Gainesville, Georgia

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Coordinates: 34°18′16″N 83°50′2″W / 34.30444, -83.83389
Gainesville, Georgia, USA
Nickname: "Queen City of the Mountains" & "Poultry Capital of the World"
Location in Hall County and the state of Georgia
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Hall
Government
- Mayor	Robert L. (Bob) Hamrick
Area
- Total	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 (2006)
- Total	33,340
- Density	1,145.7/sq mi (442.1/km²)
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 Hall County in Georgia, United States of America. The population was 25,578 at the 2000 census. Census estimates for 2006 show a population of 33,340. The city is the county seat of Hall County.^[3] 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.

1 Geography
2 Climate
3 Demographics
4 Transportation
5 Health and Education
6 Notable residents
7 Sister cities
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

[edit] Geography

Lake Lanier at River Forks Park

Gainesville is located at 34°18′16″N, 83°50′2″W (34.304490, -83.833897).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75.4 km²), of which, 27.1 square miles (70.2 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 1958 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.

[edit] Climate

Gainesville has a subtropical climate with mild winters and hot summers. Winter is mild with average highs in the 50's and lows in the 30's although colder and warmer periods occur. Spring is pleasant with 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 can be oppressive with average highs reaching the low 90's combined with humidity can put heat indexes into the 100's. 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.

[edit] Demographics

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/sq mi (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.

[edit] Transportation

Amtrak's Crescent train 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.

[edit] Health and Education

Gainesville, Georgia is home to the large Northeast Georgia Medical Center. The Ronnie Greene Heart Center is located in the large hospital.

The Gainesville City School System, home of Gainesville High School's Red Elephants, is the public school system of Gainesville.

Gainesville City Schools:

Gainesville High School
Gainesville Middle School
Gainesville The Exploration Academy
Centennial The Fine Arts Academy
New Holland The Core Knowledge Academy
Fair Street The International Baccalaureate Academy
Enota The Multiple Intelligence Academy

Riverside Military Academy and Lakeview Academy, a college preparatory private school, are located in Gainesville. The city's institutions of higher education are Gainesville State College and Brenau University.

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.^[5] Attorneys from the office have been recognized for their community involvement, as well as for their acumen in the courtroom.^[6]