WELCOME TO SUWANEE
Suwanee, Georgia is located 30 miles north of Atlanta, and is a small, vibrant community of approximately 10,000. In 2003, Suwanee was named a City of Excellence by the Georgia Municipal Association and Georgia Trend magazine. 

Its blend of old-fashioned charm and contemporary convenience attracts residents, businesses, and visitors, who also find many professional and recreational opportunities among Suwanee's resources. 

HISTORY
First a Shawnee Indian village, later a railroad stop, Suwanee was until recently a small agricultural community. 

Suwanee began as an Indian village along the banks of Suwanee Creek and the Chattahoochee River. The community was named for a Shawnee Indian tribe that settled here in the latter part of the 18th century, though the village probably was inhabited long before this particular group of Native Americans arrived. The City's name is thought to derive from the English mispronunciation of Shawnee, a tribe of Algonquin Indians, who first settled along the banks of the Chattahoochee River. Shawnee is an Algonquin word for "Southerner" and was used because the Shawnee lived the furthest south of all the Algonquin tribes. 

The post office was established in 1837, marking the official founding of the City. 

Like Atlanta, Suwanee’s growth and development are closely related to the establishment of transportation thoroughfares. The Southern Railroad route between Atlanta and Charlotte was constructed through Suwanee in 1871. In 1881, a narrow-gauge railroad was constructed from Lawrenceville to Suwanee, making Suwanee a changing station for people to transfer to the Southern Railroad line that could take them into Atlanta. The town had about 216 residents at the time. 

Suwanee was incorporated in 1949, but remained a small agricultural-based community into the 1970s. Then, with easy access to Atlanta provided by Interstate 85 and U.S. 23 (Buford Highway), the population of Suwanee increased from 615 persons to 1,026 within 10 years. The boom continued throughout the 1990s with the City's population increasing by 265 percent over the decade. 

LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!
Drive 30 miles up Interstate 85 from Atlanta, and you're there; or take state Highway 317 (Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road) or Highway 23 (Buford Highway), or even Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Any of these routes will carry you away from big-city pressures and into a more laid-back setting that nevertheless offers plenty to do. 

A PLACE TO CALL HOME
Settle in Suwanee and enjoy the best in small-town living combined with the convenience of big-city access and well-managed growth. While Suwanee's housing, population, and businesses have grown exponentially over the past 20 years, City officials have worked diligently to protect and enhance the natural environment and historic areas, ensure that commercial development reflects our "small-town America" vision, and preserve the friendly atmosphere that makes Suwanee a great place to live, work, and play 

SCHOOLS
Suwanee's young residents are served by the Gwinnett County Public Schools system, Georgia's largest school system and one of the most respected.
Quick Facts
• Projected 2006-07 enrollment for Georiga’s largest school system is 151,903. 

• Level Creek Elementary School art teacher Debi West was named Gwinnett County’s 2005 Teacher of the Year and was among 10 finalists for the title of the state’s top teacher. 

• More than 7,600 students graduated from Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2006. 

• Gwinnett students’ 2005 average SAT score of 1043 topped state and national results; students at North Gwinnett and Collins Hill high schools scored an average of 1056 and 1054, respectively. Gwinnett County students generally outperform state and national averages on standardized tests. 

• Gwinnett County operates 107 educational facilities, including 63 elementary schools, 20 middle schools, 16 high schools, and eight other facilities. 

• Gwinnett County Schools operates more than 1,400 school buses each day, transporting students more than 116,000 miles each day (more than 26 round-trips to Los Angeles) and more than 21 million miles annually. 

• Gwinnett County’s largest employer, the school system has more than 23,000 employees. 

• The 2006-07 budget tops $1.2 million, with a per-student cost of $7,263. 

POINTS OF INTEREST
Gwinnett County offers a wide variety of fun activities, no matter how you define fun! Enjoy a variety of recreational options on the Chattahoochee River, which runs through the City's western border; at Lake Lanier, 15 minutes to the north; or in the North Georgia Mountains, only an hour away.  

A few other area attractions include the Southeastern Railway Museum, Zoo Atlanta (don't miss the Panda Bears), Stone Mountain, the World of Coca-Cola, the Arena at Gwinnett Center, waterfalls, professional sporting events, several museums including the Hudgens Center for the Arts, and historical sites.  

SHOPPING
Shopping
Several small shops, including a regionally known home décor store and several antique stores, are located in and around the City. And if it's big-time shopping you want, then you couldn't be more centrally located than Suwanee. The City is located halfway between the county's two major malls, Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth and the Mall of Georgia in Buford; each is about 10-15 minutes away. In addition, Discover Mills outlet mall also is very close by, located only two exits south on I-85. Other outlet shopping is available north on Interstate 85, exit 149, and off Georgia 400 in Dawsonville. 

PARKS AND RECREATION
You will find several parks in which to play, picnic, walk, or just relax in Suwanee. The City maintains several active and passive parks, including City Hall Park, Main Street Park, and Martin Farm Road Park as well as the Suwanee Creek Greenway, a multi-use trail that soon will be extended to three miles. Gwinnett County's George Pierce Park also is located in Suwanee.
Through its open space initiative, the City of Suwanee is developing several other parks.  

LIBRARY
The Suwanee branch of the Gwinnett County Public Library is located at 361 Main Street in historic Old Town. The building, opened in October 2004, reflects turn-of-the century craftsmanship and detail both inside and out. 

Among the library’s features are:
• an attractive “streetscape” design down the center of the library that is reminiscent of the turn of the century.  

• a clock tower and story-telling space in the children’s area.  

• a quiet room (except for the passing trains, of course) for adults  

• a teen reading area  

• a community meeting room that is available on a reservation basis to nonprofit groups  

• 23 computers  

• nearly 60,000 books and other materials  

• easy-to-use, state-of-the-art self check-out stations
The library is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday -Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1-6 p.m. Sunday. (770)614-3418 

OLD TOWN
The City is fortunate to have many historic structures and sites intact, including several grand Victorian and regional farm-style homes. The majority of Suwanee's historic houses are clustered around the City's original one-mile radius near Main and Scales streets in Suwanee's Old Town area, where the historic commercial area is located as well.
The Old Town area remains much as it must have appeared nearly 100 years ago. Some buildings in the area were reconstructed after an 1881 fire and others were built in the early 1900s. The City's Old Town Master Plan outlines the City's vision for revitalization of the historic area. 

NEWSPAPERS
Residents may subscribe to the Atlanta area's largest newspaper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution featuring morning delivery, by calling (404)522-4141 or (800)933-9771. The paper prints a daily Gwinnett section. 

The Gwinnett Daily Post, a daily newspaper (except Mondays) and the legal organ of Gwinnett County, is delivered free to Charter Communications cable subscribers. Others may subscribe by calling (770)963-9205. 

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