Dawsonville is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County,[4] Georgia, United States. The population was 3,720 in 2020. Dawsonville is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area.

Dawsonville, Georgia
Historic Dawson County Courthouse
Historic Dawson County Courthouse
Flag of Dawsonville, Georgia
Official seal of Dawsonville, Georgia
Motto(s): 
"Protecting our history and providing for the future"
Location in Dawson County and the state of Georgia
Location in Dawson County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 34°25′N 84°7′W / 34.417°N 84.117°W / 34.417; -84.117
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyDawson
Government
 • TypeMayor-council government
 • MayorJohn Walden
Area
 • Total8.61 sq mi (22.31 km2)
 • Land8.59 sq mi (22.25 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation
1,365 ft (416 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,720
 • Density433.01/sq mi (167.19/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
30534
Area code706
FIPS code13-21940[2]
GNIS feature ID0331529[3]
Websitewww.dawsonville-ga.gov

The city head is Mayor John Walden, who was sworn in on December 18, 2023.[5]

History

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Senator William Crosby Dawson

Dawsonville was founded in 1857 as seat of the newly formed Dawson County. It was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1952.[6] The community and the county are named for U.S. Senator William Crosby Dawson.[7]

Geography

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Dawsonville is located at 34°25′N 84°7′W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.2 square miles (21.3 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2), or 0.26%, is water.[8]

The community is at the junction of State Routes 9, 53, and 136. SR 9 leads northeast 14 miles (23 km) to Dahlonega and south 17 miles (27 km) to Cumming, while SR 53 leads southeast 6 miles (10 km) to U.S. Route 19 and west 24 miles (39 km) to Jasper. SR 136 also leads to Jasper, on a 29-mile (47 km) route that runs further to the north through the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Amicalola Falls, 15 miles (24 km) north of the center of Dawsonville, is one of the seven natural wonders of Georgia.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1880199
1900217
1910179−17.5%
192019810.6%
19302032.5%
194031957.1%
1950318−0.3%
1960307−3.5%
1970288−6.2%
198034218.8%
199046736.5%
200061932.5%
20102,536309.7%
20203,72046.7%
2023 (est.)4,627[9]24.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
Dawsonville racial composition as of 2020[11]
Race Num. Perc.
White (non-Hispanic) 3,236 86.99%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 29 0.78%
Native American 15 0.4%
Asian 20 0.54%
Pacific Islander 5 0.13%
Other/mixed 167 4.49%
Hispanic or Latino 248 6.67%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 3,720 people, 998 households, and 667 families residing in the city.

Recreation

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Auto racing

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Dawsonville Pool Room

The city's community is known in auto racing circles for its long tradition of involvement in the sport; many racing skills originally developed as a consequence of moonshine activity in the area. Dawsonville celebrates this legacy each October with the annual "Mountain Moonshine Festival".[12]

Dawsonville is the home of retired NASCAR driver Bill Elliott, who won the Winston Cup championship in 1988 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, and his son Chase Elliott, who won the 2020 NASCAR Cup Championship and who currently races in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bill Elliott's nickname is "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville".[13] The former city hall has a racing theme as well, and serves as the location of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame. Following a significant racing accomplishment made by Bill or Chase Elliott, such as a win, the siren on the Dawsonville Pool Room near the city square goes off to let the town know.

Education

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Dawson County School District

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Dawson County High School

The Dawson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school.[14] The district has 219 full-time teachers and 3,036 students.[15]

  • Black's Mill Elementary School
  • Kilough Elementary School
  • Robinson Elementary School
  • Riverview Elementary School
  • Dawson County Middle School
  • Dawson County Junior High School
  • Dawson County High School

The Dawson County School System is a charter system.

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "John Walden sworn in as Dawsonville's new mayor". www.dawsonnews.com. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  6. ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 227. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
  7. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 101.
  8. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Dawsonville city, Georgia". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved October 20, 2015.[dead link]
  9. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2023". United States Census Bureau. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  12. ^ "Welcome to Dawsonville Georgia".
  13. ^ Mike Hembree (April 23, 2014). "Bill Elliott's son Chase making his own name in NASCAR". USA Today. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
  14. ^ Georgia Board of Education[permanent dead link], Retrieved June 8, 2010.
  15. ^ School Stats, Retrieved June 8, 2010.
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