Gainesville

Gainesville: Lake Sidney Lanier

Gainesville, city, seat (1823) of Hall county, northeastern Georgia, U.S., about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Atlanta. It is located along Lake Sidney Lanier (which is impounded by Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River), in the foothills of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains.

Settled in 1818, it was named for General Edmund P. Gaines, who served in the War of 1812. Gainesville was heavily damaged and many lives were lost in tornadoes in 1903 and 1936, the latter leaving the city virtually flattened. Both times the city recovered rapidly. Large-scale poultry raising was introduced after World War II and became one of the chief components of the local economy.

Poultry has remained important, but the economy has diversified. Manufactures include textiles and apparel, industrial machinery, and automotive parts. Gainesville is the site of Brenau University (1878, originally for women) and the Riverside Military Academy (1907). Gainesville (junior) College (opened 1966) merged with North Georgia College and State University to become the University of North Georgia in 2013. It serves as headquarters for both Oconee and Chattahoochee national forests. Inc. 1821. Pop. (2000) 25,578; Gainesville Metro Area, 139,277; (2010) 33,804; Gainesville Metro Area, 179,684.