Belmont, NC

Belmont is a Gaston County city west of Charlotte, near the Catawba River. Settlement in the area reaches back to the colonial-era Fort at the Point, and the city later developed with railroads, mills, and religious institutions. Belmont Abbey College remains one of the community's clearest landmarks, while the Downtown Belmont Historic District gives the center a compact, older-town feel. Belmont has become increasingly tied to Charlotte's growth, but it still carries a distinct small-city identity with river access and a lively downtown.