Vortex
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Vortex is an attraction in North Carolina, at a modelled elevation of 195 m. Kings Pinnacle stands 520 m to the west-northwest, 22 miles off. The nearest named place is Slingshot, a attraction less than a tenth of a mile away. Crowders Mountain Drive passes 21 miles off. 14 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Vortex is a stand-up roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the ride opened to the public on March 14, 1992. Vortex was built a year before Paramount Parks (now Six Flags) purchased Carowinds and is situated on the former site of the Carolina Speedway miniature car attraction. It was B&M's third coaster and features a loop and a corkscrew element in its relatively short track layout. Vortex represented a new era of stand-up coasters at the time, which were more advanced than the previous generation introduced in the 1980s.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q2534606, matched on coordinates and name (20 m apart).
What to expect
How to reach it
- 20.7 mi off the Crowders Mountain Drive
- 28.9 mi off the Uwharrie Scenic Road
Named places within 25 miles
- Slingshot: 0.0 mi
- The Grand Carousel: 0.0 mi
- Ricochet: 0.1 mi
- Carolina Goldrusher: 0.1 mi
- Flying Cobras: 0.1 mi
- Canopy: 1.8 mi
- Maersk Anchor: 2.7 mi
- Maersk Anchor: 2.7 mi
- Crown of Life: 2.9 mi
- Bugle Boy: 2.9 mi
- Steele Creek Athletic Association Complex: 2.1 mi
- Chateau Community Park: 2.2 mi
- Walker Branch Greenway: 2.3 mi
- Ramblewood District Park: 2.4 mi
- Hoover Creek Greenway: 2.7 mi
- Crash Site of Eastern Flight 212: 3.6 mi
- Knights Stadium: 3.6 mi
- Jane Parks McDowell Marker: 4.0 mi
- Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church: 4.5 mi
- Veterans Monument: 6.6 mi
- Fort Mill History Museum: 6.6 mi
- Charlotte Museum of Nature: 8.0 mi
- The James C. Dowd House: 9.0 mi
- Museum of York County: 9.4 mi
- Mint Museum Randolph: 9.7 mi
- Whitehall Nature Preserve: 3.0 mi
- Thomas M. Winget Nature Preserve: 4.1 mi
- McDowell Nature Preserve: 4.5 mi
- Anne Springs Close Greenway: 5.8 mi
- Big Rock Nature Reserve: 7.0 mi
- Wing Haven: 7.7 mi
- Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden: 7.9 mi
- Avondale Giving Community Garden: 8.0 mi
- Good Shepherd Community Garden: 8.5 mi
- Wilmore Community Garden: 8.8 mi
- Barnett Mountain: 9.2 mi
- Nanny Mountain: 9.4 mi
- Berry Mountain: 11.7 mi
- Capps Hill: 13.8 mi
- Jackson Knob: 14.8 mi
- South Point Beach: 5.3 mi
- Sailing Beach: 6.0 mi
- Ramsay Creek Park Beach: 25.0 mi
- South Carolina Welcome Center: 1.6 mi
- North Carolina Welcome Center: 1.9 mi
- Long Creek Falls: 21.6 mi
- Little Long Creek Falls: 22.4 mi
- Carowinds Grove: 0.2 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Vortex. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Pinnacle | WNW 289° | 520 m | 22.2 mi |
| Crowders Mountain | WNW 295° | 458 m | 20.9 mi |
| Spencer Mountain | NW 324° | 375 m | 16.6 mi |
| Henry Knob | W 276° | 344 m | 18.9 mi |
| Jackson Knob | WNW 299° | 328 m | 14.8 mi |
| Reese Mountain | NNW 337° | 325 m | 24.4 mi |
| Nanny Mountain | WSW 257° | 299 m | 9.4 mi |
| Berry Mountain | NW 317° | 281 m | 11.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:28 | 19:02 | 19:36 |
| June solstice | 06:11 | 20:04 | 20:42 |
| September equinox | 07:12 | 18:49 | 19:22 |
| December solstice | 07:29 | 16:37 | 17:16 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Mar–Jun, Aug–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 42 | 46 | 53 | 61 | 69 | 77 | 80 | 79 | 73 | 62 | 51 | 45 |
| Precip in | 3.5 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Charlotte Douglas AP, 8 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/669164155
Day trips start here
- Charlotte/Cotswold · 9 mi
- Charlotte/Dilworth · 9 mi
- Charlotte/Myers Park · 9 mi
- Charlotte/South End · 9 mi
- Charlotte · 10 mi
- Charlotte/Elizabeth · 10 mi
Take the scenic way to Vortex.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.