Dacula, Georgia - Wikipedia

"Dacula" redirects here; not to be confused with Dracula. City in Georgia, United States

Dacula, Georgia
City
Dacula, Georgia
FlagSeal
Motto:  "Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future "[1]
Location in Gwinnett County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 33°58′53″N 83°53′43″W / 33.98139°N 83.89528°W / 33.98139; -83.89528
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Gwinnett
Government
• Mayor	Trey King
Area[2]
• Total	5.45 sq mi (14.11 km2)
• Land	5.42 sq mi (14.03 km2)
• Water	0.031 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation[3]	1,122 ft (342 m)
Population (2025)
• Total	8,151
• Density	1,504.7/sq mi (580.97/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30019
Area code	770
FIPS code	13-21184[4]
GNIS feature ID	2404173[3]
Website	daculaga.gov

Dacula (/dəˈkjuːlə/ də-KEW-lə) is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, located approximately 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, Dacula had a population of 6,882.[5] In 2023 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population was 8,151.[6] The Dacula area is home to some of the oldest buildings in northeast Georgia, such as the Elisha Winn House, which originally acted as the courthouse for Gwinnett County.

History

[edit]

Muscogee (Creek) Nation

[edit]

The Dacula area was originally within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Most of the land within the city's limits was ceded to the State of Georgia in the 1790 Treaty of New York after the Oconee Wars.[7][8] The vicinity of Dacula was one of the first areas in northeast Georgia to be occupied by white European settlers (around the time of the War of 1812). The area remained mostly uncolonized until the late 20th century, in part, due to the remaining presence of the Cherokee Nation in portions of Gwinnett County. After settlers lobbied for the ethnic cleansing of the Nation, the Trail of Tears (through the Indian Removal Act) made it easier for Dacula and the unannexed portions of Gwinnett to be settled.[9]

Chinquapin Grove

[edit]

Dacula itself began in the late 1800s under the name of Chinquapin Grove (Chinquapin was spelled several different ways), where Dacula Elementary now stands. Chinquapin comes from the indigenous Powhatan word for dwarf chestnut tree (Allegheny Chinkapin). The tree is no longer found in the area due to chestnut blight. An 1865 United States Coast Survey Map shows the town of Chinquepin Grove. An 1883 George Cram Map of Georgia shows the town of Chincapin Grove. The town was renamed Hoke in 1891 after a Seaboard Air Line Railroad executive,[10] but that name was changed due to the Post Office Department's protest.[11] By 1895, maps of Georgia no longer showed the town of Chinquapin Grove and instead show the town of Dacula.[12]

1900s

[edit]

Dacula's name is said to be formed from letters in Decatur and Atlanta by a postmaster.[14] The two cities to the west that were already prospering at the time of Dacula's founding. The New-Herald issue dated June 16, 1899 stated that Dacula would soon decide whether or not it wished to be incorporated; however, the town was not incorporated until 1905, because residents feared that incorporation would destroy business and industry.[12]

Religion has and continues to be a driving force in Dacula. One of the first churches built in the town was a Methodist church, founded by Rev. R. P. Jackson. A News-Herald issue dated January 25, 1912 describes the brick building was no larger than 40x60 ft.[12]

The town was once home to a train station on a CSX line through northeast Georgia, although the station closed in the mid-1950s.

2000s

[edit]

In 2022, Gwinnett County broke ground on the Rowen Project,[17] which seeks to bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, and other innovators, alongside more than 50 research and educational institutions across Georgia to expand the state's research triangle.[18] The Rowen Project borders the City, totaling more than 2,000 acres, extending all the way to the Barrow County line. Since the project's approval, the Dacula area has seen an increase in both suburban residential and strip mall commercial changes, including the Harbins 316 development, which massively expanded food and amenity access to a portion of Gwinnett County that previously had to drive 30–40 minutes to a grocery store.[19] As the town becomes home to an increasing number of national chains, residents are increasingly proud of their local gathering places and traditions. The town unveiled a new playground and workout area in Maple Creek Park in 2024, and continues its renowned Memorial Day Parade.[20][21]

In October 2025, the City hosted its first "Not Dracula Day" event, featuring a blood drive through the Red Cross Foundation.[22] The City describes "Not Dracula Day" as an opportunity to celebrate the many names that the Dacula area has had over the years, while poking fun at the common mispronunciations. The first thing someone says when they first read Dacula is "hey it's like Dracula without the R." Rather than downplay the common mistake, the City has embraced it and created a new tradition for the community.[23]

The Future of Dacula

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In July of 2025, the City of Dacula broke ground on its "City Core Project." The project is designed to prioritize a "town center and gathering space" according to City employees. [25] In the 2050 Comprehensive Plan outreach process, an over 60% of residents stated that festivals and events were a medium to high priority to them, along with a town center and public gather places being the most popular visioning workshop request.[26] The public portion of the project will not be completed until 2027, and the private build out of the commercial/residential parcels have yet to be designed. [25]

Geography

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Dacula is located in eastern Gwinnett County, with U.S. Route 29 Business/Georgia State Route 8 (Winder Highway) the main road through the center of town. Business 29/SR 8 leads west 6 miles (10 km) to Lawrenceville, the county seat, and east 11 miles (18 km) to Winder. U.S. Route 29 (University Parkway) is a four-lane highway that bypasses Dacula to the south, with access from Harbins Road. University Parkway leads east 34 miles (55 km) to Athens and west 12 miles (19 km) to Interstate 85, which leads an additional 25 miles (40 km) southwest to Atlanta. The Little Mulberry Indian Mounds or the Parks-Strickland Archeological Complex are a series of carefully stacked rock piles located in Little Mulberry Park.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Dacula has a total area of 5.0 square miles (12.9 km2), of which 0.031 square miles (0.08 km2), or 0.59%, is water.[28]

The Dacula 30019 ZIP code goes well beyond the city limits, resulting in mail delivery as far north as the unincorporated community of Hamilton Mill, south of Interstate 85.

Demographics

[edit] Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	120	—
1910	169	40.8%
1920	244	44.4%
1930	304	24.6%
1940	315	3.6%
1950	369	17.1%
1960	440	19.2%
1970	782	77.7%
1980	1,577	101.7%
1990	2,217	40.6%
2000	3,848	73.6%
2010	4,442	15.4%
2020	6,882	54.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[29]

Dacula racial composition as of 2020[30]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	2,942	42.75%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,922	27.93%
Native American	11	0.16%
Asian	296	4.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0.01%
Other/Mixed	323	4.69%
Hispanic or Latino	1,387	20.15%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 6,882 people, 1,902 households, and 1,529 families residing in the city.

Government

[edit]

Local government

[edit]

Previous Mayors:

• Samuel L. Hinton
• L.C. Wilson
• Beverly Ambrose
• G.F. Pharr
• K.E. Taylor
• Claude Hinton
• Otho Pharr
• J.W. Hamilton
• Taylor Whitley
• W.B. Knight[31]
• 1972 - 1980: Jimmy Wilbanks
• 1981 - 1985: Larry Fleeman
• 1986 - 1990: Travis D. Murray
• 1991 - 1993: Joe Houston
• 1994 - 1997: Michael Moon
• 1998 - 2001: Reed Miller
• 2002 - 2018: Jimmy Wilbanks
• 2018–Present: Trey King

The current mayor and council members are:[32]

• Mayor: Trey King [33]
• Council Members: Ann Mitchell, Denis Haynes, Jason Shelton, and Sean Williams.

Education

[edit]

The county operates Gwinnett County Public Schools.[34] The following GCPS schools have Dacula mail addresses:

• Alcova Elementary School (Dacula cluster)
• Dacula Elementary School (Dacula cluster)
• Dyer Elementary School (Mountain View cluster)
• Fort Daniel Elementary School (Mill Creek cluster)
• Harbins Elementary School (Archer cluster)
• Puckett's Mill Elementary School (Mill Creek Cluster)
• Dacula Middle School (Dacula cluster)
• Dacula High School (Dacula cluster)

Gwinnett County Public Library operates the Dacula and Hamilton Mill Branch in the nearby unincorporated area of Hamilton Mill.[35]

Media

[edit]

The town of Dacula is served by two newspapers: the Gwinnett Daily Post (based in nearby Lawrenceville) and the Hamilton Mill Neighborhood News.

Parks

[edit]

The following parks are located in the town of Dacula:[36]

• Dacula Park[36]
• Duncan Creek Park[37]
• Freeman's Mill Park
• Harbins Park[38]
• Little Mulberry Park[39]
• Maple Creek Park[40]
• Olde Mill Park[36]
• Rabbit Hill Park[41]

Notable people

[edit]

• Andrew Booth Jr. - current cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings
• Vanessa Briscoe Hay - singer
• McClain Hermes - Paralympic swimmer
• David Irons - former cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons
• Kenny Irons - former running back for the Cincinnati Bengals
• Corey Levin - football player
• Levi Lowrey - singer-songwriter
• Brittany Rogers (softball) - softball player
• Donna Sheldon - Politician. Founder and former director of Dacula Classical Academy. Member of Georgia House of Representatives for District 71, 104 and 105.[42]
• Roba Stanley - Country singer.[43]
• Gid Tanner - Country singer.[44]
• Jason Wisdom - heavy metal vocalist and guitarist
• Will Hinton - Olympic Trap Shooter

References

[edit]

1. ^ "City of Dacula Georgia Website". City of Dacula Georgia Website. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
2. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dacula, Georgia
4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
6. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau: 2023 Population Estimate". U.S. Census Bureau.
7. ^ Scurry, Steven (April 21, 2004). "The Oconee War". Flagpole. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
8. ^ "Treaty of New York (Treaty with the Creeks) 1790". native-land.ca. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
9. ^ "Gwinnett Forum – BRACK: Cherokees' removal in Trail of Tears has ties to Gwinnett". www.gwinnettforum.com. February 24, 2023. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
10. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 57. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
11. ^ Lewis, Douglas (May 19, 2014). "Dacula- Then and Now". patch.com. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
12. ^ a b c Stanlye, Jerri (2005). History of Dacula, GA. City of Dacula.
13. ^ "Photograph of a view down Main Street, Dacula, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 1905". dlg.usg.edu.
14. ^ "Dacula". Gwinnett Chamber. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
15. ^ Stanley, Jerri (2000). History of Dacula, GA (1917-2000).
16. ^ "Publix & Shops at Harbins 316 / Dacula". www.constructionjournal.com. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
17. ^ Green, Josh (December 9, 2022). "Massive Rowen project breaks ground in wilds of Gwinnett County". atlanta.urbanize.city. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
18. ^ Green, Josh (December 9, 2022). "Massive Rowen project breaks ground in wilds of Gwinnett County". Urbanize Atlanta. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
19. ^ "Dacula Retail New Construction - 4651980". www.constructionjournal.com. February 21, 2023.
20. ^ AJC, Karen Huppertz for the. "Dacula unveils new Maple Creek Park play area". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
21. ^ "Memorial Day in Dacula 2024 - Official Website". www.daculamemorialday.com. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
22. ^ "Not Dracula Day Blood Drive". October 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
23. ^ "Trey - Our first "Not Dracula" Blood Drive exceeded expectations! We were able to collect seven units above our goal. Thank you to the City Council, staff, and residents of Dacula for supporting this amazing event". www.facebook.com. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
24. ^ Green, Josh (July 11, 2025). "Images: Gwinnett city's quest for walkable downtown to start construction". atlanta.urbanize.city. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
25. ^ a b Green, Josh (July 11, 2025). "Images: Gwinnett city's quest for walkable downtown to start construction". atlanta.urbanize.city. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
26. ^ "Comprehensive Plan". Dacula Georgia. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
27. ^ Rodriguez, Richard. "Dacula". Retrieved May 28, 2025.
28. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Dacula city, Georgia". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 29, 2016.[dead link]
29. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
30. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
31. ^ Stanley, Jerri (2005). History of Dacula. Dacula, GA. p. 183.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
32. ^ "Mayor & City Council". daculaga.gov. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
33. ^ "BRACK: New mayor of Dacula already has 10 years on city council". gwinnettforum.com. February 1, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
34. ^ "Gwinnett County Public Schools". Gwinnett County Public Schools. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
35. ^ "Hours & Locations Archived 2010-07-26 at the Wayback Machine." Gwinnett County Public Library. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
36. ^ a b c "Parks and Recreation". Dacula Georgia. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
37. ^ "Duncan Creek Park". Gwinnett. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
38. ^ "Harbins Park". Gwinnett. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
39. ^ "Little Mulberry Park". Gwinnett. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
40. ^ "New Playground for Dacula's Maple Creek Park". Dacula Georgia. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
41. ^ "Rabbit Hill Park". Explore Georgia.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
42. ^ "Donna Sheldon's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
43. ^ "History - City of Dacula Historical Events". daculaga.gov. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
44. ^ "About Dacula - City of Dacula". daculaga.gov. Retrieved September 15, 2021.

External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dacula, Georgia.

• City of Dacula official website
• Dacula at City-data.com

v t e Municipalities and communities of Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States
County seat: Lawrenceville
Cities	Auburn‡ Berkeley Lake Buford‡ Dacula Duluth Grayson Lawrenceville Lilburn Loganville‡ Mulberry Norcross Peachtree Corners Snellville Sugar Hill Suwanee
Towns	Braselton‡ Rest Haven‡
CDP	Mountain Park
Unincorporatedcommunities	Centerville‡ Five Forks Gloster Luxomni Mechanicsville
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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