Suwanee, like most towns in Georgia, started out as a Native American village. It was built on the Chattahoochee River, where societies flourished.[7] 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.[7] 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.[7] As of 2015[update], the population of Suwanee was over 18,000.[8]
Recent history
Beginning in 1933 and ending in 1936, the now heavily traveled Buford Highway was constructed through Suwanee.[7] 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.[7] 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.[7] In 2003, Suwanee was named a City of Excellence by the Georgia Municipal Association and Trend Magazine.[7] 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 11.0 square miles (28.4 km2), of which 10.9 square miles (28.2 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.70%, is water.[4]
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.[9]
Town Center Park is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) park on Buford Highway and Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. It is the venue for the community's special events, and contains an amphitheater that holds up to 1,000 audience members where numerous concerts and other various performances are held. Town Center Park has Gwinnett County's largest interactive fountain called the "Big Splash". The fountain has 43 jets and uses 1,400 US gallons (5,300 L; 1,200 imp gal) of water each minute. The water is recycled. The park lies next to the Suwanee Public Library.[14]
George Pierce Park is a 304-acre (123 ha) park, making it the largest in Suwanee. Amenities includes fields for football, baseball, soccer, and softball fields, a fishing pond, hard- and soft-surfaced trails, picnic areas, public restrooms, a playground, outdoor basketball courts, and a senior center.[14]
Suwanee Creek Greenway is a hard-surfaced multipurpose 4-mile (6.4 km) trail with wooded areas and wildlife habitat. It is favored by walkers, joggers, and bikers.[14] A spur trail is being added to connect to the Western Gwinnett Bikeway.
Suwanee Creek Park is an 85-acre (34 ha) park commonly used for family picnics and other reunions. It is connected to the Suwanee Creek Greenway.[14]
Playtown Suwanee is a super playground built by 1,200 volunteers in 2004. It is known as "the playground my mommy and daddy built."[14]
Sims Lake Park was opened in 2008. It consists of a 7-acre (2.8 ha) lake with a looping trail surrounding it.[14]
In 2016, Suwanee unveiled the first Bike Share program in Gwinnett County.[16][17][18]
The city of Suwanee has released a master plan of existing and proposed trails and sidewalks to connect the community neighborhoods, schools and businesses.[19] Major trails include:
