50 North Carolina Quotes About the Tarheel State

By Stephanie Kirby | Published October 11, 2023

Check out these North Carolina quotes that will make you want to visit this fun and diverse state!

North Carolina is located in the southeastern region of the United States.

It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Tennessee to the west, Virginia to the north, and South Carolina and Georgia to the south.

It was the 12th state admitted to the United States in 1789 and is the 9th most populated state in the US

Here are some interesting facts about North Carolina:

State Tree – Pine
State Bird – Cardinal
State Capital – Raleigh
State Flower – Flowering Dogwood
State Reptile – Eastern Box Turtle
Nicknamed “first in flight” due to the first flight of an aircraft at Kitty Hawk in 1903

Take a look at these North Carolina quotes to learn more about this great state!

The Best North Carolina Quotes

Here are some short and sweet North Carolina quotes that describe this special place.

1. “North Carolina is an amazing place.” — Lizz Winstead

2. “My music came up from the soil of North Carolina.” — Earl Scruggs

3. “Being from North Carolina, it’s kind of slow-paced.” — Chris Paul

4. “North Carolina is strong because our people are strong.” — Kay Hagan

5. “Barbecue is the third rail of North Carolina politics.” — John Shelton Reed

6. “North Carolina was never a battleground state until recently.” — Rush Limbaugh

7. “North Carolina used to be reliably red. Now it’s a battleground state.” — Rush Limbaugh

8. “I have a 60-acre farm in North Carolina, and I have a tractor and a farmhouse.” — Zach Galifianakis

9. “I’m a pretty low-key North Carolina boy. I like to go fishing and hang out with my friends.” — Scotty McCreery

10. “North Carolina, particularly the 8th District, has long played a key role in our Nation’s military forces.” — Robin Hayes

North Carolina Quotes From People Who Lived There

Check out these North Carolina quotes from people who live there.

11. “I grew up in North Carolina, and I grew up on wrestling.” — Ken Jeong

12. “As Governor of North Carolina for two terms, I made improving education a top priority.” — Mike Easley

13. “I’m still the same little girl from North Carolina who says awkward things sometimes.” — Arianna DeBose

14. “I never imagined anybody would ever come out to hear me preach. I’m just a country dairy farmer from North Carolina.” — Billy Graham

15. “The fabric of North Carolina and what makes our state so special is our families and our common desire for a brighter future for our children.” — Kay Hagan

16. “I’m from a small town in North Carolina and went to a small college and didn’t think that someone like me could make a living in L.A. doing comedy.” — Fortune Feimster

17. “I think school is very important and I personally had a great experience at North Carolina, which helped shape me as a basketball player and a person.” — Michael Jordan

18. “I’m in college at North Carolina State University. I’m about to start my sophomore year and have an apartment on campus with three buddies I’ve grown up with.” — Scott McCreery

19. “I grew up and raised my family in Nash County in rural Eastern North Carolina. Small towns and rural communities like mine offer special opportunities for so many families.” — Roy Cooper

20. “I’m from North Carolina, and I know now that I found the North Carolina in L.A. because I live in sleepy little Burbank, which is amazing, but also sometimes I never leave my house.” — Renee Rapp

Quotes About North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball

If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll enjoy these quotes from the North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball members.

21. “I will not quit this game because of what the media has done to me.” — Michael Jordan

22. “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” — Michael Jordan

23. “If you feel pain, you have to make up your mind whether you can play with it or not.” — James Worthy

24. “Basketball is a team game. But that doesn’t mean all five players should have the same amount of shots.” — Dean Smith

25. “If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” — Michael Jordan

26. “It’s somewhat of a normal procedure sometimes when you have a knee drained… so long as it’s not something you have to do every game.” — James Worthy

27. “I would never recruit a player who yells at his teammates, disrespected his high school coach, or scores 33 points a game and his team goes 10-10.” — Dean Smith

28. “When I was young, I had to learn the fundamentals of basketball. You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals.” — Michael Jordan

29. “I know Carolina basketball — everyone wants to be in the program. We are going to have guys that want to be here and be a part of this program, and it is a great position to be in.” — Hubert Davis

30. “The NBA is definitely a goal of mine down the line, but right now, I am enjoying college a great deal and feel I can improve in every phase of my game. I enjoy school, my teammates, and being part of the Carolina basketball program.” — Tyler Hansbrough

North Carolina Quotes About Education and Influence

Many consider North Carolina a unique and important place to live.

31. “We must remember that North Carolina is more than a collection of regions and people.” — Michael F. Easley

32. “North Carolina was where you could have Thanksgiving and feel like it was Thanksgiving.” — David H. Murdock

33. “I need to be looking at what’s important in North Carolina, and you better believe that’s what I will do.” — Kay Hagan

34. “The University of North Carolina provided me with every tool necessary to rise to the top of my profession” — Rick Dees

35. “I’ve been through quite a few hurricanes. I worked in North Carolina, where there’s a housing development whose name was Landfall.” — James Van Der Beek

36. “I’ve been humbled by the strong support and deeply moved by the positive response from folks in every corner of North Carolina who agree we need new leadership.” — Cal Cunningham

37. “Making North Carolina a Top 10 Educated state is the backbone for a strong economy, attracting good paying jobs, helping incomes rise and keeping our communities vibrant.” — Roy Cooper

38. “North Carolina’s approach in crafting its law ensured the creation of the best possible law and, consequently, North Carolina is now the acknowledged leader in addressing predatory lending.” — Mel Watt

39. “I suppose more than anything, it’s the way of life in this part of the country that influences my writing. In Eastern North Carolina, with the exception of Wilmington, most people live in small towns.” — Nicholas Sparks

40. “I met people when we lived down in Raleigh who’d ask where I grew up, and I’d say about two hours west of Asheville, and they’d say they didn’t know there was any North Carolina two hours west of Asheville.” — Charles Frazier

More North Carolina Quotes

Enjoy some more North Carolina quotes!

41. “North Carolina has been so great because nobody asks me about work.” — Andie MacDowell

42. “I grew up in North Carolina, and they have a soft drink called Sun Drop. I love the diet version of it.” — Eric Church

43. “I remember driving to North Carolina when I was a little girl in a snowstorm to get down to my mom’s family in the Carolinas.” — Tori Amos

44. “North Carolina is home to some of the largest financial institutions in the country, and a vibrant network of community banks.” — Kay Hagan

45. “Although I missed home, North Carolina is a spectacular place to spend four months. Wilmington has a great downtown area.” — Juliette Lewis

46. “It’s almost therapeutic driving there and driving back (to North Carolina), with the time you get to think about things as well as create checklists.” — Kurt Busch

47. “Early college high schools in North Carolina and across the country show us that challenge – not remediation – is an approach to education that works.” — Michael F. Easley

48. “Fortunately, we’ve been shooting in North Carolina, which means we’re not in LA where you can hear people talking about you and you know so much about what’s going on in the business.” — Katie Holmes

49. “I was from North Carolina, so as a youngster, all of my mind games about golf were always, ‘If I make this, I win The Masters; If I hole this par putt, I win The Masters.’” — Raymond Floyd

50. “I’m really interested in history, and when I looked into the settlers who came to my home state, North Carolina, I found that the largest settlement of Hebridean islanders outside of Scotland was right there in North Carolina.” — Rhiannon Giddens