Gaston county is located just west of the city of Charlotte in the south central Piedmont region of the state of North Carolina. The county was formed in 1846 from the lower portion of neighboring Lincoln county to the north. The Catawba river makes up a portion of Gaston's eastern boundary and the South Carolina state line defines the southern border. The region is very hilly with several ridges and mountain tops (Crowder's Mountain, Kings Mountain Pinnacle) that attract many hikers.

The area has a moderate temperature and humidity with average temperatures ranging from 43 degrees during the winter and 78 degrees in the summer. The average relative humidity is 53%.

Gaston's economy is fueled by a diverse industrial base historically dominated by textile mills. The first three cotton mills were established in 1848 providing most of the jobs at that time with many mill working families living in "mill towns" near their factories.

Although many other items are now manufactured including: electrical goods, motor oil filters, chemicals, plastics, brick and tile, business forms, resistors, corrugated boxes, lithium compounds; the status of the textile mill worker and their future is still the topic of discussion. 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.

Neighboring communities throughout the state of North Carolina is home to many of the drivers of NASCAR with several race tracks within a few hours driving distance from Gastonia. Nearby Charlotte is the home of the Carolina Panthers NFL Football team, the Charlotte Hornets NBA and The Charlotte Knights  Baseball teams.

If professional sports are not your cup of tea, Gaston county has a rich history that is on display at several local museums. There are many things to see and do at the area's beautiful parks, lakes, flower gardens, fairs and local farms.

Be sure and visit the Gaston County Dept. of Tourism web site that provides a wealth of valuable information (including beautiful pictures) about Gaston area attractions.