Gaston County | |
|---|---|
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 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Motto: "Local Strengths. Global Success." | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNorth Carolina | |
 North Carolina's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°17′N81°11′W / 35.29°N 81.18°W /35.29; -81.18 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Carolina |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Named after | William Gaston |
| Seat | Gastonia |
| Largest community | Gastonia |
| Area | |
• Total | 363.68 sq mi (941.9 km2) |
| • Land | 355.75 sq mi (921.4 km2) |
| • Water | 7.93 sq mi (20.5 km2) 2.18% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 227,943 |
• Estimate (2024) | 242,010 |
| • Density | 640.74/sq mi (247.39/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 14th |
| Website | www |
Gaston County is acounty in theU.S. state ofNorth Carolina. As of the2020 census, the population was 227,943.[1] Thecounty seat isGastonia.[2]Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911.
Gaston County is included in theCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 2,805,115 in 2023.[3] The county is located in the southernPiedmont region.
Of North Carolina's 100 counties, Gaston County ranks 74th in size, consisting of approximately 364 square miles (940 km2), and is tenth in population.[4] The county has fifteen incorporated towns.[5] In addition to fifteen incorporated towns and cities, there are several unincorporated communities such as Hardin, Lucia, Crowders Mountain, Sunnyside, Alexis, Tryon, and North Belmont.[6]
The earliest European settlers of Gaston County were principallyScots Irish,Pennsylvania Dutch, andEnglish. In the 1750s, Dutch settler James Kuykendall with Robert Leeper, and others constructed a Fort at the Point at the junction of theCatawba and South Fork Rivers.[7][8] The fort was built because of ongoing hostilities with theCherokee, but it was apparently never attacked. Tensions between the settlers and theNative American inhabitants (primarily of theCatawba tribe) were eased considerably when the boundary dispute between North Carolina andSouth Carolina was settled in 1772, after which most of the Catawba settled on areservation nearFort Mill, South Carolina.[9]
Most early farms in the area were small, cultivated primarily by whiteyeoman farmers ofEnglish ancestry. North Carolina'scolonial policy restricted the size ofland grants, and in Gaston County they tended to be about 400 acres (1.6 km2) each. One of the earliest grants in the area was given to Captain Samuel Cobrin, commander of a localmilitia company, on September 29, 1750.[10]
Gaston County was founded in 1846, partitioned fromLincoln County.[11] It is named forWilliam Gaston, aU.S. Representative from North Carolina and member of the state supreme court.[12]
Between 1845 and 1848, Gaston County experienced an industrial boom. During this three-year period, the first threecotton mills in the county were established. Some sources claim that the first one was established by Thomas R. Tate onMountain Island, near the present site ofDuke Energy's Mountain Island Dam and Hydroelectric Station. Other sources say that the first mill was established by the Linebergers and others on the South Fork River nearMcAdenville. Most sources agree that among the first three mills in operation in the county was the Stowesville Mill, founded by Jasper Stowe and associates in the South Point Community south ofBelmont. Gaston County still leads all other counties in the country both in the number of spindles in operation and in the number of bales of cotton consumed.[9]
The county seat moved fromDallas toGastonia in 1911.[11]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 363.68 square miles (941.9 km2), of which 355.75 square miles (921.4 km2) is land and 7.93 square miles (20.5 km2) (2.18%) is water.[13] It belongs to the southernPiedmont physiographic province.[14]
Most of Gaston County is in thedrainage basin of theCatawba River, except for small areas along the western edge of the county which are in the basin of theBroad River. Both the Catawba and Broad Rivers are in the greaterSantee River basin. The Catawba forms the eastern border of the county and much of the central part of the county is in the drainage basin of its right tributary, the South Fork Catawba River.[15] The county is located in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina, which consists of gently rolling terrain frequently broken by hills, river and creek valleys, and low, isolated mountain ridges. The highest point in Gaston County isKing's Pinnacle, a rockymonadnock which sharply rises over 800 feet (240 m) above the city ofGastonia. King's Pinnacle rises 1,690 feet (520 m) above sea level, and is part ofCrowders Mountain State Park.[16]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 8,073 | — | |
| 1860 | 9,307 | 15.3% | |
| 1870 | 12,602 | 35.4% | |
| 1880 | 14,254 | 13.1% | |
| 1890 | 17,764 | 24.6% | |
| 1900 | 27,903 | 57.1% | |
| 1910 | 37,063 | 32.8% | |
| 1920 | 51,242 | 38.3% | |
| 1930 | 78,093 | 52.4% | |
| 1940 | 87,531 | 12.1% | |
| 1950 | 110,836 | 26.6% | |
| 1960 | 127,074 | 14.7% | |
| 1970 | 148,415 | 16.8% | |
| 1980 | 162,568 | 9.5% | |
| 1990 | 175,093 | 7.7% | |
| 2000 | 190,365 | 8.7% | |
| 2010 | 206,086 | 8.3% | |
| 2020 | 227,943 | 10.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 242,010 | [18] | 6.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[19] 1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21] 1990–2000[22] 2010[23] 2020[1] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 153,653 | 67.41% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 39,762 | 17.44% |
| Native American | 753 | 0.33% |
| Asian | 3,509 | 1.54% |
| Pacific Islander | 59 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 10,139 | 4.45% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 20,068 | 8.8% |
As of the2020 census, there were 227,943 people, 85,705 households, and 55,868 families residing in the county.
At the 2004census estimate,[25] there were 194,459 people, 73,936 households, and 53,307 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 534 people per square mile (206 people/km2). There were 78,842 housing units at an average density of 221 units per square mile (85 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83%White, 13.9%Black orAfrican American, 0.3%Native American, 1%Asian, 0%Pacific Islander, 0.3% fromother races, and 1% from two or more races. 3.00% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There are 92,094 males and 98,271 females in Gaston County. Of these 39,492 are under 15, 23,082 are aged 16–24, 59,096 are aged 25–44, 44,710 are aged between 45–64 and 23,985 are 65 and over. The median age is 36.89 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,482, and the median income for a family was $46,271. Males had a median income of $33,542 versus $23,876 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,225. About 8.30% of families and 10.90% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over.
Gaston County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners. Two members are elected from Gaston Township and one each from the other five townships of Gaston County. They are elected on a partisan basis to four-year staggered terms. Those that file for a particular seat must live in the township. However, the vote is countywide or "at-large."[26]
The offices of Sheriff, District Attorney, Clerk of Superior Court, and Register of Deeds are also elected offices, elected on a countywide, partisan basis. Gaston County currently is divided into forty-six (46) voting precincts.[27]
The county is administered by a full-time professional County Manager. Gaston County is a member of the regionalCentralina Council of Governments.[28]
| Holder[29] | Township | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Brown (chairman) | Riverbend | Republican | December 2026 |
| Cathy Cloninger (Vice Chair) | Dallas | Republican | December 2026 |
| Jim Bailey | South Point | Republican | December 2028 |
| Allen Fraley | Cherryville | Republican | December 2028 |
| Bob Hovis | Crowders Mountain | Republican | December 2028 |
| Tom Keigher | Gastonia | Republican | December 2026 |
| Scott Shehan | Gastonia | Republican | December 2028 |
Gaston County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners (BOC) representing six townships. Commissioners are elected on a countywide or "at-large" partisan basis to four-year staggered terms but must reside in their respective Township. The Gastonia Township is represented by two Commissioners. In December of each year, the Board elects a Chairman and Vice-Chairman to serve for the upcoming year.
| District[30] | Holder | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| At-Large | Dot Cherry | non-partisan | 2026 |
| At-Large | Jeff Ramsey | non-partisan | 2028 |
| Cherryville | Robbie Lovelace | non-partisan | 2028 |
| Crowders Mountain | Brent Moore | non-partisan | 2028 |
| Dallas | Josh Crisp | non-partisan | 2026 |
| Gastonia | Janna Smith | non-partisan | 2028 |
| Gastonia | Lee Dedmon | non-partisan | 2026 |
| Riverbend | A.M. Stephens, III | non-partisan | 2026 |
| South Point | Tod Kinlaw | non-partisan | 2026 |
| Holder[31] | Elected or Appointed | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Ward (Chair) | Appointed | non-partisan | December 2026 |
| Dan Brandon (Vice Chair) | Elected | non-partisan | December 2026 |
| Lee McConnell (Secretary/Treasurer) | Elected | non-partisan | December 2028 |
| David Freeman | Appointed | non-partisan | |
| Roger Hurst | Elected | non-partisan |
| Office[32] | Holder | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff | Chad Hawkins | Republican | 2026 |
| Register of Deeds | Jonathan Fletcher | Republican | 2028 |
| District Attorney | Travis G. Page | Republican | 2026 |
| County Manager | Matt Rhoten | Appointed | |
| County Attorney[33] | David Goldberg | Appointed |
These officials other than manager and attorney serve four year terms.
| District Court Seat[34] | Holder | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat 1 | Vacant | ||
| Seat 2 | Gus Anthony | Republican | 2026 |
| Seat 3 | Donald Rice | Republican | 2028 |
| Seat 4 | Holden B. Clark | Republican | 2028 |
| Seat 5 | Angela G. Hoyle (Chief Judge) | Republican | 2028 |
| Seat 6 | Ed Bogle | Republican | 2028 |
| Seat 7 | Megan Shepard | Republican | 2028 |
District Court judges serve four-year terms.
| Office[35] | Holder | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Resident Superior Court Judge | David Phillips | Democratic | 2026 |
| Superior Court Judge | Justin Davis | Republican | 2030 |
| Superior Court Judge | Craig Collins | Republican | 2032 |
| Superior Court Judge | William Stetzer | Republican | Appointed |
| Clerk of Superior Court | K. Roxann Rankin | Republican | 2026 |
Superior court judges serve eight-year terms.
| District[36] | Representative | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Brad Overcash | Republican | 2027 |
| 44 | Ted Alexander | Republican | 2027 |
Gaston County is represented by the 43rd and 44th state senate district, and senators are up every two years.
| District | Representative[37] | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 108 | John A. Torbett | Republican | 2027 |
| 109 | Donnie Loftis | Republican | 2027 |
| 110 | Kelly Hastings | Republican | 2027 |
Gaston County is represented by the 108th, 109th, and 110th state house districts. Representatives are up for election every two years.
| District[38] | Representative | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | Tim Moore | Republican | 2027 |
Gaston County is in the 14th congressional district, and previously, the northwest corner of the county mainlyCherryville was in the 10th until redistricting in 2023.[39]
| Senator[40] | Party | Term expires |
|---|---|---|
| Ted Budd | Republican | 2029 |
| Thom Tillis | Republican | 2027 |
North Carolina has a unified statewide and state-operated court system, called the General Court of Justice. It consists of three divisions: appellate courts, superior courts, and district courts. In Gaston County, there is also a small claims Court.
Small claims court handles civil cases where a plaintiff requests assignment to a magistrate and the amount in controversy is $5,000 or less. There is no jury and usually no lawyers. A person who loses in small claims court may appeal for a trial by jury before a judge in district court. Magistrates are appointed for two-year terms by the senior resident superior court judge upon nomination of the clerk of superior court.[41]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 1,139 | 50.69% | 1,107 | 49.27% | 1 | 0.04% |
| 1884 | 978 | 41.46% | 1,356 | 57.48% | 25 | 1.06% |
| 1888 | 1,260 | 42.90% | 1,589 | 54.10% | 88 | 3.00% |
| 1892 | 1,173 | 36.58% | 1,616 | 50.39% | 418 | 13.03% |
| 1896 | 1,625 | 43.60% | 2,069 | 55.51% | 33 | 0.89% |
| 1900 | 1,626 | 44.98% | 1,931 | 53.42% | 58 | 1.60% |
| 1904 | 896 | 31.12% | 1,958 | 68.01% | 25 | 0.87% |
| 1908 | 1,970 | 44.69% | 2,398 | 54.40% | 40 | 0.91% |
| 1912 | 244 | 6.22% | 2,333 | 59.45% | 1,347 | 34.33% |
| 1916 | 2,542 | 45.62% | 3,019 | 54.18% | 11 | 0.20% |
| 1920 | 5,803 | 44.81% | 7,148 | 55.19% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1924 | 3,566 | 34.95% | 6,554 | 64.24% | 82 | 0.80% |
| 1928 | 9,702 | 59.14% | 6,702 | 40.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 5,164 | 28.36% | 12,890 | 70.78% | 157 | 0.86% |
| 1936 | 4,772 | 21.37% | 17,555 | 78.63% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 4,294 | 19.92% | 17,262 | 80.08% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 6,023 | 30.47% | 13,744 | 69.53% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 6,180 | 32.58% | 8,966 | 47.27% | 3,822 | 20.15% |
| 1952 | 19,157 | 51.86% | 17,781 | 48.14% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 18,159 | 53.68% | 15,671 | 46.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 21,250 | 51.39% | 20,104 | 48.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 17,129 | 45.89% | 20,197 | 54.11% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 18,741 | 43.77% | 10,100 | 23.59% | 13,973 | 32.64% |
| 1972 | 27,956 | 75.76% | 8,462 | 22.93% | 483 | 1.31% |
| 1976 | 19,727 | 46.13% | 22,878 | 53.50% | 159 | 0.37% |
| 1980 | 25,139 | 55.61% | 19,016 | 42.07% | 1,049 | 2.32% |
| 1984 | 39,167 | 73.36% | 14,142 | 26.49% | 83 | 0.16% |
| 1988 | 34,775 | 70.32% | 14,582 | 29.49% | 94 | 0.19% |
| 1992 | 34,714 | 56.51% | 19,121 | 31.12% | 7,600 | 12.37% |
| 1996 | 33,149 | 58.42% | 19,458 | 34.29% | 4,132 | 7.28% |
| 2000 | 39,453 | 66.67% | 19,281 | 32.58% | 445 | 0.75% |
| 2004 | 43,252 | 67.84% | 20,254 | 31.77% | 249 | 0.39% |
| 2008 | 52,507 | 62.21% | 31,384 | 37.18% | 511 | 0.61% |
| 2012 | 56,138 | 62.04% | 33,171 | 36.66% | 1,174 | 1.30% |
| 2016 | 61,798 | 64.09% | 31,177 | 32.33% | 3,456 | 3.58% |
| 2020 | 73,033 | 63.23% | 40,959 | 35.46% | 1,506 | 1.30% |
| 2024 | 73,828 | 61.91% | 44,062 | 36.95% | 1,366 | 1.15% |
In recent years, voters in most of the county have favored Republicans, though Democrats retain some electoral strength in the city of Gastonia.[43]
Gaston County is served byAmtrak, with a stop inGastonia. Freight rail service is provided by theNorfolk Southern Railway,CSX andPatriot Rail.
The Norfork Southern main line passes from west to east across the county, passing throughKings Mountain,Bessemer City, Gastonia, Ranlo, Lowell, Cramerton andBelmont. From Gastonia, a branch line leads south toCrowders.[44]
CSX rail lines pass through the northwestern and northeastern corners of Gaston County. In the northwest, a line betweenLincolnton andShelby passes throughCherryville. In the northeast, a line betweenLincolnton andCharlotte passes throughStanley andMount Holly.[45]
Progressive Rail operates state-owned trackage between Gastonia and Mount Holly with a spur extending to Belmont.[46]
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is a major, full-service airport with passenger flights. It is across theCatawba River inMecklenburg County inCharlotte.
The city ofGastonia owns and operatesGastonia Municipal Airport, which is a general aviation airport with a single runway, Runway 3/21, an asphalt runway that is 3,779 feet in length.[47]
Piedmont Lithium is a mining company currently in the process ofproving economic mineral recovery oflithium in Gaston County. After five years ofsurfaceprospecting, the company began drilling many sample cores in 2021 across 2,300 acres (930 ha) of land it owns or hasmineral rights to the countyproving economic viability of mining lithium for the boom in battery demand to supportelectric vehicle and other uses.[48]
Public K-12 education in Gaston County is administered by theGaston County Schools public school system, which covers the entire county.[49] The system is governed by the nine-member Gaston County Board of Education which sets policy and establishes guidelines for school operations. Board members are elected on a nonpartisan, county wide basis, with seven representatives chosen from the six townships and two members selected at-large.[50] Gaston County Schools has 54 public schools, including 9 high schools, 11 middle schools, 32 elementary schools, one alternative school (middle and high school age), and one separate school (Webb Street School in Gastonia) serving students ages 3 to 22 with moderate to severe disabilities.
Gaston County has fourcharter schools: Community Public Charter School (K-7) in Stanley, Ridgeview Charter School (K–4) in Gastonia, Piedmont Community Charter School (K–12) in Gastonia, and Mountain Island Charter School (K–12) in Mount Holly.[51]
There are two colleges in Gaston County.Gaston College is acommunity college located inDallas offering associate degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs.Belmont Abbey College is aRoman Catholic Liberal Arts College located inBelmont.
TheGaston County Public Library has10 branches spread throughout the county.
Gaston County's most significant natural heritage sites are distributed across the county. They range from Crowders Mountain in the southwest corner to sites east of Stanley and at the mouth of the South Fork Catawba River.
Gaston County has twelve natural heritage sites listed as being of state or regional significance. Six of these are listed because of the presence of thebigleaf magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla). This magnificent plant has the largest simple leaf of any species in the temperate world, and one of the largest flowers. Of the 34 known sites containing bigleaf magnolias in North Carolina, 29 are in Gaston County.[52]
Two sites are important because they provide habitat for thebog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii). The bog turtle is the single most significant rare animal species surviving in Gaston County.[53]
Crowders Mountain State Park is the largest natural heritage site in the county. It covers over 3,000 acres (12 km2) of topographically, botanically, and zoologically diverse land. Six natural plant communities are found in the park, and the area supports a diversity of wildlife species. Some animals documented in the park have not been documented elsewhere in the county. A second natural heritage site, Pinnacle Road, has recently been incorporated into the park. This site is most significant for the occurrence of dwarf juniper (Juniperus communis) along its ridgeline.[54]
The Stagecoach Road site is the largest and best preservedgranitic outcrop in the county. Its thin soils are dominated byhickory species and it is also home to several smaller species such asTalinum teretifolium (fame flower),Sedum smallii (syn.Diamorpha smallii, Small's sedum), andHypericum gentianoides (pineweed) that are found only in this type of habitat. A farm site contains an old growth forest dominated by beech, yellow poplar, oaks, and maples - some trees with diameters of nearly 3 feet (0.91 m).[55]
Another 25 sites are listed as being of local significance. Two of these are home to extremely rare plants. Catawba Cove, near the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, supports a stand ofSchweinitz's sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii), a federally endangered species. The Armstrong Ford site nearBelmont is the only place in western North Carolina (and one of only two sites in the state) where magnolia vine (Schisandra glabra) has been found.[56]
TheHoyle Historic Homestead, with notable German-American construction features, is the oldest extant structure in Gaston County. Located on the Dallas-Stanley Highway above the South Fork Catawba River, it was built around 1760 and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
TheDaniel Stowe Conservancy covers 380 acres (1.5 km2) in the South Point area of Gaston County, on South New Hope Road.
The Gaston County Museum is located in the town ofDallas, North Carolina.[57]
TheSchiele Museum of Natural History is a science museum and planetarium located in Gastonia that features both permanent and touring exhibits.[58]
Crowder's Mountain State Park is noted for its resident raptors and sheer vertical cliffs which drop 150 feet (46 m). From Crowders Mountain, the highest point in Gaston County, views stretch for more than 20 miles (32 km).
TheU.S. National Whitewater Center is a recreation and training facility. Set among 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) of wooded land along the Catawba River, the multiuse facility has a climbing center, mountain-biking trails and running trails.
Christmas Town USA -McAdenville, North Carolina - Each December, hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights turn this small mill town into a spectacular holiday display. Visitors stroll down Main Street surrounded by the sights and sounds of Christmas.
Spencer Mountain, which is located in central Gaston County, is the site of the oldWBTV television transmitter. It was from this site that the first commercial television signal in North Carolina was broadcast, when WBTV signed on the air in 1949. The tower remains on the mountain today, but is no longer in use as WBTV's primary transmitter. It is used by NWS for itsNOAA Weather Radio transmission signal.
Townships are administrative divisions of unincorporated county land and do not have any government function.
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Geographic data related toGaston County, North Carolina atOpenStreetMapPlaces adjacent to Gaston County, North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||
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