You'll Love Calling Dalton and Whitfield County Home

EDUCATION    |   HOUSING     |     RECREATION     |     ARTS, HISTORY AND CULTURE     |     HEALTH AND WELLNESS     |    

In Dalton and Whitfield County, you'll find a small, friendly Southern city, lush rolling hills and country roads--plus all the benefits of two major metropolitan areas just a short drive along Interstate 75. Residents enjoy a variety of outdoor and cultural activities, freedom from the hurried pace of an urban center, and a pleasant, four-season climate.


Education

Georgia public school enrollments continue to grow, giving the state the 12th fastest-growing student population in the nation, according to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Dalton has received national recognition by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as one of four places in the country where the business community and education have been working effectively to improve educational performance for more than a decade.

  Of 18,000+ US public high schools analyzed by US News & World Report in 2007, Dalton High School scored in the top 3% with a ranking of 486. DHS earned the magazine’s "silver" award designation. The ranking formula includes several indicators such as college readiness of students and academic performance of disadvantaged students.

 

Dalton State College is located in the city and is part of the University of Georgia system. The college offers seven high-demand bachelor's degrees, 62 associate's degrees, and 32 career/certificate programs. An MBA program has recently been added. The campus is situated in a beautiful and well-maintained setting on 141 acres. Newest additions to campus are a 50,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Liberal Arts Building and a 25,000 square foot Center for Continuing Education building. About 4,300 traditional and non-traditional commuter students attend Dalton State College, from a 12-county service area and some 24 foreign countries.

For employers, the State's Quick-Start Pre-Employment Training program can be administered through Dalton State College. This program is designed to assist companies in obtaining the most qualified work force possible. The process provides a unique opportunity for companies and potential employees to assess one another...before employment is offered. Screening, training and manuals are provided in most cases at no cost to the company. Initial and on-going training is also included. This is typically available for companies offering 25 or more positions with similar skill sets.

Housing

Housing ranges from historic homes to funky downtown lofts to well-maintained apartment complexes to planned communities for working families. You'll love what your money will buy in Dalton and Whitfield County.

Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000 $91,800
Estimated Housing Units, 2004 33,521
Value of all NEW private housing units, 2002 $42,715,000

Recreation

The rolling hills near Dalton give way to farm communities in one direction and steep, curving passes in another. Alp-like inclinations of the region's mountain ranges make it a popular spot for cyclists, including pro-racers like Lance Armstrong and his former teammates, who have participated more than once in the annual Tour de Georgia race.

The local terrain also features waterfalls, astounding views and an abundance of flora and fauna. Regionally, outdoor activities include hiking as well as biking, horseback riding, spelunking, rock climbing, boating and white-water rafting.

Arts, History and Culture

Dalton's Creative Arts Guild is the oldest arts center in Georgia. Founded in 1963, it now offers exhibits, performances and a variety of classes for all ages including watercolor and oil painting, pottery, ballet, tap and jazz dance, violin, strings, guitar and private voice lessons. The Guild's annual fall Festival features concerts, international performers and exhibits.

The Prater's Mill Country Fair is another local tradition. This celebration of music, Southern food, handmade crafts and exhibits is held annually at the site of a still-operating, water-powered grist mill built in 1855. The fair is one of the Southeast's most visited Autumn festivals. Other community events include bluegrass festivals, civil war battlefield reenactments, classic car shows and more.

Dalton's Little Theater has been "getting caught in the act" for over 120 years and the organization produces approximately four season plays and three special productions each year. The Artistic Civic Theater (ACT) also offers dinner theater and large cast musicals.

The $2 million Dalton Regional Library serves 50,000 subscribers and offers more than 200,000 books and reference resources, as well as regular children's stories and a Current Events Discussion Series for adults.

Local historic sites include the Dalton Depot (once a site of the Civil War's Great Locomotive Chase and now an elegant restaurant), the entire Downtown area (also now a wireless hotspot), Crown Gardens and Archives, two designated residential areas and the antebellum Hamilton House.

Health and Wellness

Dalton's Hamilton Health Care System has twice been named one of the Top 100 Hospitals in the United States by HCIA and Mercer Consulting. The system's centers for excellence include cancer care, diabetes treatment and maternal and infant care. The Level II trauma center provides outstanding immediate and ambulatory emergency care.

Hamilton's technologically-advanced diagnostic facility includes a fully-accredited laboratory, a magnetic resonance imaging center and outpatient neurodiagnostic center. The medical center is also home to an advanced computer radiology system and outpatient women's pavilion featuring mammography, ultrasound and bone densitometry capabilities.

The system's Bradley Wellness Center offers health assessments, education and exercise programs including yoga, aerobics, hip hop and line dancing, tennis, aquatics and personal training.

Working Well is a workplace wellness and prevention program provided through a partnership with The Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership. Health Promotion Specialists offer Working Well screenings as well as behavioral change, educational, and awareness interventions for individual companies and their employees.