Bessemer City, North Carolina
Bessemer City is a city of 5,580 people in Gaston County, North Carolina, founded in March 6, 1893.
Why visit Bessemer City
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 4 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Gamble Hill, Bessemer City Downtown Historic District and Central School.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 91°F; January lows average 31°F.
Weather in Bessemer City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Bessemer City
Bessemer City is a small suburban city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bessemer City had a population of 5,428. The city is approximately 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Gastonia and 25 miles (40 km) west of Charlotte. It was settled in 1756 and founded in 1893.
From the Wikipedia article Bessemer City, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Bessemer City Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Bessemer City, North Carolina
Central School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic school building in Bessemer City, North Carolina, USA
Frank Rickert Summers House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
House in Cleveland County, North Carolina
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes4
Whiskey Mill Bar & Grill
Bar and pub
Old West–style joint with a patio for American grub & house-brewed beer, plus live music & pool.
201 West Pennsylvania Avenue, Bessemer City
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 2.3 mi
3876 Kings Mountain Highway, Gastonia
Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su 10:30-24:00
McDonald's Family Restaurant
Fast food · 0.7 mi
617 Gastonia Highway, Bessemer City
Mo 11:00-17:30; Tu 11:00-14:30; We-Fr 11:00-17:30
History
Bessemer City is named for Sir Henry Bessemer who created the Bessemer process for smelting iron. Bessemer City was founded on land purchased from the Ormand family, near the Sloan-Washington-Ormand Iron Furnace, but the Bessemer Process made Bessemer City's early iron smelting industry obsolete.
From the History section of Bessemer City, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship12
Monte Calvario
Church · Apostolic Assembly Of The Faith In Christ Jesus · 0.9 mi
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries30
Bessemer City Central Elem
School · 1.2 mi
1400 Puett'S Chapel Road, Bessemer City
Edward D Sadler Jr Elementary School
School · 2.2 mi
3950 West Franklin Boulevard, Gastonia
Map of Bessemer City
61 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53°F | 31°F | 3.8 in | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 34°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 65°F | 40°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 74°F | 50°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 80°F | 58°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 87°F | 67°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 91°F | 70°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 69°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 63°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 74°F | 51°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 40°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 56°F | 34°F | 3.8 in | 0.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Gastonia (8 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Gaston County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-05-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 20 miles away.
- Kings Mountain 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Gastonia 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Lincolnton 13 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Belmont 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Shelby 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- Mount Holly 16 mi east, about 25 min by car
- Lake Wylie 18 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Tega Cay 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Huntersville 25 mi east, about 40 min by car
- Charlotte 26 mi east, about 42 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- NC161-NC274-Bessemer City, Washuotaku, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bessemer City banner, Washuotaku, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bessemer City Central School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eleventh Street Railroad Underpass, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Southern Cotton Mills-Osage Manufacturing Company, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Central Drug Store, Former Rex Theater & 106-108 W. Virginia Avenue, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 128-130 W. Virginia Ave, First State Bank & Trust Building, Lewis Grocery & Winn-Dixie Grocery, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Whetstone Cotton Mills, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thirteenth Street Railroad Underpass, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Crowders Mountain, United States (Unsplash), Callistus Ndemo carlis, CC0
- ISS041-E-87161 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS017-E-19713 - View of Tennessee, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS041-E-87162 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- East NC 275 Gastonia, Washuotaku, CC BY-SA 3.0
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