city, seat (1909) of Gaston county, southwestern North Carolina, U.S. It lies on the central Piedmont Plateau, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Charlotte. The site was settled in the late 18th century and named for William Gaston, a congressman and judge. After the establishment of its first cotton mill in 1848, Gastonia became one of the nation's largest textile-manufacturing centres. In 1929 the city was the scene of a sensational strike during which the chief of police was killed. The episode and ensuing murder trials inspired several novels, notably Strike! (1930) by Mary Heaton Vorse and To Make My Bread (1932) by Grace Lumpkin.

Textiles are still important, but the city's diversified manufactures now include automotive parts and tools. Gaston College (1963) is nearby at Dallas, and Belmont Abbey College (1876) is just to the east. The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium is in the city. Kings Mountain National Military Park, site of the Battle of Kings Mountain (Kings Mountain, Battle of) during the American Revolution, is 20 miles (32 km) southwest. Lake Wylie, an impoundment of the Catawba River east of Gaston, is a popular recreational site. Inc. city, 1877. Pop. (1990) city, 54,732; Charlotte–Gastonia–Rock Hill MSA, 1,162,193; (2000) city, 66,277; Charlotte–Gastonia–Rock Hill MSA, 1,499,293.