Buford, Georgia

Buford, Georgia
City
Main Street
Location of Buford in Gwinnett County, Georgia (left) and of Gwinnett County in Georgia (right)
Buford Location in Metro Atlanta
Coordinates: 34°08′11″N 84°01′59″W / 34.13639°N 84.03306°W / 34.13639; -84.03306
Country	United States
State	Georgia
Counties	Gwinnett, Hall
Area [1]
• Total	18.22 sq mi (47.18 km2)
• Land	18.13 sq mi (46.96 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,053 ft (321 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,144
• Density	945.46/sq mi (365.05/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	30515, 30518, 30519
Area code(s)	770, 678
FIPS code	13-11784[3]
GNIS feature ID	2403950[2]
Website	www.cityofbuford.com

Buford is a city in Gwinnett and Hall counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,144. Most of the city is in Gwinnett County, which is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area. The northern sliver of the city is in Hall County, which comprises the Gainesville, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the larger Atlanta-Athens-Clarke-Sandy Springs Combined Statistical Area.

The city was founded in 1872 after a railroad was built in the area connecting Charlotte, North Carolina, with Atlanta. Buford was named after Algernon Sidney Buford, who at the time was president of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway. The city's leather industry, led by the Bona Allen Company, as well as its location as a railway stop, caused the population to expand during the early 1900s until after the Great Depression had ended.

The city operates its own school district, the Buford City School District, and has been the birthplace and home of several musicians and athletes. Various tourist locations, including museums and community centers, the largest mall in the state of Georgia, the Mall of Georgia, and Lake Lanier Islands are in the Buford region.