Suwanee is a city in Gwinnett County and a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,355; this had grown to an estimated 20,907 as of 2019. In 2020, its population was 20,786. Portions of Forsyth and Fulton counties also have Suwanee and its ZIP code (30024) as a mailing address.

History

Early history

Suwanee, like most towns in Georgia, started out as a Native American village. It was built on the Chattahoochee River, where societies flourished. The city of Suwanee itself was established and officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1837 upon the erection of a post office. In 1871, the Georgia Air Line Railroad was built through Suwanee, and in 1880 the Rhodes House hotel was built to house passengers of the railroad. This was instrumental in bringing people through the town and helped to generate trade and economic activity. In 1881, a fire burned down all of the buildings on Main Street except for one. From 1880 to 1920, the population saw almost no increase, shifting from 216 people to 241 over the course of 40 years. , the population of Suwanee was over 18,000.

Recent history

Beginning in 1933 and ending in 1936, the now heavily traveled Buford Highway was constructed through Suwanee. In 1960, Interstate 85 was built to extend to just south of Suwanee, where it ended at the time. Throughout the last 100 years, several primary education schools have opened in Suwanee, including North Gwinnett High School and Suwanee Elementary School. The first known date for Suwanee High School was 1880, when it was a one-room school house. The first city hall was built in the early 1960s, and the second city hall was built in 1997. In 2005, Town Center was constructed and finished in 2009, at which time the city hall moved to it, where it currently resides. In 2003, Suwanee was named a City of Excellence by the Georgia Municipal Association and Trend Magazine. In 2017, Suwanee was recognized as a Green Community by the Atlanta Regional Commission, certified at the bronze level for the city's commitment to environmental stewardship and their leadership in sustainability practices.

Geography

Suwanee is located in northern Gwinnett County and southeastern Forsyth County. It is bordered to the northeast by the city of Sugar Hill, to the southwest by the city of Duluth, and on the west by the Chattahoochee River, which serves as the Fulton County border, and across which is the city of Johns Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, Suwanee has a total area of 28.4 km2, of which 28.2 km2 is land and 0.2 km2, or 0.70%, is water. There are multiple areas with Suwanee postal addresses that are in unincorporated Gwinnett County and in unincorporated Forsyth County; those areas are not in the Suwanee corporate limits.

Climate

Suwanee has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), with mild winters and hot, humid summers.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,786 people, 7,012 households, and 5,235 families residing in the city.

Arts and culture

Gwinnett County Public Library operates the Suwanee Branch in Suwanee.

Sports

Suwanee was the practicing home of the Atlanta Falcons football team from 1979 to 2001.

Parks and recreation

Pedestrians and cycling

In 2016, Suwanee unveiled the first Bike Share program in Gwinnett County. The city of Suwanee has released a master plan of existing and proposed trails and sidewalks to connect the community neighborhoods, schools and businesses. Major trails include:

Education

Suwanee is within the Gwinnett County Public Schools district, and primarily served by Collins Hill High School, North Gwinnett High School, and Peachtree Ridge High School. The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine's Georgia campus is also located in Suwanee.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major roads and expressways

Airport

The nearest commercial air service is provided by Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is south of Atlanta. The nearest general aviation airport is Gwinnett County Airport.