Clarkston is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 14,756 as of the 2020 census, up from 7,554 in 2010. The city is noted for its ethnic diversity, and is often referred to as "the most diverse square mile in America" and "the Ellis Island of the South." In the 1990s, refugee resettlement programs identified Clarkston as a good fit for displaced persons of many backgrounds. The rental market was open, residents were moving farther out from the Atlanta urban core, and Clarkston was the last stop on a transit line into the city. At present students attending Clarkston High School come from over 50 countries; the local mosque (Masjid al-Momineen, or Mosque of the Faithful in English) has a diverse and sizable congregation; and over half the population is estimated by some to be foreign born.

History

A post office called Clarkston has been in operation since 1876. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated the place in 1882 as the "Town of Clarkston", with municipal corporate limits extending in a one-half mile radius from the Georgia Railroad depot. The community was named after W. W. Clark, a railroad official.

Geography

Clarkston is located at 33.81028°N, -84.24°W (33.810304, −84.239877). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.1 sqmi, of which 1.0 sqmi is land and 0.94% is water. Clarkston is on the Eastern Continental Divide.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 14,756 people, 3,727 households, and 2,341 families residing in the city.

Education

DeKalb County School System operates Clarkston's public schools. Zoned schools which have attendance boundaries in the residential-zoned portions of the city limits include: All the school district-operated schools are located outside of the city limits of Clarkston. Atlanta Area School for the Deaf, operated by the State of Georgia, is in the Clarkston city limits. Additionally, Georgia Fugees Academy Charter School, a charter school, is in the city limits. The Clarkston Campus of Georgia State University's Perimeter College is just south of the city limits. Georgia Piedmont Technical College, part of the Technical College System of Georgia, is also south of Clarkston.

Public libraries

DeKalb County Public Library operates the Clarkston Branch.

Refugee resettlement

Georgia is among states that receive the highest amount of refugees for resettlement, and has resettled more than 37,000 refugees since 1993. Clarkston receives a large portion of these refugees, but arrivals have gradually declined yearly since 2016. In 2016, then Georgia Governor Nathan Deal issued and then reneged on an executive order attempting to cease influx of Syrian refugees into the state. Additionally, as of 2019 federal funding for refugee programs has decreased and executive orders have been issued that allow states increased authority to limit resettlement, which has resulted in the downsizing of several Georgia resettlement organizations. Organizations that aid the resettlement of refugees in Clarkston include:

Transportation

Major roads

Mass transit

Pedestrians and cycling

In popular culture

In television