Interesting facts

1. Clarkston is famously known as the "Ellis Island of the South" due to its dense immigrant and refugee population. 2. TIME Magazine once dubbed Clarkston the "most diverse square mile in America." 3. Over 60 different languages are spoken within the city's 1.1 square miles. 4. The city was originally incorporated in 1882. 5. Before it was named Clarkston, the area was known informally as "New Cross Keys." 6. The city is named after W.W. Clark, a Covington railroad director and secretary. 7. Clarkston became a refugee hub in the 1990s because of its affordable apartment housing and direct access to public transit (MARTA). 8. The Cottages on Vaughan in Clarkston was the very first micro-home (tiny home) community in the state of Georgia. 9. Georgia State University's Perimeter College Clarkston Campus is home to an internationally recognized sign language interpreter program. 10. Clarkston High School features students from over 50 different countries. 11. The internationally acclaimed "Fugees Family," a soccer program for refugee boys and girls, was founded in Clarkston. 12. In 2016, Clarkston became the first city in Georgia to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. 13. Clarkston was one of the first cities in the South to raise the minimum wage for city employees to $15 an hour. 14. The city made Election Day an official paid holiday for city employees to encourage voting. 15. Clarkston is traversed by the Stone Mountain Trail, a paved path connecting downtown Atlanta to Stone Mountain Park. 16. Friendship Forest, a local nature preserve, was rehabilitated largely through community volunteer efforts. 17. A significant portion of the city's retail consists of international markets, halal butchers, and globally diverse restaurants. 18. The city committed to a goal of 100% clean energy by 2050, a pioneering move for a small Georgia municipality. 19. Sagal Radio, a local station, broadcasts news and community updates in six different languages. 20. Former Mayor Ted Terry, who instituted many of the city's progressive policies, was widely known in the media as the "Millennial Mayor."