Sugar Hill, Georgia

Sugar Hill, Georgia
City
Sugar Hill City Hall
Flag Seal Logo
Location in Gwinnett County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 34°06′04″N84°01′39″W / 34.10111°N 84.02750°W / 34.10111; -84.02750
Country	United States
State	Georgia
County	Gwinnett
Area [1]
• Total	11.16 sq mi (28.91 km2)
• Land	11.13 sq mi (28.82 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,086 ft (331 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,076
• Density	2,253.82/sq mi (870.22/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	30518
Area code(s)	770, 678
FIPS code	13-74180 [3]
GNIS feature ID	2405538 [2]
Website	www.cityofsugarhill.com

Sugar Hill is a city in northern Gwinnett County in the U.S. state of Georgia, included within the Metro Atlanta area. The population was 25,076 as of the 2020 census, ^[4] making it the fourth-largest city in Gwinnett County. ^[5] It is in close proximity to Lake Lanier and the foothills of the North Georgia mountains. ^[6]

History

Sugar Hill was established through a charter by the Georgia state assembly in 1939 as the Town of Sugar Hill ^[7] and officially incorporated on March 24, 1939. ^[8] The town was renamed the City of Sugar Hill in 1975. ^[9] Before the city was incorporated, the area was part of a route from the railroad in Buford to the city of Cumming. According to local tradition, the town was named after an incident where a large shipment of sugar spilled and the area became known as "the hill where the sugar spilled" or "the sugar hill". ^[10]

In 2001, a drastic increase in natural gas prices, disproportionate to the cost of natural gas outside of Sugar Hill, resulted in residents forming "The Committee to Dissolve Sugar Hill", with over 1,600 residents signing a petition calling for a referendum to abolish both the municipal utility and the city itself. ^[11] State senator Billy Ray proposed a bill asking for a non-binding referendum. The bill was passed in the state senate but failed to pass in the House, and the effort to revoke the city's charter was unsuccessful. ^[12] The city council responded to this effort by reducing the utility's prices to be comparable to those in the surrounding area. ^[13]

Geography

Sugar Hill, Georgia
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     5.2     50 32     5.3     54 34     5.2     63 41     3.7     71 48     3.8     77 56     4.1     84 65     4.2     87 69     4.4     86 68     4.6     80 61     3.9     71 51     4.3     62 42     4.7     52 34 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     131     10 0     134     12 1     133     17 5     94     22 9     97     25 13     105     29 18     107     31 21     112     30 20     116     27 16     99     22 11     110     17 6     118     11 1 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm

Sugar Hill is located in northern Gwinnett County in northern Georgia. It is bordered to the northeast by the city of Buford and to the southwest by the city of Suwanee. Georgia State Route 20 is the main highway through the center of Sugar Hill, leading northwest 11 miles (18 km) to Cumming and south 12 miles (19 km) to Lawrenceville, the Gwinnett County seat. U.S. Route 23 runs along the southern edge of Sugar Hill, leading southwest 5 miles (8 km) to Suwanee and 10 miles (16 km) to Duluth. US 23 turns southeast at the Sugar Hill–Buford border and runs 1 mile (1.6 km) with SR 20 to Interstate 985, which in turn leads northeast 19 miles (31 km) to Gainesville and southwest 36 miles (58 km) to downtown Atlanta.

According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2010 the city of Sugar Hill had a total land area of 10.6 square miles (27.5 km²), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²), or 0.33%, was water. ^[14] The U.S. Geological Survey lists the city's elevation as 1,149 feet (350 m). ^[15]

Climate

The climate of Sugar Hill, as with most of the southeastern United States, is humid subtropical (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification with four seasons, including hot, humid summers and cool winters.

July is generally the warmest month of the year with an average high of around 87 °F (31 °C). The coldest month is January which has an average high of around 50 °F (10 °C). ^[16] The highest recorded temperature was 107 °F (42 °C) in 1952, while the lowest recorded temperature was −8 °F (−22 °C) in 1985. ^[16]

Sugar Hill receives abundant rainfall distributed fairly evenly throughout the year, as is typical of southeastern cities, with February on average having the highest average precipitation at 5.3 inches (130 mm), and April typically being the driest month with 3.7 inches (94 mm). ^[16]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1940	599		—
1950	783		30.7%
1960	1,175		50.1%
1970	1,745		48.5%
1980	2,473		41.7%
1990	4,557		84.3%
2000	11,399		150.1%
2010	18,522		62.5%
2020	25,076		35.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [17]

Sugar Hill is Gwinnett County's fourth-largest city by population. ^[5] The city was previously the third-largest city in Gwinnett County ^[18] until Peachtree Corners became a city on July 1, 2012. ^[19] After the 2000 census the city's growth was ranked 75 out of the 100 highest growing cities in the nation, and one of the 20 fastest growing in the state of Georgia ^[20] The population growth from 2010 to 2020 was an increase of 35.4%. ^[5]

In the 2020 census Sugar Hill had a population of 25,076, with 8,271 households in the city. The population density was 2,253.8 inhabitants per square mile (870.2/km²). The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 62.7% white, 12.4% black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 11.4% Asian, and 6.9% from two or more races. 19.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[4]

In 2020, 27.4% of people were under 18. The median income for a household in the city was $89,583, and the median income for a family was $75,473. Males had a median income of $53,890 versus $37,991 for females. The per capita income for the city was $35,990. 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.4% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over. ^[4]

Economy

Sugar Hill, as with the rest of Gwinnett County, has a sales tax of 6%, which comprises the 4% state sales tax and a 2% local tax. ^[21]

On April 28, 2011, Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation that allowed individual local communities to vote on whether to allow alcohol sales on Sundays, which had previously been prohibited by the Georgia General Assembly since the 1800s. ^[22] Supporters of the proposal to allow Sunday sales of alcohol argued that doing so would help the economy. ^[22] A total of 97 cities and counties in Georgia held referendums on November 8, 2011, ^[23] including Sugar Hill. The Sugar Hill city council voted to allow Sugar Hill residents vote on the issue ^[18] and on November 15, 2011, ^[24] Sugar Hill became one of several cities that voted to allow Sunday sales of alcohol. ^[25] In 2012, the remaining areas of Gwinnett County that did not hold November 8 referendums voted to allow Sunday sales. ^[26]

Government

The city of Sugar Hill is governed by a mayor and five member city council. ^[27]

When Sugar Hill was established in 1939, the town charter called for a mayor and five city councilmen, and that these elected officials were to be elected every two years. ^[7] An amendment to the town's charter in 1952 changed the election process so that the mayor and three members of the town council are elected on even years for a term of two years, and two other members of the council are elected on odd years for a term of two years. ^[28] In 1975, when the new charter was enacted that reincorporated the Town of Sugar Hill as the City of Sugar Hill, it added the requirement that a councilmen be appointed as mayor pro tempore, and retained the election method established in 1952. ^[9]

The city's budget in 2012 was $28.2 million, and in 2013 was $19.4 million. ^[29] In 2010 ^[30] Sugar Hill approved the process of constructing a larger city hall to accommodate for the city's increase in population. The new city hall was completed and opened in January 2013. ^[31]

Sugar Hill is part of Georgia's 7th congressional district ^{[32] [33]} The city is part of the Georgia State Senate's 45th district, and the 97th, 98th, and 102nd districts for the Georgia House of Representatives. ^[32]

Education

Gwinnett county operates Gwinnett County Public Schools for K-12 students living in Sugar Hill. Sugar Hill Elementary, White Oak Elementary, Sycamore Elementary, Lanier Middle School and Lanier High School are the public schools serving the city of Sugar Hill residents. Portions of Sugar Hill also fall under the North Gwinnett district, encompassing Riverside Elementary, North Gwinnett Middle School, and North Gwinnett High School.

Gwinnett County Public Library operates the Buford-Sugar Hill Branch in Buford. ^[34]

Media

See also: Media in Atlanta

As part of the Metro Atlanta area, Sugar Hill's primary network-affiliated television stations are WXIA-TV (NBC), WANF (CBS), WSB-TV (ABC), and WAGA-TV (Fox). ^[35] WGTV is the local station of the statewide Georgia Public Television network and is a PBS member station. ^[36]

Sugar Hill is served by the Gwinnett Daily Post , which is the most widely distributed newspaper in Sugar Hill as well as Gwinnett county's legal organ. ^[37] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is also distributed in Sugar Hill. The weekly Gwinnett Herald served Sugar Hill from 1871 until 1885. ^[38]

Infrastructure

Roads and freeways

Sugar Hill's major road is State Route 20, which travels through Sugar Hill in a general northwest-southeast direction, going southeast into the adjoining city of Buford and northwest into Forsyth County. The nearest interstates are I-985 and I-85, which are both accessible via State Route 20 in Buford.

Pedestrians and cycling

• Sugar Hill Greenway (Under construction) ^[39]
• Western Gwinnett Bikeway (Under construction) ^[40]

Utilities

The city is a member of the Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia ^{[13] [41]} and manages the Sugar Hill Gas Department, which provides natural gas for the city's residents. ^[42]

Notable people

• Derrick Brown, NFL football player ^[43]
• Zach Calzada, College football player ^[44]
• Kurt Johnson, former NHRA pro stock driver ^[45]
• Warren Johnson, former NHRA pro stock driver ^[46]
• Daryl Mitchell, television and movie actor ^[47]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sugar Hill, Georgia
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Sugar Hill, Georgia 2020 census". Census.gov . April 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
5. Yeomans, Curt (September 6, 2021). "Census data shows Norcross had largest population growth of all Gwinnett's cities". Gwinnett Daily Post. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
6. "About Sugar Hill". cityofsugarhill.com. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
7. Georgia General Assembly (1939). "Sugar Hill town charter. No. 321". Acts and resolutions of the General Assembly of the state of Georgia 1939 [volume 1]. p. 1302-1328. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023– via GALILEO.
8. "Sugar Hill". georgia.gov. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
9. Georgia General Assembly (1975). "City of Sugar Hill new charter. No. 227 (House Bill No. 233)". Acts and resolutions of the General Assembly of the state of Georgia 1975 [volume 2]. p. 3232-3269. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023– via GALILEO.
10. "Our History". City of Sugar Hill, Georgia. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
11. Graham, Emily (March 28, 2001). "Making a city history - Sugar Hill latest among small cities targeted for extinction". Creative Loafing. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
12. "Gwinnett County, Ga., Grows by Turning Inward". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. September 2, 2002. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2012– via HighBeam Research.
13. "Uproar Simmers as Sugar Hill, Ga., Gas Utility Changes Pricing Structure". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. April 1, 2001. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2012– via HighBeam Research.
14. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Sugar Hill city, Georgia". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved November 30, 2016.^{[ dead link ]}
15. "Sugar Hill, GA". mapper.acme.com. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
16. "Average Weather for Buford, GA". The Weather Channel. Archived from the original on June 29, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
17. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
18. Alpert, Michael (July 11, 2011). "Sugar Hill to allow Sunday sales vote". Gwinnett Daily Post. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
19. "Peachtree Corners to become county's largest city". 11 Alive. November 9, 2011. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
20. "Atlanta Metro Growth Outdistances Rest of State". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. July 14, 2003. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2012– via HighBeam Research.
21. "Gwinnett County Georgia Sales Tax Rates". taxrates.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
22. Leslie, Jennifer (November 20, 2011). "Sunday sales off to a brisk start in many cities". 11 Alive. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
23. Galloway, Jim (September 13, 2011). "Political Insider 97 Georgia counties, cities set to vote on Sunday sales". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
24. "Ordinance - Alcohol Sunday Sales" (PDF). City of Sugar Hill. Retrieved January 19, 2013.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
25. "Sunday alcohol sales start in metro Atlanta". CBS Atlanta. December 18, 2011. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
26. Young, Camie (March 7, 2012). "Sunday sales passes in Gwinnett, Buford by wide margin". Gwinnett Daily Post. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
27. "Government". City of Sugar Hill. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
28. Georgia General Assembly (1952). "Sugar Hill charter amended. No. 755 (Senate Bill No. 376)". Acts and resolutions of the General Assembly of the state of Georgia 1952 session [volume 1]. p. 2600-2601. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023– via GALILEO.
29. Alpert, Michael (December 10, 2012). "Sugar Hill passes $19.4M 2013 budget". Gwinnett Daily Post. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
30. Alpert, Michael (May 7, 2010). "New City Hall to be heart of Sugar Hill". Gwinnett Daily Post. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
31. Young, Camie (January 8, 2013). "New Sugar Hill City Hall opens for business". Gwinnett Daily Post. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
32. "City of Sugar Hill". Georgia Municipal Association. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
33. "Georgia's 7th Congressional District". opencongress.org. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
34. "Hours & Locations Archived 2010-07-26 at the Wayback Machine ." Gwinnett County Public Library. Retrieved on February 24, 2010.
35. "Sugar Hill TV Stations and Networks List". American Towns. Archived from the original on October 23, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
36. "WGTV". Georgia Public Broadcasting. May 24, 2010. Archived from the original on May 25, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
37. "Gwinnett Daily Post Legal Notices" (PDF). Gwinnett Daily Post. February 27, 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
38. "About Weekly Gwinnett herald. (Lawrenceville, Ga.) 1871–1885". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on July 1, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
39. "SUGAR LOOP GREENWAY MASTER PLAN" (PDF). sugarhillgreenway.com. April 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
40. "Gwinnett trails master plan unveiled for review". Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
41. "Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company, LLC". Municipal Gas Authority of Georgia. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
42. "Sugar Hill Gas Utility". City of Sugar Hill, Georgia. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
43. Wright, L (June 14, 2022). "NFL's Derrick Brown, a Lanier graduate, to host free youth football camp in Sugar Hill". North Gwinnett Voice. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
44. Zwermeman, Brent (November 21, 2019). "A&M was clear-cut choice for Georgian Zach Calzada". Houston Chronicle . Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
45. Glick, Shav (November 13, 2000). "Scelzi Has a Picture-Perfect Finish at Pomona". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
46. Stephens, Bill (December 27, 2004). "Johnson spent Christmas in his shop". ESPN.com . Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
47. Cooper, Chet (August–September 2010). "Daryl "Chill" Mitchell". Ability . Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2010.

External links

• City of Sugar Hill official website