Shelby, North Carolina
Shelby is a city of 22,100 people in Cleveland County, North Carolina.
Why visit Shelby
Townapedia lists 19 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails, 64 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include AMC, Don Gibson Theater, Central Shelby Historic District and Banker's House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Shelby
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Shelby
Shelby is a city in and the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina. It lies near the western edge of the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC Combined Statistical Area. The population was 21,918 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Shelby, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks19
Central Shelby Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
Banker's House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Cleveland County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Shelby, North Carolina, United States
Cleveland County Training School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic school building in North Carolina, US
Dr. Victor McBrayer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
East Marion-Belvedere Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in North Carolina, United States
George Sperling House and Outbuildings
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Irvin-Hamrick Log House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
James Heyward Hull House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Shelby, North Carolina
Joseph Suttle House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Joshua Beam House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
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Masonic Temple Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Building in Shelby, North Carolina
7 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
Royster Memorial Golf Course
Golf course · 0.9 mi
850 West Sumter Street, Shelby
08:00-16:00
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes64
Sushi Dojo
Restaurant · Sushi · 1.1 mi
302 East Dixon Boulevard, Shelby
Su-Th 11:00-20:45, Fr-Sa 11:00-21:45
Lafayette Street Grill & Pub
Restaurant
209 S Lafayette St, Shelby
Mo-Th 11:00-20:00, Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00
Creekside Clock
Restaurant · Chicken · 1.6 mi
1025 Kiser St, Shelby
Mo-Sa 08:00-18:00
Alston Bridges Barbecue
Restaurant · Barbecue · 1.4 mi
620 East Grover Street, Shelby
Denny's
Diner · American · 4.0 mi
2025 East Dixon Boulevard, Shelby
Golden Corral
Restaurant · American, Buffet · 2.7 mi
1712 East Dixon Boulevard, Shelby
52 more on the map.
History
The area was originally inhabited by Catawba and Cherokee peoples and was later settled around 1760. The city was chartered in 1843 and named after Colonel Isaac Shelby, a hero of the battle of Kings Mountain (1780) during the American Revolution. Shelby was agricultural until the railways in the 1870s stimulated Shelby's development.
In 1916, Thomas Dixon, Jr., the author of The Clansman: A Historical Romance of the Ku Klux Klan, planned to erect a statue of his uncle Leroy McAfee on the courthouse square. The project was initially met with enthusiasm, until it was announced that Dixon wanted the statue to be wearing a Ku Klux Klan mask. A Confederate monument is located on the west side of the courthouse square, while foreign war monuments stand on the north and south sides.
Nevertheless, the Ku Klux Klan did have a significant presence in Shelby in the 1870s and its crimes were the subject of depositions and affidavits collected by Captain Albion Howe (1841–1873) of the 4th Regiment Artillery.
From the History section of Shelby, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
WoodSpring Suites Charlotte Shelby
Motel and hotel · 1.8 mi
1010 Sue Lane, Shelby
Churches and places of worship45
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.7 mi
155 West Ross Grove Road, Shelby
Landmark Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 2.8 mi
1724 East Dixon Boulevard, Shleby
Shopping24
Gas and EV charging12
Schools, colleges and libraries26
Healthcare5
Map of Shelby
227 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 27°F | 4.3 in | 1.8 in |
| Feb | 56°F | 30°F | 3.4 in | 0.6 in |
| Mar | 64°F | 36°F | 4.7 in | 0.7 in |
| Apr | 73°F | 44°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 54°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 62°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 66°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 65°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 83°F | 58°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 45°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 35°F | 4.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 29°F | 4.4 in | 0.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Shelby 2 Nw (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cleveland County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-05-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hickory Regional Airport (HKY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 32 miles away.
- Kings Mountain 12 mi east, about 19 min by car
- Gastonia 21 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Lincolnton 21 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Belmont 29 mi east, about 46 min by car
- Mount Holly 30 mi east, about 49 min by car
- Newton 31 mi northeast, about 50 min by car
- Morganton 32 mi north, about 52 min by car
- Hickory 33 mi north, about 54 min by car
- Huntersville 39 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Charlotte 41 mi east, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Earl Scruggs Center 2, Indy beetle, CC0
- El Nido, Shelby, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio (6), Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio (7), Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio (3), Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio (5), Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby City Hall, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby First Baptist Church, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio (4), Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dr. Victor McBrayer House - Shelby, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby Cotton Mill, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby town hall, Indy beetle, CC0
- Webbley (O. Max Gardner House) - Shelby, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bankers House - Shelby, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bankers House - Shelby, NC (cropped), Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio, Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio (2), Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shelby, NC, USA - panoramio (1), Mikeiamunion21, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Cleveland County Courthouse 2009, OptimumPx, Public domain
- Joseph Suttle House, Shelby, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Masonic Temple Building - Shelby NC, OptimumPx, Public domain
- Joshua Beam House, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- George Sperling House - Shelby, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Irvin-Hamrick Log House, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rogers Theater, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Scruggs Center, Formerly the Cleveland County Courthouse, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Gray Volvo, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yellow Pontiac Solstice 1, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Gray Volvo rear, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yellow Pontiac Solstice 2, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yellow Pontiac Solstice rear 2, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Yellow Pontiac Solstice rear 1, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Volkswagen Beetle convertible front, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Audi Q7 front side, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Volkswagen Beetle convertible rear, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ford Focus wagon silver, Wagon Master Johnson, CC BY-SA 4.0
- City Hall -11, Shelby, North Carolina, CC BY-SA 4.0
- James Heyward Hull House, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cleveland County Training School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Julius Suttle House - Built Ca. 1924, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
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