Before European settlement, the land that is now Clarkston was inhabited by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Following their forced removal in the early 1820s, the area remained largely rural until the arrival of the Georgia Railroad in the 1830s. The community initially sprouted around a railroad stop known as "New Siding," named after a local resident, Jake New.
In 1882, the settlement was officially incorporated as the City of Clarkston, named in honor of W.W. Clark, a Covington lawyer and director of the Georgia Railroad. For the first half of the 20th century, Clarkston was a quiet, predominantly white suburb of Atlanta, characterized by small single-family homes and its proximity to the railway.
The city's modern identity began to take shape in the 1980s and 1990s. Seeking accessible transit and affordable housing for displaced populations, national and international refugee resettlement agencies identified Clarkston's numerous large apartment complexes as ideal starting points. Beginning with refugees from Vietnam and later welcoming waves from Bosnia, Somalia, Bhutan, Myanmar, Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, Clarkston quickly evolved into a global hub. Today, its history is defined by its continuous adaptation and its commitment to being a safe haven for those fleeing conflict and persecution.