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County · code 37071

Gaston CountyNorth Carolina

Gaston County is in North Carolina and has its seat in Gastonia. The county was created in 1846 from Lincoln County and named after William Gaston.

  • Founded1846
  • County seatGastonia
  • Named forWilliam Gaston
  • Land area356 sq mi + 7.9 sq mi water
  • Population227,943 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped108,678 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Gaston County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

LincolnYork, SCMecklenburgCleveland Gastonia Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Gaston on the map of North Carolina

North Carolina has 100 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Alamance CountyAlexander CountyAlleghany CountyAnson CountyAshe CountyAvery CountyBeaufort CountyBertie CountyBladen CountyBrunswick CountyBuncombe CountyBurke CountyCabarrus CountyCaldwell CountyCamden CountyCarteret CountyCaswell CountyCatawba CountyChatham CountyCherokee CountyChowan CountyClay CountyCleveland CountyColumbus CountyCraven CountyCumberland CountyCurrituck CountyDare CountyDavidson CountyDavie CountyDuplin CountyDurham CountyEdgecombe CountyForsyth CountyFranklin CountyGates CountyGraham CountyGranville CountyGreene CountyGuilford CountyHalifax CountyHarnett CountyHaywood CountyHenderson CountyHertford CountyHoke CountyHyde CountyIredell CountyJackson CountyJohnston CountyJones CountyLee CountyLenoir CountyLincoln CountyMcDowell CountyMacon CountyMadison CountyMartin CountyMecklenburg CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMoore CountyNash CountyNew Hanover CountyNorthampton CountyOnslow CountyOrange CountyPamlico CountyPasquotank CountyPender CountyPerquimans CountyPerson CountyPitt CountyPolk CountyRandolph CountyRichmond CountyRobeson CountyRockingham CountyRowan CountyRutherford CountySampson CountyScotland CountyStanly CountyStokes CountySurry CountySwain CountyTransylvania CountyTyrrell CountyUnion CountyVance CountyWake CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWatauga CountyWayne CountyWilkes CountyWilson CountyYadkin CountyYancey CountyGaston County Gaston
Counties of North Carolina · Gaston highlighted

History

Formed in 1846 from Lincoln County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Gaston County was formed from Lincoln County on December 21, 1846. In 1916, Gaston County lost territory to Cleveland County, a change the legislature confirmed in 1917.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

  1. 1846
    Gaston County created Gaston created from Lincoln.
    from Lincoln
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1846-1847, ch. 24, secs. 1-2/p. 73
  2. 1875
    Changed Lincoln authorized to gain the northwestern corner of Gaston (area northwest of Flint Hill Road), dependent upon local referendum that apparently failed (no change).
    Lincoln
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1874-1875, pub., ch. 125, sec. 1/pp. 124-125
  3. 1916
    Lost territory Gaston lost to Cleveland.
    to Cleveland
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1915, pub., ch. 203, secs. 1-3, 13/pp. 278-283; Weathers, 77-78
  4. 1917
    Changed Gaston's 1916 loss to Cleveland confirmed by legislature.
    Cleveland
    · N.C. Sess. Laws 1917, pub., ch. 31, sec. 1/pp. 84-86; Weathers, 77-78
  5. 1921
    Changed Boundary between Cleveland and Gaston defined (no change).
    Cleveland
    · Corbitt, 265-266; N.C. Sess. Laws 1921, reg. sess., pub., ch. 71, sec. 1/pp. 318-320

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Gaston

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Gaston by the Census

Population
227,943 2020 Census count
Housing units
98,136 2020 Census count
Land area
356 square miles
Water area
7.9 square miles
People per sq mi
641 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

GIS and maps

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Gaston County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Gaston County

When was Gaston County founded?
Gaston County was founded in 1846, formed from Lincoln County, and named after William Gaston.
What is the county seat of Gaston County?
The county seat of Gaston County is Gastonia.
Is there an online parcel map for Gaston County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 108,678 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Gaston County's boundary or name changed?
Gaston County was created in 1846 from Lincoln County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Cleveland County.
Who issues building permits in Gaston County?
The county's page on building permits: Gun Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Who issues septic and well permits in Gaston County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Dental Clinic (Gaston Family Health Services).
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Gaston County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door