Grayson 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. The 2020 estimated population of Grayson, GA is 4740 people. The population was 2,666 at the 2010 census,
up from 765 in 2000.
History
The city of Grayson was first called Trip. In 1901, John Ellery Jacobs, the postmaster and civic leader, wrote to the post office department requesting that Trip, Georgia be changed to Berkley, Georgia. On December 6, 1901, the General Assembly of Georgia approved an act to incorporate the town and change the name. Shortly after, Ellery Jacobs was notified that there was already a Berkley, Georgia. He then suggested Graymount (because there was a clear view of Stone Mountain), but it was also taken. He then suggested the name of Grayson, Georgia.
Geography
Grayson is located southeast of the center of Gwinnett County at (33.893306, -83.955420).
Georgia State Route 20 is the main highway through town, leading north into
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 southeast five miles to
Loganville.
Georgia State Route 84 (Grayson Parkway) leads southwest five miles to
Snellville. 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 ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.30%, is water.
Climate
Grayson has a
Humid Subtropical Climate
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 ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
Cfa"). Grayson falls under the
USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...
7b Plant
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
.
Grayson suffered a damaging tornado on June 27, 1994, killing a 10-year-old girl. The city has been benefitting from exurban growth in eastern Gwinnett County, especially in the late 1990s and through the 2000s.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 4,730 people, 1,245 households, and 1,049 families residing in the city.
Government
Local government
The city government of Grayson consists of 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 four
council members.
The current mayor and council members are:
* Mayor: Allison Wilkerson
* Council members: Bob Foreman, Gene Ussery, James Gillespie, and Linda Jenkins.
Arts and culture
Modeled after Snellville Days in nearby
Snellville, Grayson Day Festival, held annually on a Saturday at the end of April, features a parade down Main Street, food vendors, crafts, and live music. The city and local businesses sponsor the event, which takes place mostly in the centrally located Grayson City Park. The football team, marching band, and cheerleaders from Grayson High School, as well as other local organizations, politicians, and groups make the parade a favorite tradition among residents.
Education
The county operates under
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 ...]
, with GCPS operating numerous schools within the Grayson cluster, which are
*
Grayson High School
** Bay Creek Middle School
*** Grayson Elementary School
*** Trip Elementary School
** Couch Middle School
*** Pharr Elementary School
*** Starling Elementary School
Notable people
*
Joyce Chandler - Educator and politician. 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 ...
. Resident of Grayson.
*
Austin Meadows - Baseball player. Grew up in Grayson.
*
Nikki Merritt - Politician. Member 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 ...
.Resident of Grayson.
*
Chuck Robbins
Charles H. Robbins (born 1965 or 1966) is an American businessman. He is the chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems.
Early life
Robbins was born in Grayson, Georgia, and educated at Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. In 1987, he ...
- chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (using the trademark Cisco) is an American multinational corporation, multinational digital communications technology conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, m ...
. Born in Grayson.
*
Robert Nkemdiche - NFL Football player. Grew up and started his career in Grayson, at
Grayson High School in 2015.
In popular culture
* Grayson was featured in ''Outbreak'', authored by
Robin Cook
Robert Finlayson "Robin" Cook (28 February 19466 August 2005) was a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1974 until his death in 2005 and served in the Cabinet as Foreign Secretary from 1997 until ...
, which was published in 1987.
References
External links
City of Grayson official website
{{authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Gwinnett County, Georgia
Cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1879