# 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.

## 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 8.2 square miles (21.3 km$^2$), of which 0.02 square miles (0.05 km$^2$), or 0.26%, is water.
The community is at the junction of State Routes 9, 53, and 136. SR 9 leads northeast 14 miles (23 km) to Dahlonega and south 17 miles (27 km) to Cumming, while SR 53 leads southeast 6 miles (10 km) to U.S. Route 19 and west 24 miles (39 km) to Jasper. SR 136 also leads to Jasper, on a 29-mile (47 km) route that runs further to the north through the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Amicalola Falls, 15 miles (24 km) north of the center of Dawsonville, is one of the seven natural wonders of Georgia.

## Demographics

Dawsonville racial composition as of 2020 :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 3,236 | 86.99% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 29 | 0.78% |
| Native American | 15 | 0.4% |
| Asian | 20 | 0.54% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.13% |
| Other/mixed | 167 | 4.49% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 248 | 6.67% |
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 city's 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 three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. The district has 219 full-time teachers and 3,036 students.
* Black's Mill Elementary School
* Kilough Elementary School
* Robinson Elementary School
* Riverview Elementary School
* Dawson County Middle School
* Dawson County Junior High School
* Dawson County High School
The Dawson County School System is a charter system.

## Notable people

* Spencer Davis; stock car driver
* Bill Elliott, or "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville"; stock car driver
* Casey Elliott; stock car driver and nephew of Bill Elliott
* Chase Elliott; stock car driver and son of Bill Elliott
* Jerry Glanville; National Football League head coach, and NASCAR driver
* Bill Goldberg; professional wrestler and actor; once resided in Dawsonville
* Roy Hall; moonshine runner and early stock car racing driver, cousin of Lloyd Seay
* Corey Johnson; professional male runway model, actor, producer
* Raymond Parks; moonshine runner and NASCAR pioneer regarded as the first "team" owner in stock car racing, a relative of Seay and Hall
* Lloyd Seay; moonshine runner and early stock car racing driver, cousin of Roy Hall
* David Sosebee; race car driver
* Gober Sosebee; race car driver