Norcross, Georgia

Norcross, Georgia
—  City  —
Location in Gwinnett County and the state of Georgia
Norcross Location in Metro Atlanta
Coordinates: 33°56′N 84°13′W / 33.933°N 84.217°W / 33.933; -84.217Coordinates: 33°56′N 84°13′W / 33.933°N 84.217°W / 33.933; -84.217
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Gwinnett
Area
– Total	4.1 sq mi (10.6 km2)
– Land	4.1 sq mi (10.6 km2)
– Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	1,047 ft (319 m)
Population (2009)
– Total	10,946
– Density	2,051.2/sq mi (793.4/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	30000-30099
Area code(s)	770
FIPS code	13-55776[1]
GNIS feature ID	0319621[2]

Norcross is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States. As of 2010, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 9,116. It is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia metropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) combined statistical area. Although much of western Gwinnett County has a Norcross mailing address, the boundaries of the city do not extend to unincorporated areas.

History

Named after the Hon. Jonathan Norcross, it was chartered as a town on October 26, 1870, and selected to the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of the Interior in the early 1980s, its rich history began much earlier.

The Norcross Historic District sits along the eastern continental divide. This divide, or ridge, played a significant role in the early settlement of the area. Originally, the Creek and Cherokee Indians occupied this land and the ridgeline was used as a major transportation route. Two American forts were established in the early 19th century due to the War of 1812 – Fort Daniel (at Hog Mountain) and Peachtree Fort (in Atlanta). These two forts were connected by this old Indian trail which became known as the original Peachtree Road. By around 1840, this trail had evolved into a stagecoach route connecting South Carolina and Alabama through Georgia. The surrounding area became populated and the small communities of Pinckneyville and Flint Hill prospered.

This all changed with the creation of the Richmond-Danville Railroad, designed to open up the wilderness areasof northeast Georgia. The railroad was proposed in 1856 by Jonathan Norcross (a former Atlanta mayor) and was subsequently approved. Construction was delayed, however, until 1866 because of the Civil War. On September 12, 1869, the first twenty miles (32 km) were completed and on October 16, 1889, John J. Thrasher bought the 250 acres (1.0 km²) surrounding the terminal for $1,650 and a town was born – named for Thrasher’s good friend, Jonathan Norcross. The Brunswick Hotel was built in 1870 and Norcross quickly became known as a resort area, much like Eastlake, for Atlantans wanting to escape the rapidly growing city. The new town also meant the demise of the surrounding communities of Pinckneyville and Flint Hill, as people migrated in to build houses, churches, schools, and to be near the railroad.

Gwinnett County’s second oldest city, Norcross saw new roads and highways which were later built by-pass the city, preserving its historic center as a 19th century railroad town. People who visit the city may recognize its charm and small town feel. The city is again on the upswing as new restaurants and shops move into the downtown area and as a new generation of homeowners, business owners, and citizens enter the community.

Geography

Norcross is located at 33°56′N 84°13′W / 33.933°N 84.217°W / 33.933; -84.217 (33.9386, -84.2086)^[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.1 square miles (11 km²), of which, 4.1 square miles (11 km²) of it is land and 0.24% is water.

Downtown Norcross lies along the Eastern Continental Divide.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1960	1,605		—
1970	2,755		71.7%
1980	3,317		20.4%
1990	5,947		79.3%
2000	8,410		41.4%
2010	9,116		8.4%

As of 2010 Norcross had a population of 9,116. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 40.8% white (26.9% non-Hispanic white), 19.8% black or African American (18.7% non-Hispanic black), 0.7% Native American, 2.1% Asian Indian, 10.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.5% from some other race (0.3% non-Hispanic from some other race) and 4.3% reporting two or more races. 39.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[4]

At the 2000 census^[1], there were 8,410 people, 2,644 households and 1,768 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,050.4 per square mile (792.0/km²). There were 2,750 housing units at an average density of 670.5 per square mile (259.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.50% White, 20.82% African American, 0.54% Native American, 6.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 15.39% from other races, and 3.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40.93% of the population.

There were 2,644 households of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.35.

Age distribution was 22.7% under the age of 18, 14.8% from 18 to 24, 40.9% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 130.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.8 males.

The median household income was $44,728 and the median family income was $42,893. Males had a median income of $26,485 versus $27,347 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,573. About 11.8% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Gwinnett County Public Schools serves Norcross.

Elementary Schools

• Simpson Elementary School (Norcross)
• Beaver Ridge Elementary School (Norcross)
• Meadowcreek Elementary School (Meadowcreek)
• Norcross Elementary School (Norcross)
• Rockbridge Elementary School (Meadowcreek)

Middle Schools

• Summerour Middle (Norcross)
• Pinckneyville Middle (Norcross)

High Schools

• Meadowcreek High School (Meadowcreek)
• Norcross High School (Norcross)

Other Schools

• Greater Atlanta Christian School (Private School)
• GIVE Center West (Alternative School)
• Ashworth College (Online/Correspondence University)

Public libraries

Gwinnett County Public Library operates the Norcross Branch in Norcross.^[5]

Local companies

• Rock-Tenn, a Fortune 1000 paper and packaging manufacturer
• Institute of Industrial Engineers, a professional society for Industrial Engineers.
• The Athlete's Foot Brands, LLC, Athletic Footwear and Clothing
• LSI Corporation, which designs semiconductors and software that accelerate storage and networking in datacenters and mobile networks.
• EMS Technologies, specializes in wireless communications.
• Bardi Heating and Air Condition, specializing in air conditioning and heaters. This company was based out of Norcross, GA.
• Visix, a software development firm for visual communication applications (digital signage); Inc. Magazine Southeast 500 Companies, 2007 ; Inc. 5000 - 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 ^[6]
• American Megatrends is headquartered in Building 200 at 5555 Oakbrook Parkway in unincorporated Gwinnett County, near Norcross.^[7][8]
• Waffle House is headquartered in unincorporated Gwinnett County,^[9] near Norcross.^[10]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
4. ^ 2010 general profile of demographic and housing characteristics of Norcross from the US Census]
5. ^ "Hours & Locations." Gwinnett County Public Library. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
6. ^ Visix Inc company listing" Manta.com
7. ^ "Contact Us." American Megatrends. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
8. ^ "OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF NORCROSS." City of Norcross. Retrieved on May 29, 2011.
9. ^ "Contact Us." Waffle House. Retrieved on May 19, 2009.
10. ^ Woods, Mark. "If this is what it gets to, it's bad." The Florida Times-Union. May 3, 2009. Retrieved on May 19, 2009.

External links

Atlanta portal

• City of Norcross web site
• Norcross Neighbors web site
• Historic Norcross Holiday Home Tour
• Listen to the Norcross Police Department