Buford, GA
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Buford is a city in Gwinnett and
Hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...
counties in the U.S. state of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,144. Most of the city is in Gwinnett County, which is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area. The northern sliver of the city is in Hall County, which comprises the
Gainesville, Georgia Gainesville is a city and the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 42,296. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it has been calle ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the larger Atlanta- Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area. The city was founded in 1872 after a railroad was built in the area connecting
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
, with
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. Buford was named after
Algernon Sidney Buford Algernon Sidney Buford (January 2, 1826 – May 6, 1911) was a Virginian businessman, politician, and lawyer best known for his 22-year presidency of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, during which he was responsible for growing the line from 1 ...
, who at the time was president of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway. The city's leather industry, led by the
Bona Allen Company The Bona Allen Company is a tannery and leather goods factory that opened in 1873 in Buford, Georgia. It became the nation's largest producer of hand-tooled saddles, bridles, horse collars, postal bags, cowboy boots, and shoes and had a contrac ...
, as well as its location as a railway stop, caused the population to expand during the early 1900s until after the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
had ended. The city operates its own school district, the
Buford City School District The Buford City School District is a school district in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. The Georgia Department of Education announced Buford Academy as a 2014 Highest-Performing School. Buford City Schools (BCSS) serves approximately 5 ...
, and has been the birthplace and home of several musicians and athletes. Various tourist locations, including museums and community centers, the largest mall in the state of Georgia, the
Mall of Georgia Mall of Georgia is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta. Opened in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, c ...
, and
Lake Lanier Islands Lake Lanier Islands is a resort complex built on a small group of islands on Lake Lanier, the largest lake in Georgia, located 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. The resort complex was established in 1974 and includes a hotel, water park, g ...
are in the Buford region.


History

Buford appears in historical records beginning in the early 19th century. The area that is now Buford was originally part of
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
territory. Despite the treaty in 1817 that ceded the territory to the United States and Gwinnett County's legislative establishment in 1818, the area was still largely inhabited by the Cherokee until the 1830s. The first non-Native Americans moved to the Buford area in the late 1820s or early 1830s, although the Buford area was not largely settled by them until the 1860s. During the post-Civil War construction of the extended Richmond and Danville Railroad System in 1865, railroad stockholders Thomas Garner and Larkin Smith purchased land around the railroad's
right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...
and began developing the city of Buford. The city was named after
Algernon Sidney Buford Algernon Sidney Buford (January 2, 1826 – May 6, 1911) was a Virginian businessman, politician, and lawyer best known for his 22-year presidency of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, during which he was responsible for growing the line from 1 ...
, who was president of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway during the railroad's construction. The town began rapidly expanding around the railway after its completion in 1871, and it was incorporated as the Town of Buford on August 24, 1872, and renamed the City of Buford in 1896. In the late 1800s and early 1900s Buford became widely known for its leather production, becoming prominently associated with the leather industry and earning the nickname "The Leather City". Buford became a large producer of leather products, including saddles,
horse collar A horse collar is a part of a horse harness that is used to distribute the load around a horse's neck and shoulders when pulling a wagon or plough. The collar often supports and pads a pair of curved metal or wooden pieces, called hames, to wh ...
s,
bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. It prov ...
s, and shoes. Buford's leather industry began with a leatherworker named R.H. Allen opening a harness shop and tannery in 1868, three years before the completion of the railway and the founding of Buford. R.H. Allen's brother Bona Allen moved to Buford from
Rome, Georgia Rome is the largest city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, it is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia metropolitan area, Rome, Georgia, metropolitan statist ...
, in 1872 and founded the
Bona Allen Company The Bona Allen Company is a tannery and leather goods factory that opened in 1873 in Buford, Georgia. It became the nation's largest producer of hand-tooled saddles, bridles, horse collars, postal bags, cowboy boots, and shoes and had a contrac ...
the following year. The leather industry quickly became the city's largest industry despite setbacks from several fires, including a fire in 1903 that destroyed the buildings of several businesses and a fire in 1906 that destroyed a straw storehouse and nearly destroyed the city's harness and horse collar factory. Bona Allen saddles were available through the Sears mail order catalog, and many Hollywood actors used saddles made by the Bona Allen Company, including cowboy actors
Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...
, the cast of ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...
'', and
Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...
, who used a Bona Allen saddle on his horse
Trigger Trigger may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Trigger (''Only Fools and Horses''), in the TV sitcom * Trigger Argee, in science fiction short stories by James H. Schmitz * Devil Trigger, a transformation ability of ...
. A statue of Roy Rogers and a Bona Allen saddle-maker saddling Trigger is located in downtown Buford. The Bona Allen Company thrived during the Great Depression in the 1930s, likely as a result of the Depression forcing farmers to choose horses over expensive tractors, thereby increasing the demand for saddles, collars, bridles, and other leather products. The Bona Allen Company constructed Tannery Row in downtown Buford as a shoe factory in 1919. After a brief employee
strike Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) * Hobart Huson, author of several drug related books Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm * Airstrike, ...
the shoe factory was closed in 1942, although it was briefly reopened by the request of the federal government during World War II to make footwear for the military. Afterwards, the factory closed in 1945. In 2003 Tannery Row became home to the Tannery Row Artist Colony, which houses galleries and studios for artists. After the Great Depression the use of horses for farming decreased and tractors took their place, and the Bona Allen Company steadily downsized until the tannery was eventually sold to the
Tandy Corporation Tandy Corporation was an American family-owned Retail, retailer based in Fort Worth, Texas that made leather goods, operated the RadioShack chain, and later built personal computers. Tandy Leather was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store ...
in 1968. Buford's leather industry ended after the tannery experienced a fire in 1981, when the Tandy Corporation decided not to rebuild the tannery and closed the facility.


Geography

Buford is located in both northern Gwinnett County in northern Georgia, with a small portion extending north into Hall County. The city is a suburb within the Atlanta metropolitan area. According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2010 the city has a total land area of , of which is land and , or 0.44%, is water. The city's elevation is . Buford's city limits are west of the
Eastern Continental Divide The Eastern Continental Divide, Eastern Divide or Appalachian Divide is a drainage divide, hydrological divide in eastern North America that separates the easterly Atlantic Seaboard drainage basin, watershed from the westerly Gulf of Mexico wat ...
. Ridge Road, part of which uses Buford as a mailing address, runs along the Eastern Continental Divide, although the road itself is outside the city limits. Buford's primary water supply comes from
Lake Lanier Lake Lanier (officially Lake Sidney Lanier) is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee ...
an impoundment on the
Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River () is a river in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern United States. It forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida and Georgia border. It ...
.


Climate

The climate of Buford, as with most of the southeastern United States, is
humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...
(Cfa) according to the
Köppen classification Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
, with four seasons including hot, humid summers and cool winters. July is generally the warmest month of the year with an average high of around . The coldest month is January which has an average high of around . The highest recorded temperature was in 1952, while the lowest recorded temperature was in 1985. Buford receives rainfall distributed fairly evenly throughout the year as typical of southeastern U.S. cities, with February on average having the highest average precipitation at , and April typically being the driest month with .


Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,144 people, 5,003 households, and 3,607 families residing in the city.


Economy

Buford, as with the rest of Gwinnett County, has a sales tax of 6%, which is a combination of the 4% state sales tax and a 2% local tax. In 2008,
CNN Money CNN Business (formerly CNN Money) is a financial news and information website, operated by CNN. The website was originally formed as a joint venture between CNN.com and Time Warner's '' Fortune'' and '' Money'' magazines. Since the spin-off of ...
ranked Buford as number 3 in its annual "100 best places to live and start a business" list. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Buford's economy was centered on both its location as a railway stop and its leather industry, until demand for leather declined and other transportation options became more readily available over the course of the 1900s, and these industries were no longer a viable part of Buford's economy by the 1980s. According to the U.S. Census's
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
2007–2011 5-year estimate, around 65% of Buford's population that are 16 years or older are in the
labor force In macroeconomics, the workforce or labour force is the sum of people either working (i.e., the employed) or looking for work (i.e., the unemployed): \text = \text + \text Those neither working in the marketplace nor looking for work are out ...
. Of these, around 59% are employed, and 6% are unemployed. The power tool manufacturer
Makita () is a Japanese manufacturer of power tools. Founded on March 21, 1915, it is based in Anjō, Japan and operates factories in Brazil, China, Japan, Mexico, Romania, the United Kingdom, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Indonesia, Mala ...
operates a factory in Buford with 400 employees. The North American division of
Takeuchi Manufacturing is a Japanese heavy construction machinery company that manufactures excavator Excavators are heavy equipment (construction), heavy construction equipment primarily consisting of a backhoe, boom, dipper (or stick), Bucket (machine part), b ...
was located in Buford from 1999 until 2006, when the company moved to a larger facility in
Pendergrass, Georgia Pendergrass is a city in Jackson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1692 at the time of the 2020 census. History The town was chartered by an act of the Georgia Legislature on December 30, 1890. The community was named after J. ...
.


Parks and recreation

Buford has several walking trails throughout the city; over of trails are accessible from both the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center and the Mall of Georgia including a portion of the
Ivy Creek Greenway The Ivy Creek Greenway is a multi-use trail under construction in the cities of Buford, Georgia and Suwanee, Georgia, in the United States. In 2014, a 1.5-mile section of the trail was added and includes two boardwalks, an overlook and a 270-fo ...
, which runs through the city. Buford has walking trails at Bogan and
Buford Dam Buford Dam is a dam in Buford, Georgia which is located at the southern end of Lake Lanier, a reservoir formed by the construction of the dam in 1956. The dam itself is managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The dam is made of e ...
parks. Bogan Park also has several baseball fields and playgrounds as well as the Bogan Park Community Center and Family Aquatics Center. Buford Dam Park is next to
Lake Lanier Lake Lanier (officially Lake Sidney Lanier) is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee ...
and has areas for swimming and other recreational activities. In addition to the parks run by Gwinnett County there are five city parks located throughout Buford, and a community center, which was completed in early 2012. The southern part of Lake Sidney Lanier and the
Lake Lanier Islands Lake Lanier Islands is a resort complex built on a small group of islands on Lake Lanier, the largest lake in Georgia, located 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia. The resort complex was established in 1974 and includes a hotel, water park, g ...
are also located in Buford. The
Mall of Georgia Mall of Georgia is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta. Opened in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, c ...
is the largest mall in Georgia and the 36th largest in the United States, with over 200 stores and a 20 Regal Cinema and IMAX Theaters. While outside the official Buford city limits, the mall uses Buford as its mailing address.


Government

The City of Buford is governed by a three-person
city commission government City commission government is a form of local government in the United States. In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis. These commission ...
headed by a Commission Chairman. Phillip Beard has served as Buford's Commission Chairman since 1975. When the Town of Buford was incorporated in 1872, a city commission consisting of six commissioners was established to govern the town. When a new
city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally, the granting of a charter ...
was enacted in 1896 that renamed the Town of Buford to the City of Buford, the city commission was replaced with a
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and six councilmen. The city council governed the City of Buford until a new charter was approved on December 24, 1937, that re-established the city commission government. The area of Buford inside Gwinnett County is part of
Georgia's 7th congressional district Georgia's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is currently represented by Republican Rich McCormick. The district includes portions of the north Atlanta metropolitan area, including the c ...
while the Hall County portions of Buford belong to
Georgia's 9th congressional district Georgia's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the north of the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is represented by Republican Andrew Clyde, who succeeded fellow Republican Doug Collins. The district is mostly rural a ...
. For the state government, the city is part of the
Georgia State Senate The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral leg ...
's 45th and 49th districts, and the 97th, 98th, and 103rd districts for the
Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...
.


Education

The city of Buford operates the
Buford City School District The Buford City School District is a school district in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. The Georgia Department of Education announced Buford Academy as a 2014 Highest-Performing School. Buford City Schools (BCSS) serves approximately 5 ...
for residents that live within the city limits, while
Gwinnett County Public Schools The Gwinnett County Public Schools is a school district operating in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. GCPS is the largest school system in Georgia, The Buford City School District operates three elementary schools, Buford Academy, Buford Senior Academy, and Buford Elementary, as well as Buford Middle School and Buford High School. The Buford-Sugar Hill Branch of the
Gwinnett County Public Library The Gwinnett County Public Library is located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. The library currently has 15 branches throughout the county and employs an interlibrary loan system for those with a va ...
is located in Buford.


Arts and culture

The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center is a museum and cultural center completed in August 2006 and is located in Buford. The center was created to educate children about both water and environmental resources as well as Gwinnett's cultural heritage, including the county's Cherokee and Creek cultures. The Chesser-Williams House, a historic home which is believed to predate the 1850s and one of the oldest wooden-frame houses in Gwinnett county, was moved to the museum to become part of the museum's cultural exhibits. Buford Community Center is a multi-purpose facility that was completed in 2012. Located across the street from Buford City Hall, the Buford Community Center has a museum, 290-seat stage theatre, an outdoor
amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...
, and several spaces for meetings, banquets, and weddings.


Media

As part of the Metro Atlanta area, Buford's primary network-affiliated television stations are
WXIA-TV WXIA-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL (channel 36). The two stations share studios at One Monroe Place on the north end ...
(NBC),
WANF WANF (channel 46) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is the flagship property of locally based Gray Media and is co-owned with CW affiliate WPCH-TV (channel 17) and low-power, Class A Telemun ...
(CBS),
WSB-TV WSB-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is the flagship television property of locally based Cox Media Group, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to rad ...
(ABC), and
WAGA-TV WAGA-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, serving as the market's Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network outlet. Owned and operated by the network's Fox Television Stations division, the station maintains st ...
(Fox).
WGTV WGTV (channel 8) is a PBS member television station licensed to Athens, Georgia, United States, a legacy of the station's early years as a service of the University of Georgia (UGA). Owned by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission ...
is the local station of the statewide
Georgia Public Television Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) is a state network of PBS member television stations and NPR member radio stations serving the U.S. state of Georgia. It is operated by the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, an agency of the Geo ...
network and is a
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
member station. Buford is served by the ''
Gwinnett Daily Post The ''Gwinnett Daily Post'' is a daily newspaper published in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and serves as the county's legal organ. The newspaper is owned by Times-Journal Inc. and prints Wednesday and Sunday each week. History In 1970 advertisin ...
'', which is the most widely distributed newspaper in Buford as well as Gwinnett county's legal organ. The ''
Atlanta Journal-Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger ...
'' and '' Gainesville Times'' are also distributed in Buford. During the late 1800s, the city of Buford had a number of local newspapers including the Buford ''Gazette'' and the Buford ''Herald'', none of which gained consistent widespread use in the city. The weekly Gwinnett Herald served Buford until 1885. Several movies have been filmed in and around Buford including the 2010 film '' Killers'', ''
Need for Speed ''Need for Speed'' (''NFS'') is a racing game franchise published by Electronic Arts and currently developed by Criterion Games (the developers of the ''Burnout'' series). Most entries in the series are generally arcade racing games centered ...
'', '' Blended'', ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka. The story was origina ...
'' and '' A Simple Twist of Fate''.


Infrastructure


Transportation

Two major
interstate highways The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...
pass through Buford:
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, ...
and
Interstate 985 Interstate 985 (I-985) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in Northeast Georgia. It links the Atlanta metropolitan area to the city of Gainesville, Georgia, Gainesville via Suwanee, Georgia, Suwanee. I-985 is also known as the Sidney Lanie ...
both travel through the city in a general northeast–southwest direction. Buford is Exit 115 on I-85 and Exit 4 on I-985.
Georgia State Route 20 State Route 20 (SR 20) is a state highway roughly in the shape of a capital J rotated ninety degrees to the left, which travels through portions of Floyd, Bartow, Cherokee, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Walton, Rockdale, Newton, and H ...
travels through Buford in a general northwest–southeast direction. U.S. Route 23 travels northeast into Buford before first merging with State Route 20 towards the southeast and then with I-985 towards the northeast. The Gwinnett County Transit provides public transportation in Buford and Gwinnett County, and GRTA Xpress operates a
Park and Ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail transport, r ...
in Buford that commutes to Atlanta. As late as 1971 the Southern Railway's ''
Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...
'' made a southbound stop in Buford on a Washington-Atlanta running passenger run. Until 1967 or 1968 the Southern Railway was running an unnamed northbound successor train to its ''Peach Queen'' that made a flag stop in Buford. The nearest airport is the Gwinnett County Airport in the city of Lawrenceville, a small public airport with a single
asphalt Asphalt most often refers to: * Bitumen, also known as "liquid asphalt cement" or simply "asphalt", a viscous form of petroleum mainly used as a binder in asphalt concrete * Asphalt concrete, a mixture of bitumen with coarse and fine aggregates, u ...
runway from Buford. The closest major airports are
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the primary international airport serving Atlanta and its Metro Atlanta, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is located south of the Down ...
, which is from Buford and Athens Ben Epps Airport, which is .


Health care

Buford has several clinics and family doctors, including an
Emory Healthcare Emory Healthcare is an American health care system in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is part of Emory University and is the largest healthcare system in the state. It comprises 11 hospitals, the Emory Clinic and more than 250 provider locations ...
clinic and a
Northside Hospital The Northside Hospital System is a hospital network in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Georgia, United States. Its specialties include oncology, gynecology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, and gastroenterology Gastroenterology (from the Gre ...
imaging center, but no major hospitals inside the city limits. The closest hospital is Northside Hospital-Forsyth, which is away in Cumming. Gwinnett Medical Center and Emory Johns Creek Hospital are both from Buford, in Lawrenceville and Johns Creek respectively. Northeast Georgia Health System has a hospital in Gainesville and
Braselton Braselton ( ) is a town in Jackson, Barrow, Gwinnett, and Hall counties in the U.S. state of Georgia, approximately northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 13,403, and in 2023 the estimated population was 15,5 ...
.


Notable people

Buford is home to several Atlanta Falcons players, including
defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that typically lines up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the Guard (American football), offensive guards; however, he may also line up opposite one of the offensive Tackle (gridir ...
Corey Peters and
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
Chris Owens. Former Falcons players Jeff Merrow, who played for the Falcons from 1975 to 1983, also lives in Buford, and Scott Case, a former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
from 1984 to 1995 for the Falcons and Dallas Cowboys, also lives in Buford. Other athletes who live in Buford include retired hockey player Randy Manery, professional
drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, mos ...
driver Kurt Johnson, and professional baseball pitcher
Jon Huber Jonathon Lloyd "Jon" Huber (born July 7, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Huber played two seasons in Major League Baseball, both with the Seattle Mariners, in 2006 and 2007. Over his major league career, Huber compiled ...
. Professional baseball player Jerry McQuaig died in 2001. Roy Carlyle, who was a
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
between 1925 and 1926 for the Washington Senators (1925), Boston Red Sox (1925–26), and New York Yankees (1926), was born in Buford. Soccer player Luke Biasi was also born here. Several professional athletes have graduated from Buford High School, including
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
P. K. Sam and his younger brother
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Lorne Sam, as well as professional WNBA player
Christi Thomas Christi Michelle Thomas (born August 14, 1982) played professional basketball in the WNBA. She attended the University of Georgia where she played under coach Andy Landers. She has been a professional player since 2004. Christi also played baske ...
.
Brownie Wise Brownie Wise (; May 25, 1913 – September 24, 1992) was a pioneering American saleswoman largely responsible for the success of the home products company Tupperware, through her development of the "party plan" system of marketing. She initiall ...
, saleswoman largely responsible for the success of
Tupperware Tupperware is an American company that manufactures and internationally distributes preparation, storage, and serving containers for the kitchen and home. It was founded in 1942 by Earl Tupper, who developed his first bell-shaped container and ...
, was born in Buford, as was semi-retired
professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...
and trainer Steve Lawler. Several musicians live in Buford, including
Widespread Panic Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell (musician), John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJ ...
guitarist
Jimmy Herring Jimmy Herring (born January 22, 1962) is an American guitarist, known as the lead guitarist for the band Widespread Panic since 2006. He is a founding member of Aquarium Rescue Unit and Jazz Is Dead and has played with The Allman Brothers Ban ...
and De'Angelo Holmes of the hip-hop duo
Ying Yang Twins The Ying Yang Twins are an American hip hop duo consisting of Kaine (born Eric Jackson on December 16, 1978) and D-Roc (born Deongelo Holmes on February 23, 1979). Despite the name, the duo are not twins, brothers or related in any way. They d ...
. Grammy Award-winning songwriter
Joe South Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Song of the Year, ...
lived in Buford before his death on September 5, 2012.


References


External links


City of Buford official website

Historical images of Buford from the Digital Library of Georgia

Buford Business Alliance

Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Gwinnett County, Georgia Cities in Hall County, Georgia