Dalton is a city and the county seat of Whitfield County, Georgia, United States. It is also the principal city of the Dalton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Murray and Whitfield counties.
As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 34,417 people; the city's metro area was 124,837. Dalton is located just off Interstate 75 in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northwest Georgia and is the second-largest city in northwest Georgia, after Rome.
Dalton is home to many of the nation's floor-covering manufacturers, primarily those producing carpet, rugs, and vinyl flooring. It is home to the Dalton Convention Center, which showcases the Georgia Athletic Coaches' Hall of Fame and hosts a variety of events.
Geography
Dalton is located at (34.771088, -84.971553). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.10%) is water.
Quality of life Dalton promotes a quality of life that combines natural amenities, community traditions, and ongoing revitalization projects. The city maintains more than 20 public parks and playgrounds, as well as access to regional hiking and biking trails such as Rocky Face Ridge, Disney Trail, and Haig Mill Lake Park. The Discover Dalton Pass, launched in 2025, offers residents and visitors a digital guide to trails, outdoor recreation, and cultural attractions across Whitfield County.
Civic engagement is an established feature of community life. Events such as Gratefull Dalton—an annual community-wide Thanksgiving meal that draws more than 2,000 attendees—highlight Dalton's emphasis on social connection and inclusivity. Monthly “CommUNITY dinners,” launched in 2024, further aim to build relationships and generate dialogue among residents.
Downtown revitalization efforts, supported by public-private partnerships, have included streetscape improvements, new public art, and corridor beautification projects. A $2.2 million state grant in 2023 helped complete improvements on Cuyler and Pentz Streets, strengthening the walkability and visual appeal of the central business district.
Cultural life is supported by local music festivals, outdoor concert series, and storytelling campaigns such as People of Dalton, which highlight diverse resident experiences. Educational and literacy programs, including bilingual book distribution and summer reading events, contribute to community enrichment and early childhood development.
Demographics
Racial and ethnic composition +Dalton city, Georgia – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)13,86714,05513,02949.68%42.43%37.86%Black or African American alone (NH)2,0421,9742,1087.32%5.96%6.12%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4541480.16%0.12%0.14%Asian alone (NH)4587498591.64%2.26%2.50%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)131270.05%0.04%0.02%Other race alone (NH)19241070.07%0.07%0.31%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)2493827590.89%1.15%2.21%Hispanic or Latino (any race)11,21915,89117,50040.19%47.97%50.85%Total27,91233,12834,417 100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, 34,417 people, 12,046 households, and 7,470 families were residing in the city.
About 99.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.0% lived in rural areas.
The median age was 33.7 years; 26.9% of residents were under 18 and 13.1% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.2 males 18 and over.
Of the 12,046 households, 37.7% had children under 18 living in them, 41.9% were married couples, 20.5% had a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.9% had a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.
Of the 13,010 housing units, 7.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.9%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 15,864 46.1% Black or African American 2,232 6.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 1,126 3.3% Asian 876 2.5% Native Hawaiian and 0ther Pacific Islander 20 0.1% Some other race 8,878 25.8% Two or more races 5,421 15.8%
2010 census According to the 2010 census, Dalton had a population of 33,128 living in 11,337 households. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 42.4% non-Hispanic white, 22.6% Hispanic, 6.4% black, 0.6% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% non-Hispanic reporting some other race, 22.2% Hispanic reporting some other race, and 3.2% reporting two or more races. About 48.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics of Dalton from the US census
2000 census According to the census estimate of 2006, 33,604 people, 10,689 households, and 8,511 families were residing in the city. The population density was . The 11,229 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 20% White, 22% Black, 1% Native American, 1% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander, 21.15% from other races, and 6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 50% of the population.
Of the 9,689 households, 34.3% had children under 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were not families. About 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.81, and the average family size was 3.43.
In the city, the age distribution was 27.3% under 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 101.6 males.
In the city, the median income for a household was $34,312 and for a family was $41,111. Males had a median income of $28,158 versus $23,701 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,575. About 11.9% of families and 16.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.0% of those under 18 and 8.9% of those 65 or over. After the lay-offs, companies like Mohawk Industries paid workers with 20 years' seniority a "small severance package."
Mexican Americans In the 1990s, Mexicans began to immigrate to Dalton to work at carpet factories. - Clipping of first and of second page By 2010, 48% of Dalton's 33,000 residents were Latino, comprising a plurality of all residents. During the late 1980s economic boom – when demand for carpet-mill laborers reached an all-time high – the 320 carpet mills aggressively recruited Latino workers. As of 2012, Hispanics constituted the plurality of students at Dalton High School. In 2024 multiple churches, restaurants, and home decorations reflected the bicultural ties.
Climate Dalton has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with hot, humid summers, and mild to cool winters, and straddles the border between USDA Hardiness Zones 7B and 8A. The monthly daily mean temperature ranges from in January to in July; on average, there are 37.9 days of + highs, 2.0 days where the high fails to reach above freezing, and 62.6 nights where the low falls to or below annually.
Sports Soccer In 2018, the USL League Two awarded a soccer franchise to Dalton. The Dalton Red Wolves SC's inaugural season was in 2019; the club plays at Lakeshore Park in Dalton. According to the New York Times, "this town of nearly 35,000 — now 53 percent Hispanic — became an unlikely center for America’s slow tilt toward soccer and why it now calls itself Soccer Town U.S.A. It may not be as chest-puffing as the title of “home to more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States,” which Dalton held in the 1970s. Dalton recently broke ground on a soccer complex featuring two FIFA-regulation-size turf fields."
Arts and culture
Creative Arts Guild The Creative Arts Guild is the oldest multidisciplinary community arts center in Georgia. Founded in 1963 by a group of civic leaders, the Creative Arts Guild began as a grass-roots community movement originally housed in the Old Firehouse on Pentz Street in historic Downtown Dalton. The Guild began offering art, music, dance, and theatre classes, as well as gallery shows and exhibitions. As programming and class attendance grew, plans for a larger facility were developed. In 1981, the guild moved to its permanent home at 520 West Waugh Street. The vision of that small group of patrons has grown into an organization that now houses four educational departments (visual art, dance, gymnastics, and music), as well as the Arts in Education outreach programs, events, gallery exhibits, music and dance concerts and recitals, and it acts as a hub of culture for Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee.
Artistic Civic Theatre Artistic Civic Theatre has served the Northwest Georgia community for 24 years and has reached thousands of citizens through major musical, comedy, and drama productions, ACT2 (the children's wing), student productions in cooperation with schools in Dalton, Whitfield, and Murray Counties, touring productions of original adaptations of classic fairy tales, theatrical arts classes co-sponsored with the Creative Arts Guild, the annual Youth Theatre Camp, and the Studio Cabaret live music series. ACT's programs are funded through individual and family memberships, as well as corporate sponsorships and donations.
Dalton Little Theatre Dalton Little Theatre held its first documented performance in 1869. The organization began as the Dalton Amateurs and continued as the Sophoclean Dramatic Club and the Dalton Players, before becoming Dalton Little Theatre in 1955. The theatre has performed continuously except for breaks during World War I and World War II. The organization formally incorporated in 1958 and found its first home in 1981, when it converted the former firehouse built in 1888 into the Firehouse Theatre. The Firehouse Theatre is often referred to as the Old Dalton Firehouse, and it remains the home of Dalton Little Theatre to this day.
Other events The Downtown Dalton Development Authority hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the Downtown Dalton Farmers Market (May–August), a Downtown Sampler, and an annual Beer Festival. The Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau partners with the DDDA to host the Downtown Dalton Summer Concert Series, featuring local bands. The Young Professionals of Northwest Georgia host a monthly social event to connect and engage area young professionals
History
Pre-history Woodland Indians and Creek Nation initially held the area of present-day Dalton, Georgia. The first recorded white man in the area was Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto (1540). By the mid-18th century, when the Cherokee forced the Creek Nation out of their homelands, to the west and south, the Cherokee Indians called the mountains of north Georgia their "Enchanted Land" until their own forced removal in 1838.
Industrialization By the time the last Cherokees were removed from the land, work was underway for a railroad, the Western and Atlantic Railroad (W&A), to join the Tennessee River with the Georgia Railroad then under construction. In 1847, Dalton was defined as a mile radius from the city center, the Western and Atlantic Depot. The final segment of this pivotal railway was completed in Tunnel Hill, Whitfield County in 1850. A second railroad, East Tennessee and Georgia, was completed in 1852.