Like many other cities in Georgia, Suwanee was originally a Native American village. It was built along the Chattahoochee River, wherein many communities flourished. The town of Suwanee itself was officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1837 after the establishment of a post office. In 1871, the Georgia Air Line Railroad began official construction through Suwanee, and in 1880 the Rhodes House hotel was built to house passengers of the railroad. This was instrumental in bringing visitors through the town and helped to generate an active economy. In 1881, a fire burned down all of the homes on Main Street with the exception of one. From 1880 to 1920, the population was mostly stagnant, only increasing from 216 people to 241 over those forty years. As of 2015, the population of Suwanee was over 18,000
Beginning in 1933 and ending in 1936, the now heavily traveled Buford Highway was constructed through Suwanee. In 1960, Interstate eighty-five was constructed to extend to just south of Suwanee, where it ended at the time. Throughout the remaining one hundred years, many primary schools have opened in Suwanee, including North Gwinnett High School and Suwanee Elementary School. The official opening date for Suwannee High School was in 1880 when it became a one-room schoolhouse. In the 1960s their first city hall was built, and a second one constructed in 1997. The city hall moved to the town center after construction finished in 2009. Suwanee was named a City of Excellence by the Georgia Municipal Association and Trend Magazine in 2003. In 2017, Suwanee was recognized as a Green Community according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.
