Buford, Georgia
20 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1890 and the latest in 1999. It stands in the Buford-Sugar Hill census division. It lies in ZIP code area 30518. The Survey maps it on the Suwanee quadrangle. 17,144 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,184 feet above sea level.
On record in Buford
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 4 records
Bona Allen Houselisted 1983
John Quincy Allen Houselisted 1984
Bona Allen Shoe and Horse Collar Factorylisted 2005- Buford Public School Auditoriumlisted 2009
Population over time
2 figuresBuford grew from 12,225 to 17,144 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12,225 | |
| 2020 | 17,144 | +4,919 (+40%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
10 surveys from 20 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1890 USGS Suwanee quadrangle1:125000
- 1894 USGS Suwanee quadrangle1:125000, 6 printings
- 1955 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000
- 1958 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1961 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000
- 1963 USGS Rome quadrangle1:250000
- 1964 USGS Suwanee quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1981 USGS Cartersville quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1992 USGS Suwanee quadrangle1:24000
- 1999 USGS Suwanee quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
127 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 127 fires within 5 miles of Buford between 1992 and 2018, burning about 355 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 40 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 44 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 40 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 12 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 11 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 6 |
| Smoking | 5 |
| Natural | 3 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 1993 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 September 2011 | Arson/incendiarism | 6.4 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2012-HALL-005 |
| 25 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 14 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 18 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 16 September 1999 | Arson/incendiarism | 2.7 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 5 August 1998 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 9.6 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | not named |
| 22 August 2002 | Natural | 3.4 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2003-GWINNETT-003 |
| 5 July 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.7 acres | Georgia Forestry Commission | FY2011-HALL-002 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
3 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Buford: 2 producers, 1 past producer. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Iron, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Steel/ Cartersville, Ga. | Iron | Producer | ||
| Friendship Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Level Creek Gold Mine | Gold | Past Producer |
Storms near this place
37 since 1997Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Buford in 37 storm reports between 1997 and 2023: 14 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, 9 lightning, 2 flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2009 | Flood | Buford | $12,500,000 | Record flooding continued to expand eastern the eastern suburbs of the Atlanta metropolitan area as renewed rounds of showers and thunderstorms with very heavy rain tracked repeatedly over the same areas throughout the day. Portions of hundreds of roads in the county were closed from flooding and washed out bridges and/or culverts. Hundreds of homes, apartments, and businesses sustained significant flood damage. Record flooding was occurring on Suwanee Creek near Suwanee. Some of the most significant flooding occurred in the Stone Mountain area on U.S. Highway 78 from the DeKalb county line to Ross Road. Monetary damage to property and roads during this time frame across Gwinnett county was estimated to be near $12.5 million. |
| September 2009 | Flood | Buford | $5,630,000 | Gwinnett county emergency management personnel and USGS stream gages confirmed that record to catastrophic flooding continued across much of the county. Hundreds of homes, apartments, businesses, and roads sustained damages from flooding. A number of culverts and/or bridges were washed out and several roads were closed. Flood waters began to recede after 830 am EDT on the 22nd. However, many locations remained in major to record flood until 715 am EDT on the 23rd. Monetary damage from flooding continued to mount, with damages exceeding $5.6 million during this time frame. |
| April 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $350,000 | The Gwinnett Daily Post reported that seven homes within the county, mainly in the northwest portion between Duluth and Buford, were damaged by strong straight-line winds. The homes were mainly damaged when large trees fell on the structures. The most significant damage was reported at the Saratoga Spring Apartment Complex in Duluth, where a large tree destroyed four apartment units. |
| July 2008 | Lightning | Buford | $250,000 | The Gwinnett Extra portion of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that caused nine structural fires in the Buford area. The most significant incident was a home set on fire in the 900 block of Creekview Bluff Way in Buford. The roof of the two-story home was completely destroyed. |
| July 2010 | Lightning | Buford | $200,000 | Fox 5 Television of Atlanta and the Gwinnett Daily Post reported that lightning struck a home on Roberts Street just northeast of Buford. The single story, single family home was completely destroyed as a result of the ensuing fire. A family of four was displaced as a result of this incident, but no injuries occurred. |
| July 2005 | Lightning | Buford | $132,000 | The Gwinnett Daily Post reported that at least four lightning incidents occurred during the afternoon. One home on Pintail Court in Lawrenceville suffered moderate damage to an exterior wall and attic when lightning set it on fire. A second home on Kennedy Road in Buford sustained significant damage when lightning set the attic on fire which burned through the roof of the home. A third fire occurred on Windy Shore Drive in Snellville. Only minor damage to an interior garage wall was reported at this location. Finally, lightning struck a transformer in the area causing 6500 people to lose power. |
| August 2006 | Lightning | Buford | $100,000 | The Gwinnett Daily Post reported that a home on Goldmist Drive was struck by lightning and set on fire. Considerable damage was noted to the attic and one room. The home was declared uninhabitable resulting in the displacement of three people. |
| July 1999 | Lightning | Buford | $30,000 | A newspaper reported lightning sparked a fire that heavily damaged a church at the intersection of Island Ford and Buford Dam roads. |
| August 2009 | Lightning | Buford | $25,000 | The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that lightning struck a home in the 7000 block of River Island Circle. A portion of the roof and an exterior wall were set on fire before the fire was extinguished. The structure suffered minor structural damage. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $15,000 | The public reported a few trees blown down on the east side of Buford from Rolling Creek Drive to Stoneleigh Run Drive where one tree fell onto a parked car causing some damage to the roof. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $15,000 | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that several trees and power lines were down across the county. The Gwinnett County 911 Center reported that several power lines were down in the Buford area. Several roads were either blocked or at least partially blocked, including East Shadburn Ferry in Buford, South Berkeley Lake Road in Duluth, and Highpoint Road Southwest near U.S. Highway 78 in Snellville. |
| April 1998 | Hail | Buford | $5,000 | Golfball size hail damaged a car. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $4,000 | Thunderstorm winds knocked over several large tree limbs, one of which crushed patio furniture. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $3,500 | The Gwinnett Times reported that a large tree was blown down, which broke five to six power poles. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $3,000 | The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that at least 10 trees were blown down along Buford Highway in northern Gwinnett county from a thunderstorm downburst. |
| May 2006 | Lightning | Buford | $3,000 | The Gwinnett Daily Post of Lawrenceville reported that lightning struck and set on fire a storage shed at a home on Amer Creek Trail. The shed was completely destroyed. The nearby home was not damaged since the shed was unattached to the home. |
| December 2005 | Hail | Buford | $3,000 | Several reports were received from the public of quarter-sized hail in Buford and east of Buford to near the Hall county line. One report from the public indicated hail as large as half-dollars in the Buford area. |
| May 2006 | Lightning | Buford | $2,000 | A local newspaper reported that lightning struck a storage shed adjacent to a home, setting the storage shed on fire. The adjacent home was not damaged. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused minor structural damage to a home. |
| June 2011 | Lightning | Buford | $1,000 | The Gwinnett County Emergency Management Director reported that a home on Stewart Ridge Walk, NE in Buford was struck by lightning. Although there was a strong smell of smoke, no fire occurred. It appeared that lightning had affected some of the electrical components of the home with no fire. Monetary damage was minimal and related to electrical equipment. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $1,000 | The Gwinnett County SkyWarn measured a wind gust of 60 mph in Buford at 1845 LDT. The wind gust caused minor damage to the roof of one home. A few minutes earlier, other SkyWarn members estimated wind gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range near Interstate-85 and Georgia Highway 20 in the Sugar Hill and Buford area, very close to the Mall of Georgia. Then in the 1850 - 1855 period, the same thunderstorm caused damage to a home north of Dacula and just west of Auburn on the Gwinnett/Barrow county line when wind gusts blew some shutters off the house. |
| May 1998 | Hail | Buford | $1,000 | A public report indicated hail ranging dime to golf ball size. |
| October 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | $500 | The Gwinnett County Emergency Manager reported two trees down in the vicinity of Hamilton Mill Road, Thrasher Road and I-985. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | - | Report from mping, power-poles broken. |
| March 2008 | Hail | Buford | - | An amateur radio operator reported quarter-sized hail in far northern Gwinnett county in the Buford area. |
| May 2006 | Hail | Buford | - | A number of reports of hail, ranging in size from pennies to ping-pong balls, were received from the public across many areas of Gwinnett county, especially the northeast two-thirds of the county, northeast of a line from Norcross to Grayson. Ping-pong ball-sized hail was reported in the Lawrenceville area. Nickel to quarter-sized hail was reported from both Snellville and Grayson, with nickel-sized hail reported in the Norcross area. Penny-sized hail was reported in the north part of the county in the Buford area, while near penny-sized hail was reported near the Walton county line southeast of Grayson. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Buford | - | The public reported penny-sized hail in Buford and quarter-sized hail in Dacula. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | - | A spotter with the Gwinnett County Skywarn measured a wind gust of 62 mph with an electronic home weather station. |
| December 2004 | Hail | Buford | - | A Gwinnett County SkyWarn spotter reported penny-sized hail. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Buford | - | A spotter with the Gwinnett County SkyWarn reported penny-sized hail. |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buford | - | A SkyWarn spotter for the Gwinnett County ARIES reported a wind gust to 60 mph. |
| June 2001 | Hail | Buford | - | The public reported dime size hail. |
| May 1999 | Hail | Buford | - | The public reported dime size hail. |
| April 1998 | Hail | Buford | - | Larger than nickel size hail was reported at Buford Dam. |
| October 1997 | Hail | Buford | - | Dime size hail was reported by the public. |
| July 1997 | Hail | Buford | - | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Hail | Buford | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sagefield | 1.0 miles | 16 | |
| Woodbriar East | 1.4 miles | 15 | |
| Pebble Brook | 1.5 miles | 15 | |
| Northwest Harbor | 1.6 miles | 21 | |
| Rest Haven | 1.7 miles | 16 | |
| Hickory Hills | 1.8 miles | 20 | |
| Sugar Hill | 1.8 miles | 20 | |
| Lake Lanier Vista | 2.0 miles | 21 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Buford | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1002205 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 312001. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.









