Gastonia is about 25 km west of Charlotte on I-85. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the practical air gateway, about 30 minutes by road. Amtrak's Crescent and Carolinian lines stop at Gastonia station on East Long Avenue, connecting south to Atlanta and north to Charlotte, Raleigh, and New York — useful if you want to avoid driving, though trains run infrequently. By car from Charlotte, take I-85 west and exit onto Franklin Boulevard or New Hope Road.