[9] The city is a historic center for textile manufacturing and was the site of the Loray Mill Strike of 1929, which became a key event in the labor movement.

While manufacturing remains important to the local economy, the city also has well-developed healthcare, education, and government sectors.

Gastonia is named for William Gaston, a jurist and United States Representative from North Carolina.

The strike largely failed in attaining its goals of better working conditions and wages, and the American labor movement was never able to gain a foothold among textile workers in Gastonia.

The City Hospital-Gaston Memorial Hospital, Craig Farmstead, Downtown Gastonia Historic District, First National Bank Building, Gaston County Courthouse, Gastonia High School, David Jenkins House, Loray Mill Historic District, Robinson-Gardner Building, Third National Bank Building, and William J. Wilson House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gastonia maintains a relatively strong manufacturing workforce, but many workers are laid off and many more are facing job losses.

The city is the international corporate headquarters for textile company Parkdale Mills, the number one manufacturer of spun yarn in the world.

Other manufacturers in Gastonia include Wix Filtration Corp., Freightliner Trucks, Stabilus, Curtiss-Wright Controls Engineered Systems and Radici Group.

Other major employers include the City of Gastonia and Gaston County governments, the Gaston County Schools system, CaroMont Regional Medical Center, and retailers Walmart and Advance Auto Parts, with two and six stores (plus a distribution center) respectively.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center (on the Catawba River) is located east of the city in neighboring Mecklenburg County.

The park offers a number of hiking trails, as well as campgrounds, picnic areas, rock climbing, and fishing.

The Gastonia Ghost Peppers of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a partner of Major League Baseball, began to play in 2024 at CaroMont Health Park, which is part of the Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment (FUSE) District.

Before the Honey Hunters' arrival, the Gastonia Grizzlies, a Coastal Plain League summer collegiate wood-bat team, played at Sims Legion Park from 2002 to 2020.

[28] The Cardinals teams hosted home games from 1938 to 1940 at the Gastonia High School Stadium[29] and Sims Legion Park.

[30] The Gastonia Gargoyles play rugby at Gaston County's North Belmont Park.

The team is part of the Carolinas Geographical Union (CGU) and plays Division IV men's social rugby.

Gastonia is served by numerous FM and AM radio stations, mainly based in nearby Charlotte.

Interstate 85 (I-85) links Gastonia directly with Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham, and Petersburg/Richmond (to the northeast) and Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta and Montgomery (to the southwest).

US 29 parallels I-85 through the Carolinas, while US 74 provides direct east–west links to Charlotte and Wilmington (east), and Asheville and Cherokee (to the west).

The bus service operates on a fixed-route system covering most of the city and stops are clearly visible around town.

The Gastonia Express (Route 85X) offers Monday-Friday bus service to/from uptown Charlotte, via the Bradley Station.

Amtrak's Crescent (trains 19, 20) connects Gastonia (GAS) with the cities of (to the north) New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and Charlotte, and (to the south) Atlanta, Birmingham, and New Orleans.

Commercial service: Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) provides the city with a major domestic/international gateway and is located 18 miles (29 km) east, in Charlotte.

In December 2007, the mayor of Santiago de Surco visited for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in the Rotary Pavilion.