| Gainesville, Georgia, USA | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Hall County Courthouse in Gainesville | |
| Nickname(s): "Queen City of the Mountains" & "Poultry Capital of the World" | |
| Location in Hall County and the state of Georgia | |
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Gainesville
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Hall |
| Gainesville | 1818 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Popular vote democracy |
| • Mayor | Ruth Bruner |
| Area | |
| • City | 29.1 sq mi (75.4 km2) |
| • Land | 27.1 sq mi (70.2 km2) |
| • Water | 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,250 ft (381 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 33,804 |
| • Density | 1,145.7/sq mi (442.1/km2) |
| • Metro | 187,743 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 770 |
| FIPS code | 13-31908[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0355972[2] |
| Website | http://www.gainesville.org/ |
Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Georgia, United States.[3] As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 33,804[4]. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it is often called the chicken capital of the world. Gainesville is the principal city of and is included in the Gainesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) Combined Statistical Area.
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Gainesville is located at (34.304490, -83.833897).[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75 km2), of which, 27.1 square miles (70 km2) of it is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2) of it (6.94%) is water.
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, parts of Gainesville lie along the shore of one of the nation's most popular inland water destinations, Lake Lanier. Named after Georgia author and musician Sidney Lanier, the lake was created in 1956 when The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Chattahoochee River near Buford, Georgia and flooded an Appalachian mountain valley. Although created primarily for hydro-electricity and flood-control, it also serves as a reservoir providing water to the city of Atlanta. Lake Lanier is also a very popular recreational attraction for all of North Georgia.
The William Wrigley Company has a large manufacturing facility in Gainesville.[6]
Gainesville has a subtropical climate with extremely varying[7] winters and very hot summers. Winters are generally mild, albeit dry, with average highs in the 50' and lows in the low to mid 30's. However, temperatures can swing up and down in days, often one after another, since cold fronts and warm fronts visit frequently. It's not uncommon to see 70's for highs two days and temperatures in the teens for lows the next. Annual snowfall only yields an average of 1 inch, and accumulations for more than a day are rare. Gainesville is located in USDA Hardiness Zone 8a, enabling hardy palm trees and cacti to withstand frigid nights. The record low temperature (-8°F) was recorded in January 1985.
Spring sees highs in the 70's and 80's with lows in the 40's and 50's although March is the wettest month of the year on average.
Summer heat can be intense, but generally highs are in the mid to upper 80s. Gainesville's altitude shaves a few degrees off the summer heat. The area is extremely humid, and the heat index can reach the 100's. The record high (107°F) was recorded in June and July 1952.
Fall has temperatures similar to spring but with much less humidity, especially later in the season. In late October to November the leaves are in the midst of changing colors to brilliant reds, yellows, golden oranges, purples; all shades of mountain beauty.
| Climate data for Gainesville, Georgia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 50 (10) |
56 (13) |
63 (17) |
72 (22) |
80 (27) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
73 (23) |
60 (16) |
52 (11) |
71 (21.8) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 29 (−2) |
37 (3) |
46 (8) |
51 (11) |
60 (16) |
66 (19) |
68 (20) |
66 (19) |
56 (13) |
49 (9) |
39 (4) |
31 (−1) |
49.8 (9.9) |
| Source: Weatherbase[8] | |||||||||||||
Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring. Tornado Watches are a frequent issue in the spring and summer, with a warning appearing at least biannually, sometimes with more than one per year.
Gainesville was also the site of the fifth deadliest tornado in U.S. history in 1936, where Gainesville was decimated and 203 people were killed.[9]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 344 |
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| 1870 | 472 | 37.2% | |
| 1880 | 1,919 | 306.6% | |
| 1890 | 3,202 | 66.9% | |
| 1900 | 4,382 | 36.9% | |
| 1910 | 5,925 | 35.2% | |
| 1920 | 6,272 | 5.9% | |
| 1930 | 8,624 | 37.5% | |
| 1940 | 10,243 | 18.8% | |
| 1950 | 11,936 | 16.5% | |
| 1960 | 16,523 | 38.4% | |
| 1970 | 15,459 | −6.4% | |
| 1980 | 15,280 | −1.2% | |
| 1990 | 17,885 | 17.0% | |
| 2000 | 25,578 | 43.0% | |
| 2010 | 33,804 | 32.2% | |
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 25,578 people, 8,537 households, and 5,438 families residing in the city. The population density was 944.4 people per square mile (364.7/km²). There were 9,076 housing units at an average density of 335.1 per square mile (129.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.21% White, 15.73% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.69% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 14.27% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.17% of the population.
There were 8,537 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 15.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,605, and the median income for a family was $43,734. Males had a median income of $24,729 versus $25,075 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,128. About 16.1% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.
Amtrak's Crescent connects Gainesville with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Greensboro, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 116 Industrial Boulevard.
Gainesville also has a bus transit system, the Red Rabbit, that has 130 stops along three routes through Gainesville.[10]
Gainesville, Georgia is home to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center which houses the Ronnie Greene Heart Center.
The Gainesville City School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of five elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.[11][12] The district has 282 full-time teachers and over 4,438 students.[13]
The Hall County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of twenty-one elementary schools, six middle schools, and seven high schools.[14] The district has 1,337 full-time teachers and over 21,730 students.[15]
The Public Defender's Office at Gainesville has been recognized as one of the best in the state of Georgia. Established in 2005, the office provides representation for persons accused of felony offenses in Hall County.[18] Attorneys from the office have been recognized for their community involvement, as well as for their acumen in the courtroom.[19] In 2008, a first-year attorney successfully challenged the Sex Offender Registration Law in the Georgia Supreme Court.[20]
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