Dacula ( ) 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, being located about northeast of Atlanta city limits. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the ...

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 ...

, United States, located approximately northeast of

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 ...

. The population as of the 2010 census was 4,442, and the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 6,255 as of 2018. In 2023 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population was 8,151. The Dacula area is home to some of the oldest buildings in northeast Georgia, such as the Elisha Winn House, which originally acted as the courthouse for Gwinnett County.

History

Muscogee (Creek) Nation

The Dacula area was originally within the

Muscogee (Creek) Nation The Muscogee Nation, or Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is a federally recognized Native American tribe based in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The nation descends from the historic Muscogee Confederacy, a large group of indigenous peoples of the South ...

. Most of the land within the city's limits was ceded to the State of Georgia in the 1790 Treaty of New York after the

Oconee War The Oconee War was a military conflict in the 1780s and 1790s between European Colonists and the Muscogee known as the Oconee, who lived in an area between the Apalachee and North Oconee rivers in the state of Georgia. The struggle arose from ten ...

s. The vicinity of Dacula was one of the first areas in northeast Georgia to be occupied by white European settlers (around the time of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

). The area remained mostly uncolonized until the late 20th century, in part, due to the remaining presence of the Cherokee Nation in portions of Gwinnett County. After settlers lobbied for the ethnic cleansing of the Nation, the

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their black slaves within that were ethnically cleansed by the U ...

(through the Indian Removal Act) made it easier for Dacula and the unannexed portions of Gwinnett to be settled.

Chinquapin Grove

Dacula itself began in the late 1800s under the name of Chinquapin Grove (Chinquapin was spelled several different ways), where Dacula Elementary now stands. Chinquapin comes from the indigenous Powhatan word for dwarf chestnut tree (Allegheny Chinkapin). The tree is no longer found in the area due to chestnut blight. An 1865 United States Coast Survey Map shows the town of Chinquepin Grove. An 1883 George Cram Map of Georgia shows the town of Chincapin Grove. The town was renamed named "Hoke", in 1891 after a

Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...

executive, but that name was changed due to the Post Office Department's protest. By 1895, maps of Georgia no longer showed the town of Chinquapin Grove and instead show the town of Dacula.

1900s

Dacula's name is said to be formed from letters in Decatur and

by a postmaster. The two cities to the west that were already prospering at the time of Dacula's founding. The New-Herald issue dated June 16, 1899 stated that Dacula would soon decide whether or not it wished to be incorporated; however, the town was not incorporated until 1905, because residents feared that incorporation would destroy business and industry. Religion has and continues to be a driving force in Dacula. One of the first churches built in the town was a Methodist church, founded by Rev. R. P. Jackson. A News-Herald issue dated January 25, 1912 describes the brick building was no larger than 40x60 ft. The town was once home to a train station on a

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...

line through northeast Georgia, although the station closed in the mid-1950s.

Present day

In 2022, Gwinnett County broke ground on the Rowen Project, which seeks to bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, and other innovators, alongside more than 50 research and educational institutions across Georgia to expand the state's research triangle. The Rowen Project borders the City, totaling more than 2,000 acres, which to the Barrow County line. Since the project's approval, the Dacula area has seen an increase in both suburban residential and strip mall commercial changes, including the Harbins 316 development, which massively expanded food and amenity access to a portion of Gwinnett County that previously had to drive 30–40 minutes to a grocery store. As the town becomes home to an increasing number of national chains, residents are increasingly proud of their local gathering places and traditions. The town unveiled a new playground and workout area in Maple Creek Park in 2024, and continues its renowned Memorial Day Parade.

Geography

Dacula is located in eastern Gwinnett County, with U.S. Route 29 Business/

Georgia State Route 8 State Route 8 (SR 8) is a state highway that travels west-to-east through portions of Haralson, Carroll, Douglas, Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Barrow, Clarke, Oconee, Madison, Franklin, and Hart counties, bisecting t ...

(Winder Highway) the main road through the center of town. Business 29/SR 8 leads west to Lawrenceville, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

, and east to Winder.

U.S. Route 29 U.S. Route 29 or U.S. Highway 29 (US 29) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs for from Pensacola, Florida, to Ellicott City, Maryland, just west of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, in the Eastern United Stat ...

(University Parkway) is a four-lane highway that bypasses Dacula to the south, with access from Harbins Road. University Parkway leads east to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

and west to

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, ...

, which leads an additional southwest to

. The Little Mulberry Indian Mounds or the Parks-Strickland Archeological Complex are a series of carefully stacked rock piles located in Little Mulberry Park. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, Dacula has a total area of , of which , or 0.59%, is water. The Dacula 30019 ZIP code goes well beyond the city limits, resulting in mail delivery as far north as the unincorporated community of Hamilton Mill, south of

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,882 people, 1,902 households, and 1,529 families residing in the city.

Government

Local government

Previous Mayors: * 1972 - 1980: Jimmy Wilbanks * 1981 - 1985: Larry Fleeman * 1986 - 1990: Travis D. Murray * 1991 - 1993: Joe Houston * 1994 - 1997: Michael Moon * 1998 - 2001: Reed Miller * 2002 - 2018: Jimmy Wilbanks * 2018 - Present: Trey King The current mayor and council members are: * Mayor: Trey King * Council Members: Ann Mitchell, Denis Haynes, Jason Shelton, and Sean Williams.

Education

The county operates

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,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 ...

operates the Dacula and Hamilton Mill Branch in the nearby

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

of Hamilton Mill.

Media

The town of Dacula is served by two newspapers: the ''Gwinnett Daily Post'' (based in nearby Lawrenceville) and the ''Hamilton Mill Neighborhood News''.

Parks

The following parks are located in the town of Dacula: * Dacula Park * Duncan Creek Park * Freeman's Mill Park * Harbins Park * Little Mulberry Park * Maple Creek Park * Olde Mill Park * Rabbit Hill Park

Notable people

* Andrew Booth Jr. - current cornerback for the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

Vanessa Briscoe Hay Vanessa Briscoe Hay (born October 18, 1955) is an American singer for the Athens, Georgia bands Pylon, Supercluster and Pylon Reenactment Society. Biography Born to a textile worker and a housewife in Atlanta, Georgia, Hay attended elementary ...

- singer *

McClain Hermes McClain Hermes or often known as Laurrie Hermes (born 5 January 2001) is an American Paralympic swimmer and paratriathlete who competes in international elite competitions. Career She is a World and Parapan American Games champion in freestyle ...

- Paralympic swimmer * David Irons - former cornerback for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...

Kenny Irons Kenny Irons (born September 15, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. He playe ...

- former running back for the

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

Corey Levin Corey Michael Levin (born August 12, 1994) is an American professional football guard for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL draft. Levin played ...

- football player *

Levi Lowrey Levi Lowrey is a singer-songwriter from Dacula, Georgia. He has performed extensively as a solo artist, headliner, and as the supporting act for well known names including Clay Cook, and Zac Brown Band. He is a great-grandson of Gid Tanner. Lo ...

- singer-songwriter * Brittany Rogers (softball) - softball player *

Donna Sheldon Donna Sheldon is an American politician from the state of Georgia. Sheldon is a former Republican member of Georgia House of Representatives for District 104. Education In 1984, Sheldon earned a degree in Science from Gainesville College. ...

- Politician. Founder and former director of Dacula Classical Academy. Member of

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 ...

for District 71, 104 and 105. * Roba Stanley - Country singer. *

Gid Tanner James Gideon Tanner (June 6, 1885 – May 13, 1960) was an American musician and old-time fiddler, regarding as one of the earliest stars and pioneers of country music. His band, the Skillet Lickers, was one of the most innovative and influential ...

- Country singer. *

Jason Wisdom Jason Wisdom is an American musician who is the lead vocalist and bass guitarist for the heavy metal band Becoming the Archetype. Though he was born and raised in a Christian home, he states that he was never committed to Christianity until hi ...

- heavy metal vocalist and guitarist * Will Hinton - Olympic Trap Shooter

References

External links

City of Dacula official website
at City-data.com {{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in Gwinnett County, Georgia