Hickory is located on the outskirts of the Charlotte MSA. It's comprised of a 365,000-person metropolis, with over 40,000 of these individuals living in the city limits. The city is located 50 miles northwest of Charlotte and 80 miles east of Ashville. The area's strong industrial districts help inflate the daytime population to an average of 170,000 people. Hickory's industrial manufactures are bolstered by its telecommunications industries, which produce much of the world's fiber optic cable supply, and its furniture and hosiery industries.