Cornelius include Huntersville, NC (5 miles); Mooresville, NC (7 miles); Kannapolis, NC (13 miles); Concord, NC (17 miles); Charlotte, NC (18 miles).
Local notes for Cornelius, NC
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.