Gastonia, North Carolina
Location in the U.S. state of North Carolina
Coordinates: 35°15′19″N 81°10′49″W / 35.25528, -81.18028
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	Gaston County, North Carolina
Government
- Mayor	Jennifer T. Stultz(R)
Area
- City	119.8 km² (46.3 sq mi)
- Land	119.3 km² (46.1 sq mi)
- Water	0.5 km² (0.2 sq mi)
Elevation	243 m (797 ft)
Population (2000)
- City	66,277
- Density	555.6/km² (1,439/sq mi)
- Metro	2,067,810
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	28052-28056
Area code(s)	704
FIPS code	37-25580[1]
GNIS feature ID	0985606[2]
Website: http://www.ci.gastonia.nc.us/

Gastonia is a city in Gaston County in North Carolina, a state in the southeastern United States. Image File history File links Gastonia. ... Image File history File links Adapted from Wikipedias NC county maps by Seth Ilys. ... Official language(s) English Demonym North Carolinian Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th in the US  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (340 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... 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List of North Carolina counties: Alamance County Alexander County Alleghany County Anson County Ashe County Avery County Beaufort County Bertie County Bladen County Brunswick County Buncombe County Burke County Cabarrus County Caldwell County Camden County Carteret County Caswell County Catawba County Chatham County Cherokee County Chowan County Clay County Cleveland... Image File history File links Gaston_County_nc_seal. ... Gaston County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... 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Area Code 704 covers Metropolitan Charlotte, in the Piedmont of North Carolina. ... Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the U.S. Federal government for use by all (non-military) government agencies and by government contractors. ... GNIS (The Geographic Names Information System) contains name and locative information about almost two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its Territories. ... Gaston County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. ... Official language(s) English Demonym North Carolinian Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th in the US  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (340 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ... 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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.^[3] 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%. A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county, primarily used in the United States. ... Counties most commonly associated with the Charlote Metro area are in dark red, counties often included are light red, and counties sometimes included are in orange. ... Charlotte redirects here. ... In the United States, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas, which are organized around county boundaries. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ...

Geography

Gastonia is located at 35°15′19″N, 81°10′49″W (35.255220, -81.180249).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 46.3 square miles (119.8 km²), of which, 46.1 square miles (119.3 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (0.43%) is water. A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ...

Gastonia is at the geographic center of Gaston County, North Carolina.

People, business and culture

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 66,277 people, 25,945 households, and 17,720 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,438.9 people per square mile (555.6/km²). There were 27,857 housing units at an average density of 604.8/sq mi (233.5/km²). 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. Image:1870 census Lindauer Weber 01. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

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. Matrimony redirects here. ...

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. Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in their country. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Economy

The city is the international headquarters for Parkdale Mills. Other major employers in Gastonia include the City of Gastonia, Gaston County, Advance Auto Parts, Caromont Healthcare, Wix, Stabilus, Curtiss-Wright Controls, and Freightliner. A typical Advance Auto Parts store. ... The Windows Installer XML toolset (WiX), pronounced wicks, is a free toolset that builds Windows Installer (MSI) packages from an XML document. ... The Curtiss-Wright Corporation was once a leading aircraft manufacturer of the United States, but has since become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, controls, valves, and metal treatment. ... SNC Century Freightliner LLC was a manufacturer of heavy duty trucks, chassis and semi-trailer trucks. ...

The city has a strong manufacturing workforce.

Public services

Police force: Gastonia and Gaston County are home of one of two county police forces within the State of North Carolina, the Gaston County Police. The other county police force in NC is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police in neighboring Mecklenburg County. Other forces include City of Gastonia Police Department and the Gaston County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office holds two of only 25 bomb/drug dogs in North Carolina. For the band, see The Police. ... Official language(s) English Demonym North Carolinian Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th in the US  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (340 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ...

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. Note: This list is incomplete. ... Note: This list is incomplete. ...

The Gaston County EMS (GEMS): Includes many paramedic ambulances and the Gaston County Life Saving crew, a BLS (Basic Lifesaving Service). The Star of Life, a globally recognized symbol for Emergency medical services. ... For other uses, see Ambulance (disambiguation). ...

Public works: This includes road maintenance and sanitation as well as DWP (department of water and power) to the city. Look up Public works in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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. Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (450 acres) is a new botanical garden now taking shape at 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont, North Carolina. ... The U.S. National Whitewater Center is a non-profit outdoor recreation facility for whitewater rafting, canoeing, and kayaking. ... The Catawba River is a tributary of the Wateree River, approximately 220 mi (354 km) long, in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. ...

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. Kings Pinnacle is one of the two main peaks located within Crowders Mountain State Park. ... Crowders Mountain is one of two main peaks within Crowders Mountain State Park, the other peak being Kings Pinnacle. ... Crowders Mountain State Park is a state park of the U.S. state of North Carolina. ... Concord is a city located in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte. ...

Gastonia is also known for its abundance of churches, primarily Baptist and Methodist. Two major Baptist churches are Bethlehem Baptist Church and Parkwood Baptist Church. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is...

Notable residents

The following people are former or current residents of Gastonia:

• World famous artist John Biggers
• 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.
• Skate-Punk Band Tara Totes a Chainsaw! is from Gastonia.
• 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
• Johnathan Hovis UNC baseball star pitcher and New York Yankees prospect, grew up in Gastonia, and attended Forestview High School.

NFL redirects here. ... Lions Stampeders Eskimos Roughriders Blue Bombers Tiger-Cats Argonauts Alouettes The Canadian Football League (CFL) (Ligue canadienne de football (LCF) in French), is a professional sports league located in Canada that plays Canadian football. ... NBA redirects here. ... James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961 in Gastonia, North Carolina) is a retired American college and professional basketball player. ... NBA redirects here. ... Darrell Eugene Armstrong (born June 22, 1968 in Gastonia, North Carolina) is an American professional basketball player for the NBAs New Jersey Nets. ... NBA redirects here. ... Eric Augustus “Sleepy” Floyd (born March 6, 1960 in Gastonia, North Carolina) is a former professional basketball player. ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America. ... Kevin Austin Millwood (born December 24, 1974 in Gastonia, North Carolina) is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who plays for the Texas Rangers . ... Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America. ... Wes Helms is a professional baseball player for the Milwaukee Brewers. ... Jeff Burton (99), Elliott Sadler (38), Ricky Rudd (21), Dale Jarrett (88), Sterling Marlin (40), Jimmie Johnson (48), and Casey Mears (41) practice for the 2004 Daytona 500 The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of motorsports in the United States. ... Henry Glenn Dunnaway (1915 – March 15, 1964) was a NASCAR driver. ... William Frederick Durst (born August 20, 1970 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American singer, known primarily as the founder of nu metal band Limp Bizkit. ... Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. ... ATL is a group of the R&B genre. ... In the USA, a televangelist (television evangelist) is a religious minister (often a Christian priest or minister) who devotes a large portion of his (or her) ministry to TV broadcasts to a regular viewing and listening audience. ... Ernest Angley (born August 9, 1921 in Gastonia, North Carolina) is an international Christian evangelist, based in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. ... Lionel Shriver (born May 18, 1957) is a journalist and author. ... We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver, concerning a fictional school massacre. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... UNC can refer to: UNified Coarse thread [1], see Unified Thread Standard The United National Congress, a major political party in Trinidad and Tobago In France, the Union Nationale de Combattants the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina) in computing, Universal Naming Convention or Uniform Naming Convention (see path (computing... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... // Forestview High School is a secondary school located in Gastonia, North Carolina. ...

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. Gaston County Schools is a school district in Gaston County, North Carolina. ...

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 and 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). Belmont Abbey College is a private liberal-arts Catholic college located in Belmont, North Carolina, a small town 15 miles west of Charlotte. ... Gaston College is a community college located in Dallas, North Carolina. ...

Sister Cities

Gastonia has two sister cities located in distinct places on earth. Gotha, Germany was the first. Mayor Jenny Stultz visited Gotha in 2007. Later that year a new sister city was added in Peru. Santiago De Surco, Peru. In December of 2007 the current mayor of Santiago De Surco visited for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in the Rotary Pavilion. Since he was the guest he was allowed to light it along with one of the town's counselmen.

Shopping

Today, there are two 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 Belk, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the United States largest privately held department store chain. ... This article is about a department store chain. ... Sears, Roebuck and Co. ... J. C. Penney Company, Inc. ... One of Goodys Family Clothing stores (Rome, Georgia). ...

Along with Westfield Eastridge, Franklin Square is the other one 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. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... For the defunct chain of catalog showrooms, see Best Products. ... A location in Eden Prairie, MN Michaels is the largest arts and crafts retail chain in the United States. ... For the Australian department store chain, see Kmart Australia. ... “Lowes” redirects here. ... Sams Club is a membership-only warehouse club owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ... Kohls Corporation (NYSE: KSS) is an American department store chain headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. ... Old Navy is a brand of clothing and chain of stores owned by Gap Inc. ... flarksy ... A location in Eden Prairie, MN Sports Authority is a full line sporting goods retailer. ... hhgregg (fully hhgregg Appliances and Electronics, also known as Gregg Appliances Inc. ...

The Gaston Mall, which is currently in the process of a redevelopment that will include a new Target, houses a large and popular fabric store called Mary Jo's, and one of the oldest operating Harris Teeter grocery stores in the chain.The mall also housed a popular local restaurant called Jacksons Cafeteria.It has since been moved.The shopping center will also house McAllisters Deli and new AT&T store and a Starbucks Coffee TARGET (Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer System) is an interbank payment system for the real-time processing of cross-border transfers throughout the European Union. ... Harris Teeter is a chain of upscale supermarkets based in Matthews, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte. ...

Sports

The Gastonia Grizzlies play baseball at Sims Legion Park. The team is part of the Coastal Plain League (CPL) featuring players at the collegiate level. The season runs from the end of May to August. Sims Legion Park is a 3,000-seat baseball stadium located in Gastonia, North Carolina, it serves as home to the Gastonia Grizzlies of the Coastal Plain League. ... The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a collegiate summer league, featuring top-notched college players from throughout the nation. ...

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) is also available and features a Gaston/Lincoln section on Wednesdays and Sundays. The Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina, is the oldest daily newspaper in the United States (other newspapers, such as The New York Times began circulation before The Observer but were not daily). ...

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. Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) is an American national cable television company that operates in 27 states and has 31 operating divisions. ...

Terrestrial television (also known as over-the-air, OTA or broadcast television) was the traditional method of television broadcast signal delivery prior to the advent of cable and satellite television. ...

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. WGAS (1420 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Religious format. ... WGNC (1450 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Beach music and Oldies music format. ... WBAV (V101. ...

FM Stations: 88. ...

Transportation

Highways and major city thoroughfares

Interstate 85 (I-85) links Gastonia directly with