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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. 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 area (in terms of population).

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.

Trivia

Gastonia is known for its large textile industry and famous textile heritage. The city is the world headquarters for Parkdale Mills. Other major companies in Gastonia are Wix, Stabilus, and Freightliner. The city has a strong manufacturing workforce.

Gastonia is home to the famous eateries Shrimp Boat and Tony's Ice Cream.

People 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.

Notable Residents

The following people are former or current residents of Gastonia:

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.

College/university

Although there are no colleges and universities within the city limits of Gastonia, higher education is present in neighboring cities. Gaston County is home to Belmont Abbey College (Belmont; 4-year) and Gaston College (Dallas, Belmont; 2-year)

Shopping

Gastonia has a wide variety of shopping venues geared to satisfy any shopper. There are three major shopping centers in Gastonia.

Westfield Shoppingtown Eastridge is home to four major anchor stores: Belks, Dillard's, Goody, and JC Penney. The mall is also home to 100 specialty stores along with a full-service Food Court.

Gaston Mall is smaller than Westfield but it does have a variety of specialty stores such as John's Toy & Hobby Shop, Mary Jo's Cloth Store, and Lebo's.

Franklin Square is Gastonia's premier shopping center that is not in mall format. The complex is divided into sections named phases I, II, and III. Phase I contains stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Ross Dress for Less, and Michael's. Phase II is home to K-Mart, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, and Sam's Club. Phase III is where Old Navy, Books-A-Million, Sports Authority, and a 14-screen movie theater is located.

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.

Media

Newspaper

The Gaston Gazette is Gastonia's main newspaper. It runs daily, and covers Gastonia city, Gaston County, as well as surrounding areas. The Charlotte Observer (North Carolina's largest newspaper) offers a Gaston/Lincoln section; it runs 3 times weekly.

Television

Gastonia has no broadcast television stations licensed in the city. The majority of stations are located in 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 coming from Charlotte. The city does have three AM stations licensed and located within the city limits.

Transportation

Highways/Major city thoroughfares

Interstate 85 (I-85); US Highways 29/74, 321; North Carolina Highways 7, 274, 275, 279, connect Gastonia with others cities, states, and regions. Franklin Blvd., Garrison Blvd., Hudson Blvd., and Ozark/Long/Airline/Gaston Aves. (the one street with 4 names), 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, Inc., is Gastonia's intrastate/interstate transit provider. The staffed bus station in located on Davis St., just east of downtown.

Train (passenger service)

Amtrak Cresent (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. CLT is 20 miles east of Gastonia in Charlotte, easily accessible to Interstate 85 and US 29/74.

See also

Charlotte metropolitan area (Metrolina)

I-85 Corridor

External links

All-America City | Cities in North Carolina | Gaston County, North Carolina

Gastonia | Gastonia

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Gastonia, North Carolina".

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