Gainesville, Georgia

Gainesville is a city in Hall County in Georgia, United States of America. The population was 25,578 at the 2000 census. Census estimates for 2007 show a population of 34,818. The city is the county seat of Hall County. Because of its large number of poultry processing plants, it is often called the chicken capital of the world. Gainesville is the principal city of and is included in the Gainesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) Combined Statistical Area. 
==Geography==
Gainesville is located at (34.304490, -83.833897).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.1 square miles (75.4 km²), of which, 27.1 square miles (70.2 km²) of it is land and 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) of it (6.94%) is water.
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, parts of Gainesville lie along the shore of one of the nation's most popular inland water destinations, Lake Lanier. Named after Georgia author and musician Sidney Lanier, the lake was created in 1958 when The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Chattahoochee River near Buford, Georgia and flooded an Appalachian mountain valley. Although created primarily for hydro-electricity and flood-control, it also serves as a reservoir providing water to the city of Atlanta, Lake Lanier is also a very popular recreational attraction for all of North Georgia.
==Climate==
Gainesville has a subtropical climate with extremely varying: an example of Extreme Gainesville Weather. Accessed Wednesday, February 04, 2009 at 4:09 PM, this page specified a Hard freeze Warning, Lake Wind Advisory, and even a Fire Weather Warning, issued from the National Weather Service! Other days can see this rise to 60 Fahrenheit before plummeting once more. winters and very hot summers. Winter temperatures vary greatly, with average highs in the 50' and lows in the upper-20's. Temperatures can swing up and down in days, often one after another, since cold fronts and warm fronts visit frequently.
Spring sees highs in the 70's and 80's with lows in the 40's and 50's although March is the wettest month of the year on average. 
Summer heat can be brutal, with average highs reaching the low 90's. Extreme humidity plagues the area, and can put heat indexes above the 100's. 
Fall has temperatures similar to spring but with much less humidity, especially later in the season. In late October to November the leaves are in the midst of changing colors to brilliant reds, yellows, golden oranges, purples; all shades of mountain beauty. Allergies also tend to be rather severe during autumn, especially in various oak trees, ragweed and grass clippings.
=== Severe Weather ===
Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring. Tornado Watches are a frequent issue in the spring and summer, with a warning appearing at least biannually, sometimes with more than one per year.
Gainesville was also the sight of the fifth deadliest tornado in U.S. history in 1936, where Gainesville was decimated and 203 people were killed.NOAA Storm Prediction Center
==Demographics==
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,578 people, 8,537 households, and 5,438 families residing in the city. The population density was 944.4 people per square mile (364.7/km²). There were 9,076 housing units at an average density of 335.1/sq mi (129.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.21% White, 15.73% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.69% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 14.27% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.17% of the population.
There were 8,537 households out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.3% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 15.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,605, and the median income for a family was $43,734. Males had a median income of $24,729 versus $25,075 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,128. About 16.1% of families and 21.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.9% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.
== Transportation ==
Amtrak's Crescent train connects Gainesville with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Greensboro, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 116 Industrial Boulevard.
== Health and Education ==
Gainesville, Georgia is home to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center which houses the Ronnie Greene Heart Center.
The Gainesville City School System, home of Gainesville High School's Red Elephants, is the public school system of Gainesville.
Gainesville City Schools:
*Gainesville High School
*Gainesville Middle School
*Gainesville The Exploration Academy
*Centennial The Fine Arts Academy
*New Holland The Core Knowledge Academy
*Fair Street The International Baccalaureate Academy
*Enota The Multiple Intelligence Academy
Riverside Military Academy and Lakeview Academy, a college preparatory private school, are located in Gainesville. The city's institutions of higher education are Gainesville State College and Brenau University.
The Public Defender's Office at Gainesville has been recognized as one of the best in the state of Georgia. Established in 2005, the office provides representation for persons accused of felony offenses in Hall County.Georgia Public Defender Standards Council - Meet the Northeastern Judicial Circuit Public Defender Office Attorneys from the office have been recognized for their community involvement, as well as for their acumen in the courtroom.gainesvilletimes.com. In 2008, a first-year attorney successfully challenged the Sex Offender Registration Law in the Georgia Supreme Court.http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/11009/
==Notable residents==
*Tommy Aaron, professional golfer, 1973 Masters champion 
*Rod Cameron (1910-1983), actor
*Cris Carpenter, former Major League Baseball pitcher
*Tasha Humphrey, Washington Mystics basketball player, former UGA standout, & standout of Gainesville High School
*Sung Kang, Korean American actor
*General James Longstreet, Confederate general and Gainesville postmaster
*Micah Owings, Major League Baseball pitcher
*Randy Pobst, Professional racing driver
*Robert Prechter, financial forecaster (1980s "Guru of the Decade")
*A.J. Styles, professional wrestler
*Rachel Hatchett, Astronaut (first woman to pilot shuttle on re-entry)
==Sister cities==
* Eger, Hungary
* Izunokuni, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
== See also ==
*Gainesville High School
*1936 Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak
==References==
==External links==
*Newspaper
*Hall County Government
*Gainesville-Hall County Chamber of Commerce
*Economic Development in Gainesville-Hall County, Georgia
*Lake Lanier Convention & Visitors Bureau
*Brenau University
*Gainesville State College
*Official Site of the City of Gainesville, Georgia
*Little Known Facts About Chickens
*Listen to the Gainesville Police Department
*Land Surveying and GPS Services in Gainesville, GA
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*The 1936 Gainesville Tornado: Disaster and Recovery a historical film at the Digital Library of Georgia
Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Hall County, Georgia
 
Category:County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
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