Suwanee is a city in
Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulton ...
and a northeastern suburb of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. As of the
2010 census, the population was 15,355;
this had grown to an estimated 20,907 as of 2019.
Portions of
Forsyth Forsyth may refer to:
Places Oceania
* Forsyth Island, Queensland, Australia, one of the West Wellesley Islands (aka Forsyth Islands)
* Forsyth Island, Tasmania, Australia
* Forsyth Island (New Zealand), in the outer Marlborough Sounds of South I ...
and
Fulton counties also have Suwanee and its
ZIP Code (30024) as a mailing address.
History
Early history
Suwanee, as did most towns in Georgia, started out as a
Native American village. It was built on the
Chattahoochee River, where societies flourished.
The city of Suwanee itself was established and officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1837 upon the erection of a post office. In 1871, the
Georgia Air Line Railroad The Georgia Air Line Railroad was chartered as a railroad company designed to serve the Southeastern United States, beginning in the mid-19th century.
The Georgia Air Line was chartered in 1856, with the goal of laying a line between Atlanta, Georg ...
was built through Suwanee, and in 1880 the Rhodes House hotel was built to house passengers of the railroad.
This was instrumental in bringing people through the town and helped to generate trade and economic activity. In 1881, a fire burned down all of the buildings on Main Street except for one. From 1880 to 1920, the population saw almost no increase, shifting from 216 people to 241 over the course of 40 years.
, the population of Suwanee was over 18,000
Recent history
Beginning in 1933 and ending in 1936, the now heavily traveled
Buford Highway
Buford Highway (also Buford Highway Corridor), a.k.a. the DeKalb International Corridor, and in the 1990-2000's as the DeKalb County International Village district, is a community northeast of the city of Atlanta, celebrated for its ethnic dive ...
was constructed through Suwanee.
In 1960,
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, ...
was built to extend to just south of Suwanee, where it ended at the time. Throughout the last 100 years, several primary education schools have opened in Suwanee, including
North Gwinnett High School
North Gwinnett High School is a public high school outside the city limits of Suwanee, Georgia, United States. It is part of the district Gwinnett County Public Schools. The school's principal is Nathan Ballantine.
History
North Gwinnett High ...
and Suwanee Elementary School. The first known date for Suwanee High School was 1880, when it was a one-room school house.
The first city hall was built in the early 1960s, and the second city hall was built in 1997. In 2005, Town Center was constructed and finished in 2009, at which time the city hall moved to it, where it currently resides.
In 2003, Suwanee was named a City of Excellence by the ''Georgia Municipal Association and Trend Magazine''.
In 2017, Suwanee was recognized as a Green Community by the
Atlanta Regional Commission The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the metro Atlanta, Georgia, USA region, defined as the 11-county area of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, F ...
(ARC) certified at the bronze level for the city's commitment to environmental stewardship and their leadership in sustainability practices.
Geography
Suwanee is located in northern Gwinnett County and southwestern Forsyth County. It is bordered to the northeast by the city of
Sugar Hill, to the southwest by the city of
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
, and on the west by the
Chattahoochee River, which serves as the
Fulton County Fulton County is the name of eight counties in the United States of America. Most are named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the first practical steamboat:
*Fulton County, Arkansas, named after Governor William Savin Fulton
*Fulton County, Georgia
*F ...
border, and across which is the city of
Johns Creek
Johns Creek is a city in Fulton County, Georgia, United States. According to the 2020 census, the population was 82,453. The city is a northeastern suburb of Atlanta.
History
In the early 19th century, the Johns Creek area was dotted with ...
.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Suwanee has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.70%, is water.
Climate
Suwanee has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Cfa''), with mild winters and hot, humid summers.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 20,786 people, 7,012 households, and 5,235 families residing in the city.
2010 census
As of 2010, Suwanee had a population of 15,355. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 67.4% white, 10.8% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 18.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% reporting some other race, and 2.3% reporting two or more races. 6.75% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 8,725 people, 2,947 households, and 2,375 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,144 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.49%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 6.38%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.13%
Native American, 6.84%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.72% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.42% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.16% of the population.
There were 2,947 households, out of which 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.8% were
married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 39.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $84,038, and the median income for a family was $91,519. Males had a median income of $60,147 versus $40,650 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $29,712. About 1.5% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Gwinnett County Public Library operates the Suwanee Branch in Suwanee.
Sports
Suwanee was the practicing home of the
Atlanta Falcons football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team from 1979 to 2001.
Parks and recreation
* Town Center Park is a park on
Buford Highway
Buford Highway (also Buford Highway Corridor), a.k.a. the DeKalb International Corridor, and in the 1990-2000's as the DeKalb County International Village district, is a community northeast of the city of Atlanta, celebrated for its ethnic dive ...
and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. It is the venue for the community's special events, and contains an amphitheater that holds up to 1,000 audience members where numerous concerts and other various performances are held. Town Center Park has Gwinnett County's largest interactive fountain called the "Big Splash". The fountain has 43 jets and uses of water each minute. The water is recycled. The park lies next to the Suwanee Public Library.
[City of Suwanee, Georgia, "Parks", retrieved from http://www.suwanee.com/cityservices.recreationparks.php]
*
George Pierce Park
George Pierce Park is the largest city park in Suwanee, Georgia. It is a park near the northern edge of the city. Included in the park are jogging and cycling paths, playgrounds, basketball courts, soccer fields, baseball fields, a pond and a s ...
is a park making it the largest in Suwanee. Amenities includes fields for football, baseball, soccer, and softball fields, a fishing pond, hard- and soft-surfaced trails, picnic areas, public restrooms, a playground, outdoor basketball courts, and a senior center.
* Suwanee Creek Greenway is a hard-surfaced multipurpose trail with wooded areas and wildlife habitat. It is favored by walkers, joggers, bikers, etc.
A spur trail is being added to connect to the Western Gwinnett Bikeway.
* Suwanee Creek Park is an park commonly used for family picnics and other reunions. It is connected to the Suwanee Creek Greenway.
* Playtown Suwanee is a super playground built by 1,200 volunteers in 2004. It is known as "the playground my mommy and daddy built."
* Sims Lake Park was opened in 2008. It consists of a lake with a looping trail surrounding it.
* Each February, Suwanee hosts the annual
Suwanee Half Marathon. This is a qualifier for the
Peachtree Road Race
The Peachtree Road Race (branded AJC Peachtree Road Race for sponsorship reasons) is an American 10-kilometer run held annually in Atlanta. After being held on Independence Day from 1970 to 2019, the race was cancelled because of the COVID pand ...
.
Pedestrians and cycling
In 2016, Suwanee unveiled the first Bike Share program in Gwinnett County.
The city of Suwanee has released a master plan of existing and proposed trails and sidewalks to connect the community neighborhoods, schools and businesses. Major trails include:
*Brushy Creek Greenway
*George Pierce Park Red Trail
*George Pierce Park Yellow Trail
*
Ivy Creek Greenway (Under construction)
*
Suwanee Creek Greenway (Under construction)
*
Western Gwinnett Bikeway (Under construction)
Education
Suwanee is operated under
Gwinnett County Public Schools
The Gwinnett County Public School District is a school district operating in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. GCPS is the largest school system in Georgia,[Collins Hill High School
Collins Hill High School is a public high school in Gwinnett County, near Suwanee, Georgia, United States. The school is operated by Gwinnett County Public Schools. The only school which feeds into it is Creekland Middle School.
Collins Hill w ...]
,
North Gwinnett High School
North Gwinnett High School is a public high school outside the city limits of Suwanee, Georgia, United States. It is part of the district Gwinnett County Public Schools. The school's principal is Nathan Ballantine.
History
North Gwinnett High ...
, and
Peachtree Ridge High School
Peachtree Ridge High School (PRHS) is a public high school in Gwinnett County, in Suwanee, Georgia, United States. It is a part of Gwinnett County Public Schools. It is one of two public schools in the county to use block scheduling, the other be ...
. The
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is a private medical school with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and additional locations in Suwanee, Georgia (PCOM Georgia) and Moultrie, Georgia (PCOM South Georgia).
Founded ...
's Georgia campus is also located in Suwanee.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Major roads and expressways
*
Interstate 85
Interstate 85 (I-85) is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama; its northern terminus is an interchange with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia, ...
*
U.S. Route 23
}
U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has sinc ...
*
State Route 317
Airport
The nearest air service is provided by
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , also known as Atlanta Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, Atlanta Airport, Hartsfield, Hartsfield–Jackson and, formerly, as the Atlanta Municipal Airport, is the primary internatio ...
, which is south of Atlanta. The nearest regional airport is
Gwinnett County Airport
Gwinnett County Airport at Briscoe Field is a municipal airport located about two miles (3 km) northeast of Lawrenceville, Georgia, in the United States. It is owned and operated by the Gwinnett County, in northeastern metro Atlanta.
It ...
.
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Gwinnett County, Georgia
Cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area