Doraville, Georgia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doraville, Georgia
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Doraville City Hall
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| Motto(s):
"Diversity, Vitality, Community"
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Location in DeKalb County and the U.S. state of Georgia
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 Doraville, Georgia
Location in Metro Atlanta
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | DeKalb |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.00 sq mi (12.95 km2) |
| • Land | 5.00 sq mi (12.95 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,073 ft (327 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 10,623 |
| • Density | 2,125.03/sq mi (820.44/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
30340, 30360, 30362
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| Area code(s) | 770 |
| FIPS code | 13-23536 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0325924 |
Doraville is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,623.
Contents
History
Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, approved December 15, 1871. From its development until the 1940s, Doraville was a small agricultural community that served the interests of a larger surrounding farming area.
At the end of World War II, Doraville was on a main railroad line, and had a new water system available. General Motors selected Doraville as the site for its new assembly plant. The growth of Doraville exploded in the late 1940s and the 1950s as a result. In the late 1940s, plans for Guilford Village, the first subdivision, were announced by Southern Builders and Engineering Company. The 112-home subdivision at Tilly Mill and Flowers Roads was to cover some 58 acres.
In 1950, Doraville's population was 472. By 1964, the city's population was 6,160 and land area was 1,722 acres. Part of the population growth during that period was because of the annexation of Northwoods in 1949 and Oakcliff in 1958.
By the 1980s, Doraville and neighboring Chamblee attracted immigrants relocating to the Atlanta area who settled along Buford Highway. The result is one of the largest Asian communities in the country. Many Latin American countries are also represented. 56% of residents speak a language other than English as a first language.
The Doraville MARTA Station was built in 1992, destroying the few buildings that remained of Doraville's downtown.
The GM Doraville Assembly Plant closed in 2009, and the economy has stalled plans to turn the site into a mixed-use town center. Nonetheless, Doraville is becoming an attractive destination because of its close proximity to Atlanta, its MARTA Station, and the promise of a new town center.
Geography
Doraville is located at 33°54′19″N 84°16′26″W / 33.90528°N 84.27389°W (33.905302, -84.273870). Doraville is east of Chamblee, south of Dunwoody, west of Norcross, and north of Tucker.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2), of which 0.004 square miles (0.01 km2), or 0.11%, is water. Crooked Creek goes through Doraville. Crooked Creek is a tributary of the Chattahoochee River.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 103 | — | |
| 1910 | 147 | — | |
| 1920 | 152 | 3.4% | |
| 1930 | 195 | 28.3% | |
| 1940 | 300 | 53.8% | |
| 1950 | 472 | 57.3% | |
| 1960 | 4,437 | 840.0% | |
| 1970 | 9,157 | 106.4% | |
| 1980 | 7,414 | −19.0% | |
| 1990 | 7,626 | 2.9% | |
| 2000 | 9,862 | 29.3% | |
| 2010 | 8,330 | −15.5% | |
| 2020 | 10,623 | 27.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,695 | 15.96% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 982 | 9.24% |
| Native American | 13 | 0.12% |
| Asian | 1,687 | 15.88% |
| Pacific Islander | 3 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed | 296 | 2.79% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,947 | 55.98% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 10,623 people, 3,231 households, and 2,026 families residing in the city.
Architecture
Doraville contains a large stock of mid-century modern houses, arguably the largest concentration in metropolitan Atlanta. Mid-Century architecture was frequently employed in residential structures with the goal of bringing modernism into suburbs developed in the era immediately following World War II, which is when the majority of homes in Doraville were constructed. This style emphasized creating structures with ample windows and open floor plans, with the intention of opening up interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. Many Mid-century houses utilized then-groundbreaking post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls in favor of walls seemingly made of glass. Function was as important as form in Mid-Century designs, with an emphasis placed specifically on targeting the needs of the average American family. While the style in seen throughout Doraville, the Northwoods and Northcrest neighborhoods are the most well-preserved Mid-Century modern neighborhoods in the city. In Northcrest, over half of the homes are Mid-Century moderns, while Northwoods is one of only three surviving mid-century planned communities in Georgia.
Based on these unique architectural and planning features, the Northwoods Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 2, 2014. The Northwoods Historic District consists of five adjoining residential neighborhoods, including Northwoods, Fleetwood Hills, Gordon Hills, Gordon Heights and Sequoyah Woods. The Northwoods, Gordon Hills and Gordon Heights neighborhoods are all located in the City of Doraville, and Sequoyah Woods and Fleetwood Hills are located in unincorporated DeKalb County.
Parks
The Doraville Parks and Recreation Department Manages a variety of facilities, including Honeysuckle Park, Fleming Arena, the Paul Murphy Boxing Club, Autumn Park, Brook Park, Chicopee Park, English Oak Park, Flowers Park and Bernard Halpern Park.
Economy
Since the closure of the GM Assembly Plant, Doraville's economy has carried on with a mix of small, medium businesses. Many small ethnic restaurants can be found along Buford Highway and Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Doraville is the corporate home of Big Green Egg and Serta Simmons Bedding.
Education
Primary and secondary schools
DeKalb County School District serves Doraville and includes the following elementary schools:
- Cary Reynolds Elementary School (Doraville)
- Chesnut Elementary School (Dunwoody)
- Hightower Elementary School (Doraville)
- Huntley Hills Elementary School (Chamblee)
- Doraville United Elementary (Doraville)
Middle schools include:
- Chamblee Middle School (Chamblee)
- Peachtree Charter Middle School (Dunwoody)
- Sequoyah Middle School (Doraville)
High schools serving sections of Doraville include:
- Chamblee Charter High School (Chamblee)
- Cross Keys High School (Brookhaven)
- Dunwoody High School (Dunwoody)
Public libraries
The City of Doraville operates its own library, in addition to providing local educational programing, in collaboration with DeKalb County.
Transportation
Major roads and expressways
I-285
SR 141
US 23
Mass transit
For mass transit, the city is served by the Doraville MARTA station and is connected to the Gwinnett County Transit system.
Pedestrians and cycling
Doraville has an older sidewalk network. Beginning in 2016 the city increased work repairing older sidewalks and installing new sidewalk segments.
Notable people
- Atlanta Rhythm Section, 70s Southern rock/adult contemporary band, formed in Doraville. The band's first top 40 hit, “Doraville”, peaked at #35 on the Billboard charts in 1974. The band's first top 40 single was an uptempo song titled "Doraville" from the Third Annual Pipe Dream album. The town was described in the 1974 song as "a touch of country in the city." Their 1980 album was titled The Boys from Doraville.
See also
In Spanish: Doraville para niños
