Dawsonville, Georgia


Dawsonville is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 3,720 in 2020. Dawsonville is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area.
The city head is Mayor John Walden, who was sworn in on December 18, 2023.
WWW dawsonville-ga.gov

History

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. The community and the county are named for U.S. Senator William Crosby Dawson.

Geography

Dawsonville is located at 34°25′N 84°7′W.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which, or 0.26%, is water.
The community is at the junction of State Routes 9, 53, and 136. SR 9 leads northeast to Dahlonega and south to Cumming, while SR 53 leads southeast to U.S. Route 19 and west to Jasper. SR 136 also leads to Jasper, on a route that runs further to the north through the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Amicalola Falls, north of the center of Dawsonville, is one of the seven natural wonders of Georgia.

Demographics

RaceNum.Perc.
White 3,23686.99%
Black or African American 290.78%
Native American150.4%
Asian200.54%
Pacific Islander50.13%
Other/mixed1674.49%
Hispanic or Latino2486.67%

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

Recreation

Auto racing

The 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".
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". 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

Dawson County School District

The Dawson County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools, a middle school, a junior high school, and a high school.
The Dawson County School System is a charter system.

Notable people