Tucker is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in

DeKalb County, Georgia DeKalb County (, , ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its ...

, United States, located near

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 ...

and was originally settled in the 1820s, and later developed as a railroad community in 1892. According to the 2016 United States Census Bureau annual estimate of resident population, it has a population of 35,322. In a November 2015

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

, by a 3:1 margin (73.94%), voters approved incorporating Tucker into a city. In March 2016, Tucker residents elected the city's first

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

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

.City status officially started in around late August 2016 http://tuckerga.gov/

History

Settlers

The 1821 Georgia Land Lottery opened portions of state land for settlement between the

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

and Ocmulgee rivers, including present-day DeKalb County. 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 ...

ceded the land to the United States in January of that year, and drawings for lots measuring each began in May in Milledgeville, the state capital until 1868. The land grant fee was $19.00. In 1821, the area that would become Tucker was in Militia District 572 in Henry County. The state created DeKalb County on December 9, 1822, and District 572 became DeKalb's 18th District, or the Brownings District, reportedly named for Andrew Browning. Among the thirty

cemeteries A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...

within a radius of Main Street, approximately 30

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

s belong to individuals born in the 18th century, four of whom are Revolutionary War soldiers. Twelve graves belong to

Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

American Civil War

In spite of DeKalb County delegates voting against secession from the United States, Georgia joined the Confederacy and seceded from the Union in 1861. The full reality of that decision marched into Tucker in July 1864. Union soldiers camped at Henderson's Mill, used the Brownings Courthouse, one of the few buildings in the area they did not burn, dismantled the railroad to

Stone Mountain Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome Inselberg, monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state of Ge ...

, and formed the left wing of Sherman's advance to Atlanta.

Railroad

In 1886 the Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway received a charter to build a new rail line between

Monroe, North Carolina Monroe is a city in and the county seat of Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population increased from 32,797 in 2010 United States census, 2010 to 34,551 in 2020 United States census, 2020. It is within the rapidly growing Charlot ...

, and Atlanta. Prior to the project's completion, the company leased the road to the

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 ...

system, a collection of regional railroads headquartered in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

eager to extend its reach to Atlanta. Seaboard built depots at a number of small villages, often little more than a crossroads, and named them for railroad company officials. The depot at Jug Tavern, for example, was named for Seaboard's general manager, John H. Winder. The stop at Bryan was named in honor of the system's general superintendent, Lilburn Meyers. Although the origin of the name is unknown, it is possible that the next stop, in the Brownings District, may have been named for Rufus S. Tucker, a director and major shareholder in several Seaboard system railroads. At the DeKalb County Centennial Celebration in 1922, Charles Murphey Candler stated that Tucker a “prosperous and promising village on the Seaboard Air Line Railway... was named in honor of Capt. Tucker, an official of the Seaboard Air Railway.” Some residents attribute the name to a local family with the surname Tucker. The first train steamed into the new Tucker station on Sunday, April 24, 1892. Originating in Elberton with a final destination of the Atlanta suburb of Inman Park — a four-hour trip — the Seaboard train consisted of two cars carrying 150 passengers and a baggage car. Two months later the

US Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal serv ...

appointed Alpheus G. Chewning first Postmaster of the Tucker Post office.

Rural Free Delivery Rural Free Delivery (RFD), since 1906 officially rural delivery, is a program of the United States Post Office Department to deliver mail directly to rural destinations. The program began in the late 19th century. Before that, people living in ru ...

began on March 2, 1903. On Saturday, July 1, 1967, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Line to form Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. In 1983 The line became Seaboard System and merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio, Baltimore & Ohio and the Western Maryland in 1986

Chessie System Chessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), the Western Maryland Railway (WM), and Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad (B&OCT). Trains operated u ...

to form current railroad operator, CSXT. Although no longer a train stop for passengers, the Tucker depot is currently a CSX field office for track repair and signal maintenance. Tucker, at above sea level, is the highest point of elevation on the railroad line between Atlanta and

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

20th century

Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Tucker began a steady transition from an agricultural community to a mixed industrial, retail, and residential area. The strength of a county-wide

water system A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following: # A drainage basin (see water purification – sourc ...

extending into Tucker by the 1950s, and the post war establishment of nearby employers in other areas of the county including the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...

in 1946 (originally known as the Communicable Disease Center),

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

in Doraville,

Kraft Foods Kraft Foods Group, Inc. was an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate (company), conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. on October 1, 2012, and was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz on July ...

and a large Veterans' Hospital in Decatur, and the growth of

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

, brought new residents to Tucker from across the nation. Descendants of early settlers subdivided and sold family land for neighborhoods and shopping plazas. Local community leaders opened Tucker Federal Savings and Loan, created a youth football league, and by the 1960s newspapers identified Tucker as “DeKalb’s Area of Golden Opportunity.” The

post–World War II baby boom The middle of the 20th century was marked by a significant and persistent increase in fertility rates in many countries, especially in the Western world. The term '' baby boom'' is often used to refer to this particular boom, generally considered ...

drove the growth of DeKalb County schools and with the affordability of the car, the expansion of the

highway system A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...

, and inexpensive fuel, Tucker became an ideal location to call home.

21st century

A Honduran immigrant, who had permission to live and work in the United States while his asylum application proceeded, was arrested in Tucker by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during Sunday church services. The man was reported to have been worshiping in the church at a church he helped found with his wife and children when he was summoned outside by the agents. The arrest was the first reported ICE raid at a church during the second term of President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

Geography

Tucker is located in northeastern DeKalb County at (33.851736, -84.221524), approximately northeast of downtown Atlanta. 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 CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.83%, is water. 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 ...

cuts through Tucker, along Chamblee-Tucker Road to LaVista Road and continuing south towards Mountain Industrial Boulevard. Water falling to the west of this line flows towards 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 ...

and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

. Water falling to the east of this line flows towards the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

through the

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha. Tucker is in the state'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 ...

geologic region, composed of

igneous Igneous rock ( ), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rocks are formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava. The magma can be derived from partial ...

and

metamorphic Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causi ...

rocks resulting from 300 to 600 million year old sediments that were subjected to high temperatures and pressures and re-exposed roughly 250 to 300 million years ago. Rocks typical of the region include

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...

amphibolite Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose ...

gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...

migmatite Migmatite is a composite rock (geology), rock found in medium and high-grade metamorphic environments, commonly within Precambrian craton, cratonic blocks. It consists of two or more constituents often layered repetitively: one layer is an old ...

, and

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

. Over a dozen creeks originate in Tucker including Burnt Fork Creek, South Fork Peachtree Creek, Camp Creek, and Henderson Mill Creek. Prior to the widespread accessibility of electricity and indoor plumbing, several were used as

mill pond A mill pond (or millpond) is a body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill. Description Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam or weir (and mill stream) across a waterway. In many places, the co ...

s or dammed for

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

. From 1906 until its demise in the 1940s, Burnt Fort Creek was the primary tributary for the Decatur Waterworks.

Climate

Tucker's climate, typical of 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 ...

, features mild winters and hot summers. In spite of moderate conditions compared to communities in many other states, Tucker has occasional extreme weather. The record high is , recorded on July 8, 1927, and the record low, January 21, 1985, .

Demographics

Tucker first appeared as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the

1980 U.S. census The 1980 United States census, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4% over the 203,184,772 persons Enumeration, enumerated dur ...

and after incorporation was listed as a city in the 2020 U.S. census. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 37,005 people, 14,479 households, and 8,753 families residing in the city.

Culture and contemporary life

Tucker primarily consists of 1960s and 1970s-era

ranch A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...

and split-level homes, and 1970s and 1980s-era multi-story homes. The latter two often feature daylight basements. Various neighborhoods are typically groups by geographic association with elementary schools and other centers of community life such as parks.

Community organizations

The desire for community involvement continues to foster growth in various Tucker groups and associations. Some of the more significant include; the Tucker Business Association, Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District, Tucker Civic Association, Tucker Historical Society, Main Street Theatre, Friends of Henderson Park, Friends of Johns Homestead, Friends of Kelley C. Cofer Park, Main Street Tucker Alliance, Friends of the Tucker Nature Preserve, Old Town Tucker Merchants Association, Tucker Parent Council, and Smoke Rise Community Association. With the exception of sports organizations, involving residents in multiple counties, most of these groups are predominantly led by and serve residents within the Tucker area. Tucker includes multiple

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

, and

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

churches;

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

, and over a dozen non-denomination Christian churches, some holding services in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Several churches including Rehoboth Baptist, established in 1854, and First Baptist of Tucker, established in 1893, maintain large youth athletic programs. In the 1970s,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

built a regional welfare and emergency response center in Royal Atlanta Business Park.

Outdoor events

Outdoor events held on Main Street are a central part of the community for numerous residents and organizations. The Tucker Day celebration, first held in the 1950s, is an annual event typically including a parade, that runs the length of Main Street with food vendors, artist, musicians, and merchants. Other annual events on Main Street include the Taste of Tucker and Tucker Chili Cook-Off. The street is also closed for the Tucker Cruise-In held monthly between April and September. The Farmers Market on Main Street has recently moved from its position in Downtown Tucker, to a venue just outside Downtown at a church on LaVista Rd. The Tucker Civic Association, Friends of Henderson Park, Friends of the Tucker Nature Preserve, Friends of Kelley C. Cofer Park, and neighborhood groups regularly organize park and roadside cleanup efforts. The Tucker Historical Society hosts the annual Brownings Courthouse Day and the annual Garden Tour. The Tucker High School varsity

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team, the Tucker Tigers, is a large seasonal draw for former and current Tucker alumni and residents. Like most high schools in DeKalb County, Tucker does not have a local football stadium, thus home games are technically away games.

Amateur sports

Tucker Football League (TFL) and Triumph Youth Soccer Association (TYSA), formerly the Tucker Youth Soccer Association, are the two largest independent youth sports organizations in the community. TYSA is the largest in DeKalb County, and the fourth largest youth soccer association in Georgia. The TFL holds games and practices at the privately owned Fitzgerald Field. TYSA uses county fields at Henderson Park and the privately owned Granite – Patillo Field. Adult sports include

road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on Road surface, paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The ...

. The weekly Tucker Ride and Baby Tucker. According to ''Southeastern Cycling'', "This is where the big boys and racers show up to play." The Tucker ride maintains speeds over per hour. The Baby Tucker is slightly less strenuous at per hour.

Economy

According to data from 2007, the Tucker CDP had 3,709 businesses, and the ethnic composition of the owners was as follows: *

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

or African -owned: 18.3% * Asian-owned: 10.3% * Indian and Alaska Native-owned: (Not available) * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned: (Fewer than 25 firms) * White (Non-Hispanic): 71.3% More demographic figures: *

Hispanics The term Hispanic () are people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an ethnic or meta-ethnic term. The term commonly appli ...

(of any race) were 4.7% of the owners * Women were 28.8% of the owners Tucker serves as corporate headquarters for several nationally recognized companies including;

Oglethorpe Power Oglethorpe Power Corporation is an American medium-sized electric utility in Georgia, United States. Formed in 1974, Oglethorpe is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by the 38 electric membership corporations that it serves. The utility's headqua ...

, YP Holdings (Publisher of ‘’The Real Yellow Pages’’), Primo Grills and Smokers, and Inland Seafood. Tucker is also home of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association the Emory University Orthopaedics and Spine Hospital, the Montreal Industrial district, a portion of the Northlake retail area, and Royal Atlanta Business Park.

Community Improvement Districts

In February 2013, DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved the formation of the Tucker Community Improvement District (CID). In August 2014 the Tucker CID changed its name to Tucker-Northlake CID to reflect expansion into the Northlake business district. Tucker is also home to the Stone Mountain CID along Mountain Industrial Boulevard. Commercial property owners in both districts vote on a self-imposed millage rate increase and use the funds for community improvements. The tax and millage rate increase applies to commercial property only and not residential. Under Georgia law CID funds may be used for street and road construction and maintenance, parks and recreation area, public transportation, and other services. CID investments are often leveraged through state and local grants increasing return on investment.

Government

Tucker is in Georgia's 4th and 6th Congressional Districts;

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 ...

Districts 40 and 41; and

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 ...

House Districts 81, 86, 87, and 88. Tucker is in DeKalb County Commission Districts 1 and 4 and Super Commission District 7. In a November 2015 referendum, 74% of voters approved incorporating Tucker into a city. In March 2016, residents elected Frank Auman the city's first mayor, and Honey VanDeKreke, Matt Robbins, Michelle Penkava, William Rosenfield, Noelle Monferdini, and Anne Lerner its inaugural city council. The city seal that was adopted was designed by Jay Hicks

Education

In the Tucker CDP, 91.4% of adults have graduated high school, 7% higher than the state average, and 46.8% of adults age 25 or older have a bachelor's degree or higher, 19% higher than the state average.

Primary and secondary education

All public schools in Tucker operate under the jurisdiction

DeKalb County School District The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, near Stone Mountain and in the Atlanta metropolitan area. DCSD operates ...

. Tucker is served by portions of three DeKalb County high school clusters, including eight schools located in the city and seven schools located south and west of the city.

Elementary schools

* Briarlake Elementary School * Brockett Elementary School * Henderson Mill Elementary School * Idlewood Elementary School * Livsey Elementary School * Midvale Elementary School * Smoke Rise Charter Elementary School * Stone Mill Elementary School * Stone Mountain Elementary School

Middle school

* Henderson Middle School * Stone Mountain Middle School * Tucker Middle School

High school

* Lakeside High School * Stone Mountain High School * Tucker High School

Infrastructure

Tucker owes the origins of its infrastructure in large measure to the efforts of former DeKalb County Commissioner, Scott Candler Sr. In the 1940s and 50s Candler brought resources typically reserved for cities to rural communities. Road improvements, public safety, water, and library resources were pushed to the far ends of the County under his administration. Tucker residents continued the tradition of expansion by maintaining and improving these resources throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Local businesses like Cofer Brothers, a lumber and supply company, thrived under the mid-century housing boom. DeKalb County continues to acquire green space in Tucker, invest in road improvement projects, and work with local committees and organizations to improve the area.

Livable Centers Initiative

In 2000, the Tucker Civic Association adopted a Neighborhood Strategic Plan created to assist in identifying goals and policies from the 1996 DeKalb County Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and to make recommendations for strategic planning and development of the Tucker neighborhood identity. In 2005, the

Atlanta Regional Commission The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the metro Atlanta, Georgia, United States, spanning the 11-county area of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth ...

issued Tucker a grant for the development of a Livable Cities Initiative (LCI). The LCI study focused to reestablishing Main Street as a central point for the greater Tucker community, create a more pedestrian-friendly and interconnected town center by encouraging walking and other modes of transportation to and around the commercial core.

Police, fire and rescue

In 2006 the

DeKalb County Police Department The DeKalb County Police Department (DKPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, as well as the incorporated cities of Tucker and Stonecrest. The department serves a population of more than 730,000 p ...

headquarters relocated to Tucker off Northlake Parkway. The Tucker Precinct is located next to the Cofer Crossing Shopping Center. Tucker is also home to DeKalb County Fire and Rescue Department's Station 5 on Lawrenceville Hwy, and Station 22 on Montreal Road. The portion of Tucker in Gwinnett County is serviced by Gwinnett Police Department, North and South Precincts, and by Gwinnett County Fire Department Station 2 on Harmony Grove Road.

Parks and recreation

The Tucker zip code is home to over of DeKalb County parks and recreation areas including lakes, creeks, trails, tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, a swimming pool, and playgrounds. * Henderson Park * Johns' Homestead (Undeveloped) * Kelley C. Cofer Park * Montreal Park * Peters Park * Smoke Rise Park * Tucker Nature Preserve * Tucker Recreational Center (Formerly Tucker Elementary School) * Rosenfeld Park

Public libraries

The DeKalb County Public Library operates two branches in Tucker. The Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library, and the Northlake-Barbara Loar Library. The Tucker-Reid H. Cofer area branch open on Church Street in 1965. In 2010, the library moved to a facility at the intersection of LaVista Road and Lawrenceville Highway. The new facility received

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...

Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In 1991, the county built a second library on LaVista Road in Tucker, the Northlake Barbara-Loar community branch, approximately west of the Tucker-Reid H. Cofer branch. In 2009, the library expanded from .

Transportation

Rapid-transit

MARTA Marta may refer to: People * Marta (given name), a feminine given name * Märta, a feminine given name * Marta (surname) * Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer Places * Marta (river), an Italian river that flow ...

, the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, has nine daily bus routes traversing Tucker connected commuters to four heavy rail stations south and west of the city.

Interstate highways

Interstate 285 * I-85

Interstate 85

U.S. highways

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 ...

U.S. Route 78

State routes

State Route 8 * Georgia 236

State Route 236 * Georgia 407

State Route 407 * Georgia 410

State Route 410

Pedestrians and cycling

* Stone Mountain Trail * Tucker Path

Notable people

* Kyle Sieg,

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

driver * Ryan Sieg,

driver * Shane Sieg, former NASCAR driver * Asher Allen, former NFL player * Patrick Pass, former NFL player * A. J. Bouye, cornerback for the Denver Broncos * Steve Walsh, keyboardist and vocalist for American rock band

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, lives in Tucker. * Seantavius Jones, a professional football player * Andy Stanley, founder and preacher of North Point Community Church and satellite churches * Stephen Hill, former NFL player * Brendan O'Brien, record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.

References

External links

City of Tucker

Tucker Historical Society

Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District (CID)

Stone Mountain Community Improvement District (CID)

Old Town Tucker Merchants Association

Main Street Theatre Tucker

Tucker Business Association

Tucker Civic Association

Tucker Cruise-In

Tucker Day

Friends of Henderson Park
{{authority control Cities in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in DeKalb County, Georgia Former census-designated places in Georgia (U.S. state) Cities in the Atlanta metropolitan area Populated places established in 2015