Whether you enjoy the fast track or a slower pace, Cabarrus County has something to suit your style. Located northeast of Charlotte, Cabarrus County is home to more than 140,000 people - and counting.

The rolling hills and gently sloping pastures were primarily country tableaus not too long ago, but interest in this rich and varied county has brought new neighborhoods and new businesses to those hills and pastures. County commissioners and town planning officials are committed to ensuring that the growth doesn't compromise the county’s heritage and beauty.

Concord, the county seat, has a lovely downtown district. Beautifully restored Victorian homes, one-of-a-kind shops, eateries and coffeehouses grace the tree-lined streets. The historic Cabarrus County Courthouse and the Memorial Garden are certainly worth noting.

At Adams’ 40-acre farm off N.C. 27 and U.S. 601, Amish-built carriages and stagecoaches carry passengers along the banks of the Rocky River. There’s plenty more slow-paced fun, such as catching a movie at the historic Gem Theatre in Kannapolis, worshipping in the county’s oldest church (St. John’s in Mount Pleasant) or watching the Historic Bost Grist Mill at work.

Are you looking for something to get your blood pumping? Take a walk on the wild side. Cabarrus County is a motorsports mecca, and Lowe’s Motor Speedway is the big kahuna. Home to NASCAR, IROC, World Karting and Legends car racing, the speedway holds major races in May and October.

For smaller but no less exciting racing, check out the Concord Motorsport Park, which features an array of events throughout the year. When you’re not at the track, visit the racing shops and museums that are so plentiful in these parts. The town of Harrisburg boasts a number of these racing havens, including the Hendrick Motorsports Museum and 600 Racing facility, which manufactures Legends cars - the forerunners of NASCAR models.

If you enjoy golf, Cabarrus County has that, too. Rocky River Golf Club at Concord, near the speedway, has been ranked among the area’s toughest public courses in the area.

As proud as Cabarrus is of its go-go activity today, the county is also proud of its history. Cabarrus County was home to the nation’s first gold rush, which began when 12-year-old Conrad Reed discovered a hefty hunk of gold in Little Meadow Creek. At the Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site in Stanfield, visitors can walk trails and see open pits and shafts left by miners in their search for this precious material. They also can try their hand at panning.

Another piece of Americana, minor-league baseball, is alive and well in Kannapolis, where the Kannapolis Intimidators, a single-A farm club of the Chicago White Sox, play ball at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.

Fieldcrest Cannon, maker of sheets, towels, and other textiles, has left a huge legacy in Kannapolis. Among other things, the textile giant lent its name to Cannon Village, a restored Colonial-style village featuring antiques, outlet and specialty shops developed by a former Cannon Mills owner. The tree-lined streets and brick sidewalks of Cannon Village bring back a bygone era. A 9-foot bronze statue of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a textile museum are also part of the shopping center.

For shoppers who prefer a more modern atmosphere, Concord Mills, off I-85, is unforgettable. The complex features more than 200 outlets, specialty retailers, theme restaurants, a 24-screen theater, virtual-reality game centers and dozens of other entertainment venues. One of the tenants, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, features aquariums, waterfalls, trout streams and an indoor shooting range.

Concord Mills, just one of the projects at western Cabarrus’ 1,100-acre mixed-use development park, is proof positive that business is ripe in Cabarrus County. Thanks in part to its desirable location between Concord and Charlotte, western Cabarrus County is one of the region’s hottest areas for business and development.

A few miles away, the huge Philip Morris cigarette manufacturing plant recently underwent expansion. The facility, south of Concord, houses an impressive collection of American folk art that is open to visitors on organized tours. As the fourth-busiest airport in the state, Concord Regional Airport has spurred development, including business parks and housing, along the I-85/Poplar Tent Road area.

Housing in this growing community can range from a grand old historic beauty on Concord’s Union Streets, just a few blocks from downtown, to a new brick and vinyl home offered by Charlotte-based builders or national companies. New subdivisions are popping up along N.C. 73, Rocky River Road and N.C. 49. There are many more near Kannapolis. From stately, century-old homes to sprawling ranches and modern townhouses, the options in Cabarrus are nicely varied. You’ll find Cabarrus real estate listings in Area 11.

Families living in Cabarrus will enjoy excellent local health-care and educational opportunities. Named in the nation’s top 100 hospitals for two consecutive years, NorthEast Medical Center continues to expand its state-of-the-art facility to provide quality health care to residents of Cabarrus and surrounding neighbors.

Cabarrus County is served by two public school systems, Cabarrus County and the city of Kannapolis. Higher education opportunities abound as well. They include Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, which has a facility in western Cabarrus; the College of Health Sciences at NorthEast Medical Center; and Barber-Scotia College, a historically black, four-year liberal arts institution in Concord.