Doraville, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Doraville is a city in DeKalb County
, Georgia
, United States
, northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,330.
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 atteracted 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 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.
, 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), all of it land. Crooked Creek goes through Doraville. Crooked Creek
is a tributary of the Chattahoochee River
.
of 2000, there were 9,862 people, 2,998 households, and 1,981 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,747.0 people per square mile (1,060.7/km²). There were 3,102 housing units at an average density of 864.1 per square mile (333.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.35% White, 14.77% African American, 1.28% Native American, 12.67% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 20.62% from other races
, and 4.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.44% of the population.
There were 2,998 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples
living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 38.7% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 127.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,641, and the median income for a family was $41,903. Males had a median income of $23,681 versus $22,165 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,048. About 9.6% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
on September 26, 2008. The plant assembled the Chevrolet Uplander
/Pontiac Montana SV6
/Buick Terraza
/Saturn Relay
family of minivans. The site is being considered for the future home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons
. In December 2008, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a land developer, The Sembler Company
, is in preliminary talks and negotiations to buy the former plant to build a new stadium for the Falcons. It is rumored that the site will remain vacant for at least another ten years.
MARTA
heavy-rail station.
serves Doraville.
The following elementary schools serve sections of Doraville:
The following middle schools serve sections of Doraville:
The following high schools serve sections of Doraville:
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,330.
History
Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, approved December 15, 1871. From its inception 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 atteracted immigrants relocating to the Atlanta area who settled along Buford Highway
Buford Highway
Buford Highway is an international community along and on either side of a stretch of Georgia State Route 13 in DeKalb County, Georgia. It begins just north of Midtown Atlanta, continues northeast through the towns of Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville, and ends northeast of the Perimeter at the...
. 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
Doraville (MARTA station)
Doraville is an elevated metro station and the northern terminus on the Gold Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority rail system, located in Doraville, Georgia...
was built in 1992, destroying the few buildings that remained of Doraville's downtown. The GM 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 (33.905302, -84.273870). Doraville is east of ChambleeChamblee, Georgia
As of the 2010 Census Chamblee had a population of 9,892. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 45.0% white , 7.0% black or African American , 2.1% Native American , 1.8% Vietnamese, 1.6% Asian Indian, 4.6% other Asian, 33.5% from some other race and...
, south of Dunwoody
Dunwoody, Georgia
Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. It is a northern suburb of Atlanta. Dunwoody became incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008...
, west of Norcross
Norcross, Georgia
As of 2010 Norcross had a population of 9,116. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 40.8% white , 19.8% black or African American , 0.7% Native American, 2.1% Asian Indian, 10.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.5% from some other race and 4.3% reporting two or more races...
, and north of Tucker
Tucker, Georgia
Tucker is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 27,581 at the 2010 Census. Although central Tucker, also known as "Main Street Tucker", is laid out as a planned "railroad town," it has never been formally incorporated. Municipal services such as...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), all of it land. Crooked Creek goes through Doraville. Crooked Creek
Crooked Creek
- Streams :* Crooked Creek , a tributary of the Allegheny River* Crooked Creek , a tributary of the Chattahoochee River near Fulton and Gwinnett* Crooked Creek , a tributary of the Kankakee River...
is a tributary of the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,862 people, 2,998 households, and 1,981 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,747.0 people per square mile (1,060.7/km²). There were 3,102 housing units at an average density of 864.1 per square mile (333.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.35% White, 14.77% African American, 1.28% Native American, 12.67% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 20.62% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 43.44% of the population.
There were 2,998 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.24 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 14.9% from 18 to 24, 38.7% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 127.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 134.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,641, and the median income for a family was $41,903. Males had a median income of $23,681 versus $22,165 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,048. About 9.6% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
On November 21, 2005, General Motors announced that it would close its Doraville automobile manufacturing plantDoraville Assembly
Doraville Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Doraville, Georgia, just northeast of Atlanta. The plant opened in 1947, and closed on 26 September 2008 as part of the company's cost-cutting measures...
on September 26, 2008. The plant assembled the Chevrolet Uplander
Chevrolet Uplander
The Chevrolet Uplander is a minivan produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. It replaced the Venture and Astro. Although introduced for the 2005 model year, it overlapped with the final model years of the Venture and Astro. It was built on the same platform as the Saturn Relay, Buick...
/Pontiac Montana SV6
Pontiac Montana
The Pontiac Montana is a minivan from the Pontiac division of General Motors. Prior to the 1997 model year, it was known as Pontiac Trans Sport. In 1997, the Trans Sport added the Montana moniker as part of an available trim package. The package proved so popular the line was renamed Montana in...
/Buick Terraza
Buick Terraza
The Buick Terraza is a minivan from General Motors' Buick brand that was sold from the 2005 through 2007 model years. It filled the position of GM's luxury minivan that was previously occupied by the Oldsmobile Silhouette until the division's demise in 2004...
/Saturn Relay
Saturn Relay
The Saturn Relay was the first and only minivan from the Saturn brand of American automaker General Motors. It was introduced for the 2005 model year, and was built alongside its sisters, the Buick Terraza, the Chevrolet Uplander, and the Pontiac Montana SV6 in Doraville, Georgia...
family of minivans. The site is being considered for the future home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In December 2008, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a land developer, The Sembler Company
Mel Sembler
Melvin Floyd Sembler is former United States Ambassador to Italy , and former Ambassador to Australia and Nauru . He has also served as Chairman of the Board of the Sembler Company, which develops and manages shopping centers, and co-founder of Straight, Inc., a controversial drug-treatment center...
, is in preliminary talks and negotiations to buy the former plant to build a new stadium for the Falcons. It is rumored that the site will remain vacant for at least another ten years.
Transportation
For mass transit, it is served by the DoravilleDoraville (MARTA station)
Doraville is an elevated metro station and the northern terminus on the Gold Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority rail system, located in Doraville, Georgia...
MARTA
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority or MARTA is the principal rapid-transit system in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the ninth-largest in the United States. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting...
heavy-rail station.
Primary and secondary schools
DeKalb County School SystemDeKalb County School System
DeKalb County School System is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States...
serves Doraville.
The following elementary schools serve sections of Doraville:
- Henderson Mill Elementary School (Doraville)
- Oakcliff Elementary School (Doraville)
- Hightower Elementary School (Doraville)
- Cary Reynolds Elementary School (Doraville)
The following middle schools serve sections of Doraville:
- Peachtree Charter Middle SchoolPeachtree Charter Middle SchoolPeachtree Charter Middle School , formerly known as Peachtree Middle School, and originally Peachtree High School, is a public middle school located in Dunwoody, a recently incorporated city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States...
(Unincorporated area) - Sequoyah Middle SchoolSequoyah Middle School (Doraville, Georgia)Seqouyah Middle School is a public middle school located in Doraville, Georgia, United States and part of the DeKalb County School System.It is a renowned school with high expectations for its students....
(Doraville)
The following high schools serve sections of Doraville:
- Cross Keys High School http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/crosskeys/ (Unincorporated area)
- Dunwoody High SchoolDunwoody High SchoolDunwoody High School is a public high school in Dunwoody, an incorporated city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States and is operated by the DeKalb County School System...
(Dunwoody)
Notable residents
- Astronaut John CasperJohn CasperJohn Howard Casper is an American astronaut. Although born in South Carolina, he considers Gainesville, Georgia to be his hometown. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank, Life Scout...
lived in Doraville.
- The 70s Southern rock/adult contemporary band The Atlanta Rhythm SectionAtlanta Rhythm SectionThe Atlanta Rhythm Section, sometimes abbreviated ARS, is an American southern rock band. In 1970 former members of the Candymen and the Classics IV joined together and became the session band for the newly opened Studio One in Doraville, Georgia....
was formed in Doraville. The band's first top 40 single was an uptempo song titled "Doraville" from the Third Annual Pipe DreamThird Annual Pipe DreamThird Annual Pipe Dream is an album by southern rock band Atlanta Rhythm Section, released in 1974. .-Track listing:#"Doraville" – 3:28#"Jesus Hearted People" – 3:48...
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".