'Gastonia' is a city in
Gaston County in
North Carolina, a
state in the southeastern
United States of America.
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 66,277 (68,964 is the 2005 Census Bureau estimated population). It is the
county seat of Gaston County. It is considered part of the
Charlotte metropolitan area, aka Metrolina. After
Charlotte, Gastonia is the second largest city in the metropolitan area (in population). As one of the key cities in the
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), Gastonia has experienced steady growth, with a population change during the 1990s (according the
US Census Bureau) of more than +10%.
Geography
Gastonia is located at (35.255220, -81.180249).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 119.8
km² (46.3
mi²). 119.3 km² (46.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (0.43%) is water.
Gastonia is at the geographic center of Gaston County, North Carolina.
People, Business and Culture
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 67,781 people, 25,945 households, and 17,720 families residing in the city. The
population density was 555.6/km² (1,438.9/mi²). There were 27,857 housing units at an average density of 233.5/km² (604.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 70.18%
White, 25.62%
African American, 0.21%
Native American, 1.17%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 1.76% from
other races, and 1.04% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 5.45% of the population.
There were 25,945 households out of which 30.6% had children under the living with them, 47.3% were
married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,924, and the median income for a family was $44,873. Males had a median income of $33,215 versus $24,173 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $19,592. 15.0% of the population and 11.8% of families were below the
poverty line. 21.2% of those under the and 12.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Economy
Gastonia is known for its large textile industry and famous textile heritage. The city is the international headquarters for Parkdale Mills. Other major employers in Gastonia include Advance Auto Parts, Caromont Healthcare, Wix, Stabilus,
Curtiss-Wright Controls, and
Freightliner.
The city has a strong manufacturing workforce.
Public services
Police force: Gastonia and Gaston County are home to the only county police force within the State of North Carolina,
the Gaston County Police. Other forces include City of Gastonia Police Department and the Gaston County
Sheriff's Office.
Fire/Rescue: The Gastonia Fire Department houses over 32 engines including
ladder units, quints, and
pumpers. Gastonia also has a strong rural fire department which is headed by volunteers.
The Gaston County Emergency Medical Service (GEMS): Includes many
paramedic ambulances and the Gaston County Life Saving crew, a BLS (Basic Lifesaving Service).
Public works: This includes road maintenance and sanitation as well as DWP (department of water and power) to the city.
Attractions and institutions
Gastonia and surrounding areas are home to several notable cultural centers.
The Schiele Museum of Natural History is located east of downtown on Garrison Boulevard. The main branch of the Gaston-Lincoln Regional Library System is right across the street from the Schiele Museum. The
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is located just southeast of the city on NC 279. The
U.S. National Whitewater Center (located on the
Catawba River) is east of the city in neighboring Mecklenburg County, NC.
Gastonia and Gaston County have a varied topography, with the maximum elevations of 1,690 feet (
King's Pinnacle) and 1,625 (
Crowder's Mountain) both located in the
Crowders Mountain State Park, part of which is located within the city limits of Gastonia, several miles west of downtown. The park and the peaks within are popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts, and represent the highest elevations in the Charlotte-Gastonia-
Concord Metropolitan Statistical Area. A few smaller mountains are also located at the periphery of the city.
Notable residents
The following people are former or current residents of Gastonia:
★
NFL and
CFL player Rufus Crawford
★
NBA star
James Worthy,who attended Ashbrook High School
★
NBA star
Darrell Armstrong, who attended Ashbrook High School
★
NBA star
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, who attended Hunter Huss High School.
★
MLB pitcher
Kevin Millwood
★
MLB player
Wesley Ray "Wes" Helms, who attended Ashbrook High School
★
NASCAR driver
Glenn Dunnaway
★ Musician
Fred Durst (Rock group
Limp Bizkit), who attended Hunter Huss High School.
★ Musician Trè'Kas "Trè" Simms (R&B group "
ATL")
★
Televangelist Ernest Angley, who was born in Gastonia and grew up in the surrounding area.
★ John Maurer, animal lover and founder of PETA
★
Lionel Shriver, author of
We Need to Talk About Kevin
★
Billy, of radio talk show The John Boy and Billy Show
★ Wrestler and Actor
Evan Karagias
Education
K-12
Gaston County Schools (GCS) is the name for the only public school system that serves the city of Gastonia. GCS operates schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Private schools are also available in the city. Gaston Day School, Gaston Christian School and First Assembly Christian Academy (FACA) are among various private schools offered in the Gastonia area.
Gastonia also has a charter school, Piedmont Community Charter School, that serves K-12 grade students.
College/university
Although there are no colleges or universities within the city limits of Gastonia, higher education is well represented in the greater Gastonia area. Gaston County is home to
Belmont Abbey College (Belmont; 4-year) and
Gaston College (Dallas, Belmont; 2-year).
Shopping
There are three major shopping centers in Gastonia:
''Westfield Eastridge'' is a large regional mall and is anchored by
Matthews Belk,
Dillard's,
Sears,
JC Penney and
Goody's Family Clothing. The mall is also home to 100 specialty stores along with a full-service Food Court.
Westfield Eastridge
The smaller Gaston Mall also features a wide variety of specialty stores such as John's Toy & Hobby Shop, Mary Jo's Cloth Store, Sew Much Fun (a
Bernina retail store), Lebo's, Sisk Barber Shop, and Jackson's Cafeteria. Additionally anchoring the center is a
Harris Teeter grocery store.
Along with the two malls, Franklin Square is another of Gastonia's premier shopping centers. The complex is divided into three Phases. Phase I features a
Wal-Mart (one of two in the city),
Best Buy, Ross Dress for Less, and
Michaels. Phase II is home to
Kmart,
Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, and
Sam's Club. Phase III is where
Kohl's,
Old Navy,
Books-A-Million,
Sports Authority, and a 14-screen movie theater is located. The new Shops at Franklin Square is home the
hhgregg and Ashley Furniture Home Store. Other stores are in the works for this newly constructed addition of Franklin Square.
Sports
The
Gastonia Grizzlies play baseball at
Sims Legion Park. The team is part of the
Coastal Plain League (CPL) featuring the best players at the collegiate level. The season runs from the end of May to August.
The
Gastonia Gargoyles play rugby at Gaston County's North Belmont Park. The team is part of the North Carolina Rugby Union (NCRU) and plays Division III men's rugby. The club plays in the fall (August - November) and spring (Feb - May) seasons. The club also hosts an annual rugby 7's tournament in Clover, SC during the
Clover Scottish Games on the first Saturday in June.
Media
Newspaper
The Gaston Gazette is Gastonia's main newspaper. It is published daily, and covers Gastonia city, Gaston County, and surrounding areas. ''
The Charlotte Observer'' (North Carolina's largest newspaper) offers a Gaston/Lincoln section, published 3 times weekly. The ''Gaston County Spectator'' is a news blog dedicated to local happenings throughout the Gaston County area.
Television
Gastonia has no broadcast television stations licensed in the city, but is served by network affiliates and independent stations broadcasting from nearby Charlotte. Cable television service in Gastonia is provided primarily by
Time Warner Cable.
Radio
Gastonia is served by numerous FM and AM radio stations, mainly based in nearby Charlotte. The city has two licensed AM stations:
WGAS 1420 AM licensed to South Gastonia and
WGNC 1450 AM; it has one licensed FM station:
WBAV 101.9 FM.
Transportation
Highways/Major city thoroughfares
Interstate 85 (
I-85) links Gastonia directly with
Charlotte,
Greensboro,
Durham, and
Richmond (to the north) and
Spartanburg,
Greenville and
Atlanta (to the south). Gastonia's transportation network is supplemented by one additional freeway (
US 321), the freeway portion of which directly connects Gastonia with transcontinental
I-40 and the city of
Hickory, North Carolina. An additional limited-access highway, the toll
Garden Parkway is planned as a loop that would encircle Gastonia to the west, while also adding a direct southeastern connection to Charlotte, I-485 and the
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport.
Gastonia is also served by three US highways:
US 29;
US 74 (US 29 and 74 are coexistent through Gaston County); and US 321. US 29 parallels I-85 through the Carolinas; while US 74 provides direct east-west links to Charlotte and
Wilmington (east), and
Asheville and
Cherokee (to the west). US 321 links Gastonia to central South Carolina and the
Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest North Carolina.
Several North Carolina state highways also traverse Gastonia:
NC 7, NC 274, NC 275 and NC 279, connect Gastonia with other cities, states, and regions.
Franklin Blvd., Garrison Blvd., Hudson Blvd., and Ozark/Long/Airline/Gaston Aves. are major east-west city thoroughfares. New Hope Rd., Chester St./York Rd., and Marietta St., are major north-south city thoroughfares.
Bus (local)
Gastonia Transit (GT) is Gastonia's city transit provider. The bus service operates on a fixed-route system covering most of the city. GT has a new fleet of seven buses and stops are clearly visible around town. Buses run Monday-Saturday, and transfer downtown Gastonia at the Bradley Station. Regular fare is $1.00, transfers are free.
Bus (regional)
Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) is Gastonia's commuter provider to Charlotte. The Gastonia Express (Route 85X) offers Monday-Friday bus service to/from uptown Charlotte, via the Bradley Station. One-way fare to/from uptown Charlotte: $2.40; transfer costs vary.
Bus (intercity)
Greyhound Lines is Gastonia's intrastate/interstate transit provider. The staffed bus station in located on Davis St., just east of downtown.
Train (passenger service)
Amtrak Crescent (trains 19, 20) connects Gastonia (GAS) with the cities of
New York,
Philadelphia,
Baltimore,
Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta,
Birmingham and
New Orleans. The unmanned
Amtrak station is situated at 350 Hancock Street.
Air
The Gastonia area is served by two airports. The
Gastonia Municipal Airport (AKH) handles most of the city's private air service needs. It is located in the southeast part of the city, off NC 274. The
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) provides Gastonia with a major domestic/international gateway and is located 18 miles east of Gastonia in Charlotte.
See also
★
Charlotte metropolitan area (Metrolina)
★
Garden Parkway
★
I-85 Corridor
External links
★
Gastonia.com
★
City of Gastonia, NC
★
Gastonia Transit (GT)
★
Gaston County Schools
★
Gastonia, North Carolina (NC) Demographics and maps.
★
The Gaston Gazette
★
The Gaston County Spectator
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