Tucker is a city located near Atlanta in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States and was originally settled in the 1820s, and later developed as a railroad community in 1892. As of the 2020 census, Tucker had a population of 37,005. In a November 2015 referendum, by a 3:1 margin (73.94%), voters approved incorporating Tucker into a city. In March 2016, Tucker residents elected the city's first mayor and city council. City status officially started in around late August 2016 While officially in DeKalb, unincorporated areas with a Tucker address overspill into nearby Gwinnett County. History
Settlers The 1821 Georgia Land Lottery opened portions of state land for settlement between the Flint and Ocmulgee rivers, including present-day DeKalb County. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation ceded the land to the United States in January of that year, and drawings for lots measuring each began in May in Milledgeville, the state capital until 1868. The land grant fee was $19.00.
In 1821, the area that would become Tucker was in Militia District 572 in Henry County. The state created DeKalb County on December 9, 1822, and District 572 became DeKalb's 18th District, or the Brownings District, reportedly named for Andrew Browning.
Among the thirty cemeteries within a radius of Main Street, approximately 30 graves belong to individuals born in the 18th century, four of whom are Revolutionary War soldiers. Twelve graves belong to Confederate soldiers.
American Civil War In spite of DeKalb County delegates voting against secession from the United States, Georgia joined the Confederacy and seceded from the Union in 1861. The full reality of that decision marched into Tucker in July 1864. Union soldiers camped at Henderson's Mill, used the Brownings Courthouse, one of the few buildings in the area they did not burn, dismantled the railroad to Stone Mountain, and formed the left wing of Sherman's advance to Atlanta.
Railroad
In 1886 the Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway received a charter to build a new rail line between Monroe, North Carolina, and Atlanta. Prior to the project's completion, the company leased the road to the Seaboard Air Line Railroad system, a collection of regional railroads headquartered in North Carolina eager to extend its reach to Atlanta.
Seaboard built depots at a number of small villages, often little more than a crossroads, and named them for railroad company officials. The depot at Jug Tavern, for example, was named for Seaboard's general manager, John H. Winder. The stop at Bryan was named in honor of the system's general superintendent, Lilburn Meyers. Although the origin of the name is unknown, it is possible that the next stop, in the Brownings District, may have been named for Rufus S. Tucker, a director and major shareholder in several Seaboard system railroads. At the DeKalb County Centennial Celebration in 1922, Charles Murphey Candler stated that Tucker a "prosperous and promising village on the Seaboard Air Line Railway... was named in honor of Capt. Tucker, an official of the Seaboard Air Railway." Some residents attribute the name to a local family with the surname Tucker.
The first train steamed into the new Tucker station on Sunday, April 24, 1892. Originating in Elberton with a final destination of the Atlanta suburb of Inman Park — a four-hour trip — the Seaboard train consisted of two cars carrying 150 passengers and a baggage car. Two months later the US Postal Service appointed Alpheus G. Chewning first Postmaster of the Tucker Post office. Rural Free Delivery began on March 2, 1903.
On Saturday, July 1, 1967, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad merged with the Atlantic Coast Line to form Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. In 1983 The line became Seaboard System and merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio, Baltimore & Ohio and the Western Maryland in 1986 Chessie System to form current railroad operator, CSXT. Although no longer a train stop for passengers, the Tucker depot is currently a CSX field office for track repair and signal maintenance.
Tucker, at above sea level, is the highest point of elevation on the railroad line between Atlanta and Richmond, Virginia.
20th century Following World War II, Tucker began a steady transition from an agricultural community to a mixed industrial, retail, and residential area. The strength of a county-wide water system extending into Tucker by the 1950s, and the post war establishment of nearby employers in other areas of the county including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1946 (originally known as the Communicable Disease Center), General Motors in Doraville, Kraft Foods and a large Veterans' Hospital in Decatur, and the growth of Emory University, brought new residents to Tucker from across the nation. Descendants of early settlers subdivided and sold family land for neighborhoods and shopping plazas. Local community leaders opened Tucker Federal Savings and Loan, created a youth football league, and by the 1960s newspapers identified Tucker as "DeKalb's Area of Golden Opportunity". The post–World War II baby boom drove the growth of DeKalb County schools and with the affordability of the car, the expansion of the highway system, and inexpensive fuel, Tucker became an ideal location to call home.
Geography
Tucker is located in northeastern DeKalb County at (33.851736, -84.221524), approximately northeast of downtown Atlanta. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.83%, is water.
The Eastern Continental Divide cuts through Tucker, along Chamblee-Tucker Road to LaVista Road and continuing south towards Mountain Industrial Boulevard. Water falling to the west of this line flows towards the Chattahoochee River and the Gulf of Mexico. Water falling to the east of this line flows towards the Atlantic Ocean through the Ocmulgee River.
Topography
Tucker is in the state's Piedmont geologic region, composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks resulting from 300 to 600 million year old sediments that were subjected to high temperatures and pressures and re-exposed roughly 250 to 300 million years ago. Rocks typical of the region include schist, amphibolite, gneiss, migmatite, and granite.Georgia Piedmont, a USGS document (accessed October 25, 2006)
Over a dozen creeks originate in Tucker including Burnt Fork Creek, South Fork Peachtree Creek, Camp Creek, and Henderson Mill Creek. Prior to the widespread accessibility of electricity and indoor plumbing, several were used as mill ponds or dammed for baptism. From 1906 until its demise in the 1940s, Burnt Fort Creek was the primary tributary for the Decatur Waterworks.
Climate
Tucker's climate, typical of a humid subtropical climate, features mild winters and hot summers. In spite of moderate conditions compared to communities in many other states, Tucker has occasional extreme weather. The record high is , recorded on July 8, 1927, and the record low, January 21, 1985, .
Demographics
Tucker first appeared as a census designated place in the 1980 U.S. census and after incorporation was listed as a city in the 2020 U.S. census.
Racial and ethnic composition +Tucker, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop2000Pop2010Pop2020% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)18,23915,95114,38768.74%57.83%38.88%Black or African American alone (NH)3,6706,00313,20913.83%21.76%35.70%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3157720.12%0.21%0.19%Asian alone (NH)2,0952,0223,0547.90%7.33%8.25%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)101970.04%0.07%0.02%Other race alone (NH)55752300.21%0.27%0.62%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3855261,4231.45%1.91%3.85%Hispanic or Latino (any race)2,0472,9284,6237.72%10.62%12.49%Total26,53227,58137,005100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Tucker had a population of 37,005. The median age was 40.5 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.9 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 15,100 households in Tucker, including 8,753 families; 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.3% were married-couple households, 19.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 16,255 housing units, of which 7.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number PercentWhite 14,888 40.2%Black or African American 13,398 36.2%American Indian and Alaska Native 200 0.5%Asian 3,064 8.3%Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 7 0.0%Some other race 2,743 7.4%Two or more races 2,705 7.3%Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 4,623 12.5%
Culture and contemporary life
Tucker primarily consists of 1960s and 1970s-era ranch and split-level homes, and 1970s and 1980s-era multi-story homes. The latter two often feature daylight basements. Various neighborhoods are typically groups by geographic association with elementary schools and other centers of community life such as parks.
Community organizations The desire for community involvement continues to foster growth in various Tucker groups and associations. Some of the more significant include; the Tucker Business Association, Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District, Tucker Civic Association, Tucker Historical Society, Main Street Theatre, Friends of Henderson Park, Friends of Johns Homestead, Friends of Kelley C. Cofer Park, Main Street Tucker Alliance, Friends of the Tucker Nature Preserve, Old Town Tucker Merchants Association, Tucker Parent Council, and Smoke Rise Community Association.
With the exception of sports organizations, involving residents in multiple counties, most of these groups are predominantly led by and serve residents within the Tucker area.
Tucker includes multiple Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Presbyterian churches; Catholic, Mormon, and over a dozen non-denomination Christian churches, some holding services in Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Several churches including Rehoboth Baptist, established in 1854, and First Baptist of Tucker, established in 1893, maintain large youth athletic programs. In the 1970s, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built a regional welfare and emergency response center in Royal Atlanta Business Park.
Outdoor events Outdoor events held on Main Street are a central part of the community for numerous residents and organizations. The Tucker Day celebration, first held in the 1950s, is an annual event typically including a parade, that runs the length of Main Street with food vendors, artist, musicians, and merchants. Other annual events on Main Street include the Taste of Tucker and Tucker Chili Cook-Off. The street is also closed for the Tucker Cruise-In held monthly between April and September. The Farmers Market on Main Street has recently moved from its position in Downtown Tucker, to a venue just outside Downtown at a church on LaVista Rd.
The Tucker Civic Association, Friends of Henderson Park, Friends of the Tucker Nature Preserve, Friends of Kelley C. Cofer Park, and neighborhood groups regularly organize park and roadside cleanup efforts. The Tucker Historical Society hosts the annual Brownings Courthouse Day and the annual Garden Tour.