Charlotte /ˈʃɑrlət/ is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, the seat of Mecklenburg County, the second largest city in the Southeastern United States, just behind Jacksonville, Florida, and the third fastest-growing major city in the United States. In 2013, the estimated population of Charlotte according to the U.S. Census Bureau was 792,862, making it the 16th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area ranks 23rd largest in the US and had a 2013 population of 2,335,358. The Charlotte metropolitan area is part of a sixteen-county market region or combined statistical area with a 2013 U.S.