South Gwinnett · Limited-service city
About Grayson
Grayson is an incorporated city in south Gwinnett County with a small historic center where the downtown meets the Grayson Parkway. It grew up as a farming town, was incorporated in 1901 and took its present name in 1902, and it keeps a Main Street program and a working square at its core today.
Grayson is a limited-service city: it runs its own sanitation contract, planning, zoning, and community programs, while Gwinnett County provides the water, sewer, police, and fire response. That split is the first thing a new resident should understand, and it shapes how the city works day to day.
What it is
A small city, a limited-service government
Grayson sits in southwest Gwinnett County on the Highway 84 corridor, about five miles southeast of Lawrenceville, the county seat. It is small by Gwinnett standards, home to a few thousand residents, with a walkable downtown along the Grayson Parkway, a historic center in the Railyard, and single-family neighborhoods on every side.
The practical identity is the county parks at its edge, Tribble Mill and Bay Creek among them, a school map built around the Grayson cluster, and a downtown small enough to cover on foot. Grayson is not the biggest city in Gwinnett, and that is exactly what its residents like about it.
How it works
Mayor, council, and the county split
The city provides
- Sanitation and recycling, contracted through Latham Home Sanitation.
- Planning and zoning, permits, and community development.
- Community programs, the senior center, and the parks and events.
Gwinnett County keeps
- The public schools, through the GCPS Grayson cluster.
- Water and sewer, through Gwinnett County Public Utilities.
- Police, fire, and emergency response across the city.
Grayson runs a mayor-council form of government: a mayor and four council members set policy, with professional staff in City Hall at 475 Grayson Parkway. The council meets in public on a regular schedule, and City Hall is the first stop for questions about city services.
Where it sits
Where Grayson is on the map
Grayson sits in southwest Gwinnett County where the Highway 84 corridor runs between Snellville and the east county line. Lawrenceville sits about five miles northwest, Snellville about eight miles west, and Loganville about six miles south. The downtown runs along the Grayson Parkway, and Highway 20, the Grayson Highway, crosses the city's north side.
In one sentence: Grayson is the small-city center of south Gwinnett, a walkable downtown with the county's biggest parks at its edge and Lawrenceville's jobs and services a ten-minute drive away. It is small enough to feel personal and close enough to the county seat to act like a suburb.
Straight answers
Questions people actually ask
Is Grayson a real city?
Yes. Grayson was incorporated in 1901 and has been a city of Gwinnett County ever since. It is a limited-service city, which means the city runs its own sanitation, planning, and programs while the county handles water, sewer, police, and fire.
How big is Grayson?
Grayson is one of the smaller cities in Gwinnett County, home to a few thousand residents. Its size is part of the appeal: a small downtown, quiet neighborhoods, and the county's large parks a short drive from the city line.
Why is the city called Grayson?
The city was briefly named Trip, then Berkeley, then took the name Grayson in 1902. The story, told on the history page , involves a letter from the mayor's wife visiting Grayson County, Texas.
An editorial guide, not a listings site. Updated September 13, 2026. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC.