Best Web Design in Gastonia, NC (2026)

Web Design for Gastonia, North Carolina

Gastonia is the largest city in Gaston County and North Carolina's 13th-most populous, with about 80,000 residents in the Piedmont roughly 22 miles west of Charlotte. Textiles built the city, which once billed itself the world's 'Combined Yarn Capital,' and it was the scene of the violent 1929 Loray Mill Strike. Today it is anchored by Parkdale Mills' global headquarters and the revitalized FUSE entertainment district.

AppWT works with Gastonia, NC businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Gastonia

Also known as. Spindle City. Combined Yarn Capital of the World (historic).

History. Gaston County was formed in 1846 and named for jurist and U.S. Representative William Gaston. The Gastonia Cotton Manufacturing Company, founded in 1877, used steam power that freed mills from riverbank locations and sparked the city's textile boom. A popular vote made Gastonia the county seat in 1911. The Loray Mill Strike of 1929 became a landmark labor-movement event, marked by the deaths of police chief O.F. Aderholt and organizer and balladeer Ella May Wiggins.

Local economy. Textiles remain central: Parkdale Mills, the world's largest maker of spun yarn, is headquartered in Gastonia and runs local production facilities. Wix Filters (Mann+Hummel) operates a major filtration manufacturing presence in the area. Freightliner/Daimler truck operations provide significant regional employment. CaroMont Regional Medical Center makes healthcare a leading employer, alongside education and government.

Culture and community. The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium is a Smithsonian affiliate with the largest mounted land-mammal collection in the Southeast, plus a recreated Catawba village and an 18th-century farm. The Gastonia Ghost Peppers play in the independent Atlantic League at CaroMont Health Park in the FUSE district. The African American Museum of History and Culture occupies part of the historic Loray Mill. Downtown's revitalized historic district hosts local dining, shops and events.

What makes Gastonia distinct. The baseball team's Ghost Peppers name, inspired by super-hot chili peppers, won a 2024 fan vote over finalists like 'Bolognia,' 'Gastronauts' and 'Zombees.' Economist and author Thomas Sowell was born in Gastonia in 1930. NBA Hall of Famer James Worthy and Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst both hail from Gastonia, as do MLB pitcher Kevin Millwood and NBA center Hassan Whiteside. Gaston County was once nicknamed the 'Banner Corn Whiskey County of Carolina' before textiles reshaped its identity.

Gastonia is the county seat and most populous city in Gaston County, a historic textile-manufacturing center in western Metro Charlotte.

Gastonia Landmarks and Local Life

• Schiele Museum of Natural History - Natural history museum and planetarium, the only planetarium in the Charlotte area
• Loray Mill Historic District - Early 1900s textile mill and mill village, site of the 1929 Loray Mill Strike
• CaroMont Health Park - Downtown ballpark in the FUSE District, home of the Gastonia Ghost Peppers
• Rankin Lake Park - 242-acre lake park with fishing, a walking loop and picnic areas
• Martha Rivers Park - Nearly 58-acre park with lighted soccer, baseball and softball fields

Gastonia at a Glance

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023.

• Median household income: About $60,554
• Adults with a bachelor degree or higher: About 27.7%
• Housing: About 54% of housing units are owner-occupied
• Housing: About 68% of homes are single-family detached houses